Hillary Clinton declares 2016 Democratic presidential bid

[webfact]

Clinton kicks off 2016 campaign online, heads next to Iowa
By KEN THOMAS and LISA LERER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton jumped back into presidential politics on Sunday, making a much-awaited announcement she will again seek the White House with a promise to serve as the "champion" of everyday Americans.

Clinton opened her bid for the 2016 Democratic nomination by positioning herself as the heir to the diverse coalition of voters who elected her immediate predecessor and former campaign rival, President Barack Obama, as well as an appeal to those in her party still leery of her commitment to fighting income inequality.

And unlike eight years ago, when she ran as a candidate with a deep resume in Washington, Clinton and her personal history weren't the focus of the first message of her campaign. She made no mention of her time in the Senate and four years as secretary of state, or the prospect she could make history as the nation's first female president.

Instead, the video is a collection of voters talking about their lives, their plans and aspirations for the future. Clinton doesn't appear until the very end.

"I'm getting ready to do something, too. I'm running for president," Clinton said. "Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times, but the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top.

"Every day Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion, so you can do more than just get by. You can get ahead and stay ahead."

It's a message that also made an immediate play to win over the support of liberals in her party for whom economic inequality has become a defining issue. They remain skeptical of Clinton's close ties to Wall Street and the centrist economic policies of the administration of her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Many had hoped Clinton would face a challenge from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has said she will not run.

"It would do her well electorally to be firmly on the side of average working people who are working harder than ever and still not getting ahead," said economist Robert Reich, a former labor secretary during the Clinton administration who has known Hillary Clinton for nearly five decades.

Unlike some of the Republicans who have entered the race, Clinton's video and new website are scant on policy specifics. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, for example, kicked off his campaign with a website and online videos that described his positions on an array of domestic and foreign policy issues.

Clinton also began her campaign for president in 2007 with a video, followed by a splashy rally in Des Moines where she said, "I'm running for president, and I'm in it to win it." This time around, Clinton will instead head this week to the first-to-vote Iowa, looking to connect with voters directly at a community college and small business roundtable in two small towns.

"When families are strong, America is strong. So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote. Because it's your time. And I hope you'll join me on this journey," she said in the video.

This voter-centric approach was picked with a purpose, her advisers said, to show that Clinton is not taking the nomination for granted. Her campaign said Sunday she would spend the next six to eight weeks in a "ramp-up" period, and she would not hold her first rally and deliver a campaign kickoff speech until May.

Clinton is the first high-profile Democrat to get into the race, and she quickly won the endorsement of several leading Democrats, including her home state governor, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine.

Still, there are some lesser-known Democrats who are considering challenging her, including former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders.

"During this campaign, it is imperative that Secretary Clinton, like every other candidate, address the great challenges of our time: the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality that is crushing our middle class," Sanders said.

The GOP did not wait for her announcement to begin their campaign against her. The party's chairman, Reince Priebus, has outlined plans for a broad effort to try to undermine her record as secretary of state while arguing that her election would be like giving Obama a "third term."

Republicans have jumped on Clinton's use of a personal email account and server while she was secretary of state, as well as her handling of the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, in his own online video, said Sunday: "We must do better than the Obama-Clinton foreign policy that has damaged relationships with our allies and emboldened our enemies."

Should she win the Democratic nomination, Clinton will need to overcome history to win the White House. In the last half-century, the same party has held the White House for three consecutive terms only once, during the administrations of Republicans Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

As part of her launch, Clinton also will leave the board of her family's foundation.

The 2016 campaign is likely to be the most expensive in history, with total spending on both sides expected to well exceed the more than $1 billion spent by each of the two nominees' campaigns four years ago.

This weekend, Clinton campaign fundraisers escalated their outreach to Democratic donors, who largely back her bid, with a flurry of phone calls urging them to donate as soon as possible. Her team on Sunday encouraged donors to become "Hillstarters" by raising $27,000 for the campaign in the next 30 days.
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AP White House correspondent Julie Pace in Chicago contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-04-13

[JakeSully]

Barring a complete financial meltdown or a catastrophe (hey we elected Bush twice), the white house should stay with a democrat. Will it be hillary or someone else with a breath of fresh air.. that is the question.

[jamesjohnsonthird]

"Are you better off now than 6 years ago" should be her slogan.

[Somtamnication]

Bummer. Is that the best that the Americans have for president? They are doomed.

[thesetat2013]

They always said she was the one controlling the president when he was in office and look at what was done during his admin. Her tenure in office as governor was not that great as well. Now she wants to be president herself. God help the USA should be their slogan instead of God Bless the US.

[sirineou]

Bummer. Is that the best that the Americans have for president? They are doomed.

too early to tell who we have for president

There will be others, Personally I don't think Hillary has an ice cubes chance in hell, but she is establishment and she will have her try.

