Hillary Rodham Clinton jokes during her keynote address at the Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 24, 2015.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has officially announced via social media that she is running for president in 2016, a move long anticipated.
“I’m getting ready to do something, too,” Clinton says in a video entitled Getting Started, which features a number of Americans telling their personal story. “I’m running for president.”
Also as expected, her opening theme underscored the campaign’s strategy to focus on domestic issue, specifically income inequality. On Saturday, the group We Are Hillary for America circulated a “guiding principles” memo that provided insight into to the focus of the Clinton campaign. “Give every family, every small business and every American a path to lasting prosperity by electing Hillary Clinton the next president of the United States,” the memo in part stated.
And in the video — viewable below — Mrs. Clinton was right on message.
“Americans have fought back from tough economic times, but the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top. Everyday Americans need a champion,” Clinton added. “I want to be that champion.”
I'm running for president. Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion. –H https://t.co/w8Hoe1pbtC
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 12, 2015
The “–H” at the end of the tweet is the first of its kind since Hillary opened her Twitter account just last year. Why? Because she will no longer be running the handling the account herself.
This account will be run by campaign staff from now on—but you’ll still see tweets from Hillary. They’ll be signed “-H.”
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 12, 2015
The campaign has openly acknowledged that she will change strategy and direction from her failed 2008 White House bid. This time around she will make an effort to convince voters she is not taking them for granted.
I’m hitting the trail to earn your vote. Headed to Iowa. –H http://t.co/Mut4vOMxm0
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 12, 2015
But, according to recent polls, Clinton may find the general election voter pool far cooler than previously expected juxtaposed to a year ago. In the wake of the private email server controversy, voters in the battleground states of Iowa, Colorado, and Virginia now say the former first lady, senator, and secretary is no longer honest and trustworthy. Libertarian-leaning Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kty., who announced his bid last week, leads Clinton in Iowa and Colorado.
“It isn’t just one or two Republicans who are stepping up; it’s virtually the entire GOP field that is running better against her,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. “That’s why it is difficult to see Secretary Clinton’s slippage as anything other than a further toll on her image from the furor over her e-mail. In all three of these states, more, and in Colorado many more, registered voters say she is not honest and trustworthy.”
Watch Hillary Announcement Video:
