On April 12, Hillary Clinton put an end to many assumptions and speculations by officially announcing her candidacy for president. The first words of her running came from a video launched on Youtube video launched on Youtube by John Podesta, a long-time ally of Clinton. Having started her campaign through the video, Clinton continues her efforts by building a nation-wide grassroots organization and engaging directly with the voters. In May, when the voters are more organized about whom they support and have a clearer idea of each candidate’s policies, Clinton will start delivering speeches to reinforce her stance and position.
The name Clinton has become one that is very well recognized by the American people, with the Clinton family holding numerous paramount positions in American politics. Hillary Clinton became the first lady when her husband, Bill Clinton, won the presidency in 1992. Since then, Hillary Clinton has served in the Senate for eight years and has led the State Department from 2009 to 2013. In 2008, she unsuccessfully ran for president against Barack Obama and is now running for the second time.
“Given her past experience and the perception that people currently have about Hillary Clinton, she seems like a very strong candidate,” said Dongin Kim (11), Government and Politics student. “I think that Clinton has proved herself capable with her many years in office, and she is largely responsible for changing the thinking that women should always remain at home. In order to embrace diversity and reinforce the message that power and talent come independent of race or gender stereotypes, Clinton seems like one of the better choices as the next president.”
According to the CNN, Hillary Clinton will take a very different approach from her 2008 presidential election. While she casted a very charismatic and strong image of herself in the 2008 election, she hopes to use her Midwestern upbringing and her mother’s perseverance in the face of hardship in order to appeal to the masses and relate to the general public. Through such a strategy, Hillary Clinton hopes to change the fact that even though she has near 100 percent name recognition in most polls, many are still unaware of her true story and identity.
“Her candidacy was not too much of a surprise for most people in my opinion,” said Lauren Ahn (11), Forensics team member. “I’m not too sure who the other candidates are going to be, but regardless, I think Hillary Clinton holds a pretty strong chance given the amount of respect she receives from the world. It is my personal wish that she be elected because I think she will be able to actively bring down male chauvinism and serve as a role model for young girls.”