[sirineou]

They always said she was the one controlling the president when he was in office and look at what was done during his admin. Her tenure in office as governor was not that great as well. Now she wants to be president herself. God help the USA should be their slogan instead of God Bless the US.

you mean her tenure in office as senator? she was never governor, Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas

[curtklay]

Don't you just love it when people who don't know what they're talking about can't resist posting their comments?

[hansgruber]

Doesn't matter who's president anymore. They don't hold any power. Corporations do.

[ezzra]

The only way this woman hoping to win with is the fact that she's a woman, other than that,

no redeeming values glaring out there coming from her, and the fact that she seems to

be to close to Obama plus the fact that she has Benghazi and similar skeletons in her

big and dark closet, will make it hard to win...

[jamesjohnsonthird]

Skeletons in her closet.

We are talking about the most investigated person on plant earth. Right?

Republicans have had lawyers, investigators and a fake "news' station harassing her since the 1980s. They have zilch.

She has been vetted over and over and over again in Democratic primaries, Senate races and Secretary of State appointments.

Hillary can't even take a crap without some conservative getting a sample.

Another fake scandal won't derail her.

[sirineou]

The only way this woman hoping to win with is the fact that she's a woman, other than that,

no redeeming values glaring out there coming from her, and the fact that she seems to

be to close to Obama plus the fact that she has Benghazi and similar skeletons in her

big and dark closet, will make it hard to win...

She has a lot more going for her other that she is a woman, she is well educated and has a tremendous amount of experience,

say what you may about her and her politics, she is certainly qualified.

but at the same time she is also 67 years old and her long experience has also accumulated her a lot of baggage

McCain demanded his chance and it cost the Republicans the white house, now the Democrats are about to make the same mistake.

[Just1Voice]

One major reason I would never vote for this woman - Her flat out Bengazi Lies to the American people.

[Ricardo]

Bummer. Is that the best that the Americans have for president? They are doomed.

Perhaps the Republicans might run Sarah Palin against her ? No, just kidding, no honestly !

As a non-American, I don't really have a horse in this race, except that it does still matter to the rest of the world, who heads the USA.

They have had some fine people over the years, and also some truly awful ones, but happily none ever pressed that hypnotic Big-Red-Button, so kudos to all of them for that, I guess.

It worries me slightly that the land of the free seem to regard the emergence of political-families as being OK, the chances that political-ability is hereditary is surely unlikely, on the other hand we've seen a coloured-President so perhaps it's time to get the other big No-No out of the way, and elect a woman ?

Whatever, while the race itself is bound to be divisive, it would be good to see the country & its political-institutions supporting whoever does win, the GEC requires the USA to end its factional bickering, if only for a few years.

Good Luck to my american friends !

Edited April 13, 2015 by Ricardo

[JingerBen]

They always said she was the one controlling the president when he was in office and look at what was done during his admin. Her tenure in office as governor was not that great as well. Now she wants to be president herself. God help the USA should be their slogan instead of God Bless the US.

you mean her tenure in office as senator? she was never governor, Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas

That's right, Democratic Senator from New York.

She bought a house in Chappaqua for the occasion.

[freebyrd]

More blonde hair on someone who should be growing old (dis)gracefully. More sickly synthetic smiles, big eyes and finger pointing . I guess it will be 2025 before a breath of fresh air is allowed to blow again, unless of course Chelsea and Jenna jump on the 'dynastic' bandwagon?!

[jamesjohnsonthird]

I wish my cable company ran FOX "News."

They must be going bonkers over there.

Edited April 13, 2015 by jamesjohnsonthird

[Pinot]

The Republican party will respond by shifting gears from being racists to misogynists. I'm joking, they were already misogynists.

You see the ridiculous "she's un-electable" and the rest of the right wing bile in the posts above. And the alternative is...yea, see? When you pander to religious extremists and TP nuts, you can't expect to have an electable candidate.

The Republicans will nominate one of their village idiots like Cruz or Paul, bringing out the democratic vote that should give the congress and senate back to the dems.

Doesn't matter who it is, Hillary is a slam dunk. If you don't think so, turn off Fox News.

[Chicog]

Pleasing news indeed. But now watch the GOP run one of the most nasty and spiteful campaigns in history.

Sadly this will be reciprocated.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Chicog

[Publicus]

All the odds makers in N America and Europe show H is the odds-on favorite. This is due to the fact Americans have known HRC since 1992.

What do Americans know about H?

They know H is safe on the economy and in the matter or war and peace.

Americans know all of the 'scandals' against the Clintons since the 1992 campaign Bill and Hillary won are Republican party (right wing) invented scandals ballooned from some germ of a reality, such as Monica or the completely above board Whitewater development project in Arkansas. HRC has no scandals, only Republican party and other right wing inventions.

