Hillary Clinton makes history, prepares to take on Trump

PARK RIDGE, Ill. (WLS) -- Hillary Clinton made history Tuesday night as the first woman to win the nomination of a major political party and now turns her attention to her opponent, billionaire businessman Donald Trump.

Voters in Park Ridge say that the fact that Clinton is a native will not impact how they vote, nor the fact that she's a woman.

Trump has been expert so far in the election cycle at grabbing headlines. The Trump factor is one of the reasons political experts say Clinton's historic moment is placed on page 35 of Wednesday's Chicago Sun-Times.

Kate Grossman, with the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics, says the public has been used to the idea of Clinton since 2008 when she first ran for president. She is also hoping to succeed another historic president.

"We have had eight years of an African American president. We've sort of usherd in a hopefully new era of inclusiveness in politics, so this seems like a natural next step," says Grossman.

But Clinton supporter and political consultant Delmarie Cobb says Clinton should get as much coverage as Obama did when he was the first African American presidential nominee, although Cobb also says the woman factor shouldn't define Clinton's candidacy.

"Among the two nominees right now, she is the most qualified," Cobb says. "The woman piece is the icing on the cake."

For many voters, electing the first woman president is not playing a major role in their decision making. Whether in Park Ridge, where Clinton grew up, or on the South Side of Chicago, voters are turned off by both choices.

"There are a lot of reasons not to vote for Trump, and also reasons not to vote for Clinton," says first time voter Ethan Metzger.

"I just haven't processed this. I was hoping someone would come forward who was more likeable," says Nan Giblin of Park Ridge.

And as Donald Trump continues to turn off members of his own party, some Illinois Republicans are hoping for a do-over.

"What I would like to see when we got o the convention is that they actually amend the rules and allow the delegates - and I'm a delegate - to vote their conscience because I think Donald Trump is proving to be a disaster for us," says Pat Brady, former Illinois Republican Party chairman.

Experts say the likelihood of the rules changing during the Republican nominating process and another candidate coming through are very slim.