World Bulletin / News Desk

On the subject of women in politics, Hillary Clinton is fond of quoting the words of another illustrious first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, who once said: "You need to grow a skin as thick as a rhinoceros."

When out on the stump, in cafes, churches and rallies across the country, Clinton talks of the adversity she has faced down over the course of four decades in public life.

A Machiavellian image clings to the ambitious Midwesterner, dating back to her years in the political spotlight as a tandem with Bill.

She is considered "dishonest" by a majority of Americans, and the mudslinging is only set to intensify as she heads into a brutal showdown with presidential rival Donald Trump.

And yet, at age 68, Clinton now stands at the threshold of the White House.

This week she will formally become her party's nominee at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, making history as the first woman to carry the colors of a major US political party in the presidential race.

"Yes, there are still ceilings to break for women and men, for all of us. But don't let anyone tell you that great things can't happen in America," Clinton told supporters at a rally in New York, fired up by her victory in the Democratic primaries.

President Barack Obama, campaigning with her early this month, said "there has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton. And that's the truth."