Hillary Rodham Clinton has announced her intention to run for the White House in 2016.
Mrs Clinton announced her decision on Twitter and other social media platforms but not before an apparent stuff-up, with the official announcement preempted by emails from John Podesta, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign chairman, to donors and others.
In a YouTube video, Clinton said: I’m running and I hope you’ll join me for the journey.’
Her candidacy was immediately endorsed by the current President Obama, who said: ‘She was an outstanding secretary of state. She is my friend. I think she would be an excellent president.’
If successful, Mrs Clinton would become the first female president.
In an interview with The Weekly last July, Mrs Clinton said: ‘Forty-nine countries, as my last count, have had a female head of state’ but not the US.
‘I think it’s time,’ she added.
Stickers supporting the presidential run of Hillary Clinton
Mrs Clinton is without question the most experienced candidate in many decades, having served as former US Secretary of State, and a New York senator.
She faces formidable hurdles, in becoming the first female leader of the world’s most powerful country.
Before she can begin the journey to convince voters, she must convince her party, the Democrats, to give her the nomination.
Mrs Clinton asked for the nomination in 2008. It was denied, in favour of Barack Obama who went on to win the White House, twice.
He took Mrs Clinton on part of the journey with him, by making her Secretary of State.
In an interview published in Town and Country magazine on Tuesday, Mr Clinton offered to be a ‘backstage adviser’ for his wife.
He has already advised Hillary to ‘go out there as if she’s never run for anything and establish (her own) connection with the voters.’
A mission statement distributed to Mrs Clinton’s staff yesterday said: ‘This campaign is not about Hillary Clinton and it is not about us. It is about the everyday Americans trying to build a better life for themselves.’
It continues: ‘We are humble. We take nothing for granted.’
‘We know there will be tough days, but we will bounce back,’ the statement says.
The New York Times on Saturday said that Hillary would throw everything at this campaign, which will surely be her last. The newspaper said that Mrs Clinton may spend as much as $2.5 billion trying to get the job.
Mrs Clinton has been married to the former President, Bill Clinton, since 1975. She has one child, a daughter, Chelsea, and recently became a grandmother for the first time.
If elected, she would take office at the age of 69, which would make her 20 years older than Obama was when he took office, but younger by some months than Ronald Reagan.
If she wins the nomination, she is likely to come up against a member of a rival dynasty: Jeb Bush, brother of George W. and son of the first George Bush, is also considering whether to run. He is a former governor of Florida.
Mrs Clinton was praised for her performance as Secretary of State (during her time there, the US shot and killed its most wanted man, Osama bin Laden.)
Her greatest challenge has always been personal. She endured the crushing humiliation of her husband’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. Many of her friends urged her to leave him, but she told the Weekly: ‘Sometimes, the responsible choice is to stay.’