Because of this reality, Americans have made up their minds about H for president and all the mainstream credible and reliable polling shows she beats everyone in either party.

Also know that white, blue collar voters who did not vote for Barack will vote for H. Add to that the polling from 2008 to the present that consistently shows suburban Republican women decidedly for H for prez.

In 2012, which is instructive history and not predictive, the Ds had three strategies independent of one another to win. Not a combination, but separately as any one of the three would do the job. There was the Western strategy of winning Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa. Then there was the Mid-West strategy of carrying Iowa and Ohio. Third was the Southern strategy of bagging North Carolina and Virginia. Succeeding in any one, exclusive of the other two, would produce a win.

The Ds lost only one state, NC, which means the three separate and independent strategies converged on election day to produce victory. Next year, Rs need to win Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Nevada. Or any combination of the 52 electoral college votes they need to win. The votes are not there.

Top Democratic party figures expect the R nominee to be either JEB or Walker, with Rubio as the outside shot. If the nominee is JEB, it will be the end of the Bushes forever, thank the almighty voters. If it's Walker, voters will choose the known HRC over this unknown. If it somehow might be Rubio, the evangelicals, the tea party and the war hawks have no candidate.

Voters know now how they will vote, so when the Rs reach back for the kitchen sink -- whatever that might yet be-- it still means that it's all over but the shouting.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Publicus

[Dannyboy666]

One major reason I would never vote for this woman - Her flat out Bengazi Lies to the American people.

. No No No the Bengazi. thing again, my God give it a rest is that all ya got, Geez

[Ulysses G.]

Voters know now how they will vote, so when the Rs reach back for the kitchen sink -- whatever that might yet be-- it still means that it's all over but the shouting.

Your predictions on this forum keep turning out to be wrong. It seems like you would learn a lesson.

[boomerangutang]

Republicans will continue to scratch the floor of their pig sty, trying to find any bit of dirt to fling at Ms Clinton. Fox news will take every little bit of offal and try to magnify it to the size of the moon. But their smear campaign will fail like Saddam's anti-aircraft flak guns failing to graze any one of the dozens of planes flying over Baghdad, despite the night sky being lit up like a dozen 4th of July's. And who will the Rep'cans have for a candidate? Anything better than a Bible-thumping, science-denying gay-hater will be an improvement.

Edited April 13, 2015 by boomerangutang

[NeverSure]

I don't know why anyone should bother with the Tuesday, November 8, 2016 Presidential Election in the US when so many members of TVF already know who the winner is.

[Just1Voice]

One major reason I would never vote for this woman - Her flat out Bengazi Lies to the American people.

. No No No the Bengazi. thing again, my God give it a rest is that all ya got, Geez

It only takes one lie to destroy your credibility, and her's was a major one. No way I could vote for anyone, man or woman, who allowed American's to die when help was available to save them, and then flat out lie to the American people about it. I could give a crap about what other "qualities" she may have, as far as I'm concerned, she's a traitor to the American people. If you don't agree with me, fine, that's your privilege, but I stand by what I believe.

[BKKSnowBird]

I wish my cable company ran FOX "News."

They must be going bonkers over there.

They are scared to death. She will beat any clown the GOP pulls out of the clown car by a mile.

[NeverSure]

Edited April 13, 2015 by NeverSure

[Publicus]

Voters know now how they will vote, so when the Rs reach back for the kitchen sink -- whatever that might yet be-- it still means that it's all over but the shouting.

Your predictions on this forum keep turning out to be wrong. It seems like you would learn a lesson.

That claim would need to be documented.

Thoroughly, so it could be hashed out.

Darren Wilson has already been presented. Feel free however to re-present that demolished claim.

What else ya got...as we focus on the poster again instead of the topic or the thread. Another Republican right wing diversion among many in need of a speedy disposition.

I wuzn't in Benghazi so you'd need something else....Whitewater is out too cause I've never been to Arkansas....

I rarely post one-liners so you'd have to do a lot of reading....

[Berkshire]

I honestly don't know any guy--Dem or Rep--who wholeheartedly supports Hillary. Even amongst Democrats, it's mostly "well, she's not my top choice, but she's a heck of a lot better than Cruz, Paul, Bush, Walker, who anyone else that the GOP can muster." I'm in that camp.

[BKKSnowBird]

I honestly don't know any guy--Dem or Rep--who wholeheartedly supports Hillary. Even amongst Democrats, it's mostly "well, she's not my top choice, but she's a heck of a lot better than Cruz, Paul, Bush, Walker, who anyone else that the GOP can muster." I'm in that camp.

Same here. I actally like Elizabeth Warren but Hillary it is.

I am not voting for her but against who ever the republicans can find.

Atleast the GOP will have the next 8 years to get their house in order.

Unless she falls seriously ill, Hillary will be the next president.