Former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it official this week, announcing her second bid to become the first female President of the United States. Her candidacy for was no surprise nor the strong reaction from columnists, editorial writers and political pundits.
For Hillary Clinton, Articulating an Agenda Will Be the Hard Part
The Editorial Board – The Washington Post
Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her candidacy for president Sunday, entering the race with universal name recognition, undisputed smarts and a record of hard work and competence. Nonetheless, she knows as well as anyone that her road to the White House will not be easy.
In 2016, Democrats will have controlled the presidency for eight years, and many voters will think it’s time for a change. Should Ms. Clinton win her party’s nomination, as now seems likely, she will have to promise such change, differentiating herself from President Obama even though she served in his administration — and doing so without alienating his admirers. Al Gore provided a vivid demonstration of how to fail at this balancing act in 2000, even when the departing president was relatively popular.
To pull it off, Ms. Clinton will have to articulate a program that shows she is not just a capable and dedicated administrator but also a leader with a clear governing philosophy that fits the times.
Politically, Clinton has always been a divisive public figure — particularly among Republicans — along with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
The Republicans Are Ready For Hillary — With Ads
Rebecca Ballhaus – The Wall Street Journal
When Hillary Clinton launched her long-awaited presidential campaign Sunday afternoon, Republicans were ready.
In recent days, Republicans have mounted a series of ad campaigns seeking to preempt Mrs. Clinton’s announcement by portraying her as untrustworthy, linking her to the Washington establishment, and denigrating her as out of touch with average Americans.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Sunday released a video criticizing Mrs. Clinton on foreign policy.
“We must to do better than the Obama-Clinton foreign policy that has damaged relationships with our allies and emboldened our enemies,” Mr. Bush says in the online video … Mr. Bush, who has not officially joined the race but has been actively raising money for a bid, tweeted a link to his video on Sunday and wrote, “We must do better.”
Some columnists zeroed in on the issues that will shape Clinton’s campaign.
Hillary’s Biggest Fear: The Economy, Stupid
Charles Gasparino – New York Post
Hillary’s made it official: She’s now a candidate for president in the 2016 election. Question is, can she win?
The former first lady and secretary of state certainly carries lots of baggage as she enters the race, including but not limited to all those missing e-mails.
But she isn’t expecting any of those issues to prove fatal. Her big fear — according to the Wall Street Democrats I speak to — is being stuck with (and blamed for) her old boss’ economy.
That’s because the economy has never fully recovered from the financial collapse that President Obama faced when he took office.
Other opinion writers examined how the former secretary of state will adjust her campaign style from his 2008 bid.
Grandmama Mia!
Maureen Dowd – The New York Times
When my brother Michael was a Senate page, he delivered mail to John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, who had offices across the hall from each other. He recalled that Kennedy never looked up or acknowledged his presence, but Nixon would greet him with a huge smile. “Hi, Mike,” he’d say. “How are you doing? How’s the family?”
It seemed a bit counterintuitive, especially since my dad, a D.C. police inspector in charge of Senate security, was a huge Kennedy booster … But after puzzling over it, I finally decided that J.F.K. had the sort of magnetism that could ensorcell big crowds, so he did not need to squander it on mail boys. Nixon, on the other hand, lacked large-scale magnetism, so he needed to work hard to charm people one by one, even mail boys …
Instead of a chilly, scripted, entitled policy wonk, as in 2008, Hillary plans to be a warm, spontaneous, scrappy fighter for average Americans. Instead of a woman campaigning like a man, as in 2008, she will try to stir crowds with the idea of being the first woman president. Instead of haughtily blowing off the press, as in 2008, she will make an effort to play nice.