Hillary Clinton launched the first official steps towards her historic bid to become the United States’s first woman President on Saturday with the bold announcement: ”I’m in — and I’m in to win.”
Senator Clinton’s move to form a committee to raise money for a presidential bid finally put her into the race for the Democratic party’s 2008 nomination, pitting her against Barack Obama, John Edwards and a host of other candidates.
It was the latest twist in Clinton’s already remarkable career that is now set to embark on its most ambitious journey. She has gone from First Lady to Bill Clinton to being a high-profile New York Senator and is now set to bid to become the most powerful person on the planet.
In her speech, which was videotaped and put on a website as well as emailed to her huge list of supporters, Clinton came out with guns blazing. She directly addressed the issue that concerns most Democratic party supporters who doubt she can overcome her past legacy and actually win. Clinton tried to assure them she was electable by saying she had proved it in two Senate races already. ”After nearly $70-million spent against my campaigns in New York and two landslide wins, I can say I know how Washington Republicans think, how they operate and how to beat them,’ she said.
The move marks the re-emergence of Clinton into the campaign fray after weeks of maintaining a low profile in the wake of the rise of Obama, who is also trying to break down barriers by becoming America’s first black President. She appealed to Americans to engage with her to work out the best way forward for the country. ”Let’s talk. Let’s chat,” she said.
Obama issued a statement saying he was pleased she had entered the race. ”I welcome her and all the candidates not as competitors, but as allies in the work of getting our country back on track,” he said.
Clinton joins a Democrat field that is already crowded. It includes herself, Obama, the former vice-presidential candidate Edwards, peace campaigner Dennis Kucinich, former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack and several others. Clinton, who is the best known, automatically becomes the front-runner in the contest.
In her favour is her undoubted political talent, the support of large numbers of women and black Americans and a huge political machine that has a firm grip on the Democratic party in numerous key battle ground states. She also has vast money-raising potential and will have no trouble generating media coverage.
But her bid faces problems too. The first is the sense that Republicans will use the sleaze allegations that marred her husband’s years in office against her. On Saturday official Republican reaction to the news of her presidential run was muted. It came on the same day as conservative Republican Senator Sam Brownback also announced he would run. But Brownback only acknowledged her fame and predicted a tough race. ”This is a long road with a long way to go,” he said.
But elements of the US’s conservative media have already begun attacking her, notably by claiming her advisers have been behind a rumour that Obama spent time in a Muslim seminary when he was a child in Indonesia. The story, propagated by right-wing websites, has been dismissed as ”ludicrous” by Obama’s campaign staff. No evidence has been produced to show either that Obama was at such a school or that Clinton’s staff have been investigating it. It could be a sign of Republican dirty tricks to come.
More worryingly for Clinton though is her position on Iraq, where she has been hawkish in her support for US troops and she has refused to disavow her Senate vote in favour of the 2003 invasion. Clinton acknowledged that Americans were concerned about such things. ”This is a big election with some very big questions. How do we bring the war in Iraq to the right end? How can we make sure every American has access to affordable health care?” she said. – Guardian Unlimited Â