Stuck in bed with the flu I thought I couldn’t possibly feel worse…and then:
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has announced that she is forming an exploratory committee for president, thereby launching a bid to become the first female chief executive of the United States.
“I’m in,” she said on a Web site, hillaryclinton.com. “And I’m in to win.
HillaryClinton.com has video and this announcement:
I’m in. And I’m in to win.
Today I am announcing that I will form an exploratory committee to run for president.
And I want you to join me not just for the campaign but for a conversation about the future of our country — about the bold but practical changes we need to overcome six years of Bush administration failures.
I am going to take this conversation directly to the people of America, and I’m starting by inviting all of you to join me in a series of web chats over the next few days.
The stakes will be high when America chooses a new president in 2008.
As a senator, I will spend two years doing everything in my power to limit the damage George W. Bush can do. But only a new president will be able to undo Bush’s mistakes and restore our hope and optimism.
Only a new president can renew the promise of America — the idea that if you work hard you can count on the health care, education, and retirement security that you need to raise your family. These are the basic values of America that are under attack from this administration every day.
And only a new president can regain America’s position as a respected leader in the world.
I believe that change is coming November 4, 2008. And I am forming my exploratory committee because I believe that together we can bring the leadership that this country needs. I’m going to start this campaign with a national conversation about how we can work to get our country back on track.
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 adequate health care? How will we ensure our children inherit a clean environment and energy independence? How can we reduce the deficits that threaten Social Security and Medicare?
No matter where you live, no matter what your political views, I want you to be a part of this important conversation right at the start. So to begin, I’m going to spend the next several days answering your questions in a series of live video web discussions. Starting Monday, January 22, at 7 p.m. EST for three nights in a row, I’ll sit down to answer your questions about how we can work together for a better future. And you can participate live at my website. Sign up to join the conversation here.
I grew up in a middle-class family in the middle of America, where I learned that we could overcome every obstacle we face if we work together and stay true to our values.
I have worked on issues critical to our country almost all my life. I’ve fought for children for more than 30 years. In Arkansas, I pushed for education reform. As First Lady, I helped to expand health care coverage to millions of children and to pass legislation that dramatically increased adoptions. I also traveled to China to affirm that women’s rights are human rights.
And in the Senate, I have worked across party lines to get billions more for children’s health care, to stop the president’s plan to privatize Social Security, and to make sure the victims and heroes of 9/11 and our men and women in uniform receive the fair treatment they deserve. In 2006, I led the successful fight to make Plan B contraception available to women without a prescription.
I have spent a lifetime opening opportunities for tens of millions who are working hard to raise a family: new immigrants, families living in poverty, people who have no health care or face an uncertain retirement.
The promise of America is that all of us will have access to opportunity, and I want to run a 2008 campaign that renews that promise, a campaign built on a lifetime record of results.
I have never been afraid to stand up for what I believe in or to face down the Republican machine. 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.
I need you to be a part of this campaign, and I hope you’ll start by joining me in this national conversation.
As we campaign to win the White House, we will make history and remake our future. We can only break barriers if we dare to confront them, and if we have the determined and committed support of others.
This campaign is our moment, our chance to stand up for the principles and values that we cherish; to bring new ideas, energy, and leadership to a uniquely challenging time. It’s our chance to say “we can” and “we will.”
Let’s go to work. America’s future is calling us.
Among Democrats only Barack Obama has any hope of challenging Senator Clinton and it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to derail the Clinton political machine. I still think we’re looking at a Clinton-Obama team in ’08.
Captain’s Quarters: Hillary’s announcement changes nothing. No one seriously thought she’d take a pass, and all this does is confirm what everyone already knew. It’s interesting that she committed this early, though. Normally, candidates who already hold national office or governorships like to wait until later in the cycle so as to allow their natural access to the media to work as de facto campaign appearances. As long as they haven’t announced, equal-time provisions won’t apply. The early announcements of candidacies or of explorations by people like Barack Obama may have forced her into an early commitment.
MyDD: Frankly, reading and listening to Hillary’s announcement is like drinking soda without carbonation. It’s focus grouped for the political fifty-yard line. Just like Al Gore in 2000, Hillary will campaign from weakness. Too fearful to offend the “middle class” or appear weak on national security will result in a mealy mouthed posture. Strength stems from authenticity but does Clinton even know who she really is anymore?
Angela’s Right to Free Speech: What really ticks me off is that for the last three years she’s been telling people that she’s not interested in running for President of the United States? What is she trying to say that she changed her mind? Does she think we are a bunch of lunatics that didn’t know better to begin with?
The Carpetbagger Report: One other point I want to emphasize: when Clinton said she knows how Republicans “think, how they operate, and how to beat them,” she’s absolutely right. Indeed, it might be one of her most compelling selling points. The right-wing attack machine has gone after Hillary Clinton for at least two decades, and she’s learned a thing or two about how to stand up to the Rovian Swiftboat-style attacks, and come out ahead when the dust settles. There’s a “toughness” intangible candidates bring to a national race, and I think Clinton has more of it than anyone else in the country.
The Hillary Project: With millions in the bank, a vast network of supporters and top status in nearly every poll of Democratic contenders, Clinton has launched the most viable effort by a female candidate to capture the White House. She is the first presidential spouse to pursue the office; her husband, Bill, served two terms in the White House from 1993-2001.
Just Say No to Hillary Clinton: Is anyone at all surprised by this announcement? Further elaboration is redundant at this point.
Outside the Beltway: She’s going to be very tough to unseat as the favorite for the nomination. Her main obstacle, true of all frontrunners, is that all the other candidates will train their fire on her. That especially benefits Obama, who will be able to maintain his above the fray demeanor for a while longer.
Related:
Clinton.senate.gov
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January 20th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Hillary Clinton Launches 2008 White House Bid…
After nearly eight years of speculation, Hillary Clinton has announced her candidacy for president.
Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton embarked on a widely anticipated campaign for the White House on Saturday, a former first lady intent on becoming…
January 20th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Hillary Clinton Throws Her Hat in the Race…
Fortunately, she already has her Presidential Bust. What a stroke of luck!!…
January 20th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Hat in the Ring…
Sen. Hillary Clinton threw her hat in the ring, and is among the front runners for the nomination in 2008 for the Democrats. She’s easily the most recognizable of all the prospective candidates for the Democrats, which contains both good and bad news….
January 20th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
So Mrs William J Clinton has announced her candidacy. I hope she comes in first in the primaries and second in the general election. That’s wishing her (reasonably) well, isn’t it?
January 21st, 2007 at 8:34 am
The Hillary Blog is holding a First Post Contest…
I feel certain that I have a winning submission……
January 29th, 2007 at 9:36 am
CHINA SHOULD BE HAPPY
If by some strange chance Hillary wins, China should be happy. It will be more of the same as when Bubba Clinton was in office. Reduce our military further down to an even more dangerous level. More missle technology to China, or maybe N. Korea. Hey…, why not? Millions more in dollars to China and Russia. Oooh I cant wait to see the new Amerika under Hillary.
August 25th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
[...] Clinton will lack spontaneity on the campaign trail, with every utterance carefully focus-grouped and [...]