Hillary Clinton has finally confirmed her intention to once again run for the presidency, promising that she will serve as the "champion" of everyday Americans.
In the online video to open her bid for the Democratic nomination to the 2016 presidential elections, Clinton positioned herself as the successor to the diverse voter base that brought President Barack Obama the victory and re-election. Clinton also released an appeal to the members of her party that are still wary of her advocacy of fighting against income inequality.
The launch of Clinton's campaign also shows a focus on her personal history which was unlike the strategy used for the first message of her campaign eight years ago. In the online video, there was nothing mentioned regarding Clinton's service in the Senate and her four years serving as secretary of state, nor was there any mention of the possibility of making history as the first female president of the United States.
The video instead shows different voters that talk about their lives, plans and hopes for the future, with Clinton appearing only at the end.
"I'm getting ready to do something, too. I'm running for president," said Clinton. "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."
Embedded in the video is Clinton's attempt to gain the support of party members that have seen economic inequality as a critical issue. They continue to be skeptical of Clinton's focus on the issue, due to her close ties with Wall Street and the centrist economic policies that were implemented by former President Bill Clinton.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was thought to challenge Clinton's campaign. However, Warren has previously announced that she will not be running for the presidential nomination.
Robert Reich, an economist and a former labor secretary from Bill Clinton's administration, said that it would be good for Clinton to gather the support of the average working class of the United States.
However, Clinton's launching video did not provide details on policy specifics, unlike Republicans likewise seeking the presidential nomination such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who put up a website with online videos to define his position of several policy issues, both local and foreign.
Clinton has become the first high-profile Democrat to enter the race for the presidency. Lesser known potential candidates that could challenge Clinton include former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Photo: Marc Nozell | Flickr
