Hillary Makes 2016 Bid Official

12 Apr, 2015

Hillary Clinton cast herself as a champion for everyday Americans on Sunday, kicking off her long-awaited second run for the White House with a vow to fight for a level playing field for those recovering from tough economic times.

Clinton, who begins the 2016 presidential race as the commanding Democratic front runner, entered the fray with a flurry of video, email and social media announcements that indicated she had absorbed some of the lessons of her painful 2008 loss and would not take anything for granted this time.

When she lost the Democratic nominating battle to Barack Obama, her campaign was heavily criticized for conveying a sense of arrogance and entitlement, and for being out of touch with the party’s progressive wing.

This time, the video launching her campaign portrayed her as a warmer, more empathetic figure and laid the groundwork for a more populist economic agenda.

Eight years ago, her launch message was “I’m in it to win.” On Sunday, she shifted the attention to voters, declaring on her new website, “Everyday Americans need a champion. I want to be that champion.”

Her roll-out included a sophisticated use of social media, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube – a contrast to her last campaign which was seen as less adept than Obama’s at using technology to convey messages.

But showing a more down-to-earth side while connecting with ordinary voters will be a challenge for Clinton, one of the most famous figures in the United States after decades as the wife of former President Bill Clinton, a U.S. senator and secretary of state. Indeed, her launch drew praise from French and German government ministers.

While Clinton enters the race as prohibitive favorite to be her party’s presidential nominee, a crowd of potential candidates are vying for the Republican nomination.

Clinton’s campaign will be based around her plans to address economic inequality and will tout the historic nature of her effort to become the first woman U.S. president, aides said.

Reuters 

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