The political world’s worst-kept secret will be officially disclosed before noon Eastern time with the launch of Clinton’s campaign website. As the Guardian first reported early Friday, the former secretary of state is scheduled to announce her second presidential candidacy on Twitter – alongside simultaneous video and email messages – while aboard a plane from New York to the critical primary state of Iowa.
In the air, according to a source familiar with the campaign, Clinton will make calls to elected officials in Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Throughout Sunday, she is scheduled to contact advisers in other campaign battlegrounds – in New Hampshire, where she is expected to visit later in the week, as well as South Carolina and Nevada – and to press, members of Congress, governors, labor leaders and so-called “superdelegates”, while setting up a “listening tour” of Iowa.
Hillary Clinton is planning to launch her presidential candidacy on Sunday through a video message on social media, a person close to her campaign-in-waiting tells CNN, followed immediately by traveling to early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire to start making her case to voters.
The trip to Iowa, where a third-place finish in 2008 ultimately led to the collapse of her presidential aspirations, illustrates what aides say is a commitment to not take anything for granted in her second bid for the White House, even though she dominates the likely Democratic field in 2016.
Clinton has already filmed her campaign video, a person close to the campaign said, which outlines the central themes of her second bid for the White House. The message is intended to send a signal to Democrats that she intends to aggressively fight for the party's presidential nomination. [...]
Republicans wasted no time Friday going on the offensive, with a paid online ad, called "Stop Hillary," in six presidential battleground states:
Clinton is expected to trade big rallies for a series of smaller events with voters, as she seeks to reintroduce herself to voters. Her supporters have urged Clinton to take the time to meet voters one-on-one and build their trust. [...]
Clinton's presidential campaign has long been a foregone conclusion, and speculation that she would take another shot at the White House has followed the former first lady since she left the State Department in early 2013. [...]
But her efforts to introduce herself come as Clinton is fighting fresh questions about her trust and honesty. The controversy about using a private email server while Secretary of State has already caused some political damage, her aides concede, which is one of the reasons she is jumping into the race to start campaigning on her own terms. [...]
Update #1: A source with knowledge of Hillary Clinton's plans has confirmed that she will officially announce her 2016 presidential bid on Saturday or Sunday. This will be imminently followed by campaign travel.
A spokesperson for Clinton's campaign team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Clinton has long been expected to enter the 2016 race. Polls show her well ahead of all her likely Democratic and Republican rivals.
She has been ramping up her presidential preparations including leasing office space for a headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, and hiring key staffers. [...]
Two Democratic challengers to Clinton, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee have also officially launched 2016 presidential exploratory committees.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is also considering entering the race.
On the Republican side, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) have both formally launched campaigns. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) has a "big announcement" scheduled for an event in Florida next Monday. [...]
Hillary Clinton, expecting no major challenge for the Democratic nomination, is strongly considering delaying the formal launch of her presidential campaign until July, three months later than originally planned, top Democrats tell POLITICO.
The delay from the original April target will give her more time to develop her message, policy and organization, without the chaos and spotlight of a public campaign.
A Democrat familiar with Clinton’s thinking said: “She doesn’t feel under any pressure, and they see no primary challenge on the horizon. If you have the luxury of time, you take it.” [...]
A huge advantage to waiting is that Clinton postpones the time when she goes before the public as a politician rather than as a former secretary of state. Polling by both Democrats and Republicans shows that one of her biggest vulnerabilities is looking political. [...]
One option being considered would be to announce an exploratory committee earlier – perhaps in April, at the beginning of a new fundraising quarter, in the timeframe when insiders originally expected her to launch her campaign.
Then the actual kickoff would be in July, near the start of the next quarter. By launching at the beginning of a quarter, supporters have the maximum amount of time to generate a blockbuster total for their first report.
The delay would pose complications for the infrastructure that has been built in anticipation of her candidacy. Ready for Hillary, a super PAC that expects to go out of business once the campaign begins, now may have to fund its data-gathering and grassroots activities longer than expected.
The danger – and a reason the plan could be scrapped – is that the comparatively leisurely rollout could fuel complaints that Clinton sees the nomination fight as a coronation. Already, her allies are contemplating the possibility that she might not have to debate before the general election.
Hillary Clinton is in the final stages of planning a presidential campaign that will most likely be launched in early April and has made decisions on most top posts, according to numerous Democrats in close contact with the Clintons and their aides.
Campaign advisers say the likelihood of a campaign, long at 98 percent (she never really hesitated, according to one person close to her), went to 100 percent right after Christmas, when Clinton approved a preliminary budget and several key hires.[...]
Bill Clinton is already deeply engaged in the campaign, warning that Jeb Bush is a real threat, while New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is probably just a sideshow. [...]
Clinton will enter the Democratic race with a bang — and virtually no opposition to speak of. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who could mount a serious campaign from the left, has said she won’t run, and is making no behind-the-scenes preparations. Vice President Joe Biden says he might very well run — but mainly wants his name in the mix in case Clinton implodes.
This leaves a trio of long shots with scant money: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and former Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia.[...]
The Clinton team knows it can’t campaign with the swagger of a presumptive nominee because the air of inevitability was so damaging last time around. That said, some advisers are already privately talking up potential running mates, with Sen's. Michael Bennet of Colorado and Tim Kaine of Virginia dominating the early speculation.
Some advisers expect a push for diversity on the ticket. So the shortlist also is expected to include Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and perhaps California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is running for U.S. Senate.
Been waiting for this for a long time. I'm not really into politics but I know a good amount about what she's done in the past and know she's qualified for it.
Final Update
not here for her, or people who would vote for her. Romney 2015!
