I’m running for president. Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion. –H https://t.co/w8Hoe1pbtC
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 12, 2015
In her Twitter biography, Hillary Clinton describes herself in roles that range from being a “wife,” “FLOTUS,” and “SecState” to “hair icon” and “pantsuit aficionado.” Her biography, until recently, ended with the acronym, “TBD,” or “To Be Determined.”
That changed on Sunday, when Hillary officially announced, via Twitter, her campaign to seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2016. The announcement video she tweeted already marks an important shift in how Hillary will approach this run for the presidency, as compared to her 2008 campaign.
The 2008 announcement of her candidacy featured Hillary talking to the camera for all one minute and forty-five seconds of the clip, discussing various points of policy and platforms in her campaign. Conversely, in her 2016 announcement video, Hillary does not even appear for the first 90 seconds. Instead, viewers are shown clips of a diverse array of American families who have “fought their way back from tough economic times,” as Hillary describes, exactly the people she hopes to “champion” as president.
Through the video, Hillary sends a clear message that this time around, the focus of her campaign will not be on her but on the American people. Hoping to counteract the perception that she is a staid and out-of-touch politician, Hillary is moving towards a people-first approach, to prove her warmth and genuineness to voters. In short, she seeks a reinvention.
However, this reinvention may prove challenging for Hillary, who has been in the national public eye for over two decades. During this time, Hillary has shared a tumultuous and adversarial relationship with the press, who have repeatedly criticized her serious and “stuffy” personality while also scrutinizing every detail of her personal life.
Many of the attacks Hillary has faced by the media in the past have been closely tied to her gender. Particularly during her 2008 campaign, Hillary faced a great deal of sexist criticism from various members of the press, like Hardball host Chris Matthews, who called Hillary a “she-devil” who was only a front-runner at the time because “her husband messed around.” Hillary’s personality was denigrated by the use of words like “ambitious,” “entitled,” and “over-confident” that weren’t used against male candidates. She will have to work to combat such unfair discrimination as a part of her reinvention.
More recently, there was another addition to the list of words that ‘new Hillary’ will have to overcome: “secretive.” Its use arises from a scandal concerning the former Secretary of State’s use of a personal e-mail serve for her official correspondence while in office. Her handling of the press conference following the scandal was described as guarded and even combative, typical of the standoffish character that much of America believes Hillary to be.
However, towards the end of last month, Hillary openly expressed her desire for a clean state with the political press corps: “No more secrecy. No more zone of privacy. After all, what good did that do me?” Although said with a light tone, Hillary’s statements reflect her genuine dedication to reinventing herself as more personable and accessible to the American people.
Her efforts have included bringing new aides into her campaign, like Kristina Schake, who used to work for First Lady Michelle Obama. As presumptive deputy communications director for Hillary’s campaign, Schake will come up with new ways for Hillary to reach voters while rejecting the strategy used in 2008 of trying to prove that Hillary’s strength and experience made her tough enough to be president.
In the past couple of months, the “TBD” that used to conclude Hillary’s Twitter bio took on a more important meaning than simply her presidential aspirations. It was a reflection of the uncertainty in Hillary’s future with regard to how America will perceive her reinvention. Would Hillary successfully bandage her damaged relationship with the political press corps and start her campaign with a clean slate? Would the American people perceive her attempt at reinvention as genuine or contrived? Could Hillary prove that she is more than a staid, out-of-touch politician, but a leader who can reach voters and win the hearts of Americans in 2016?
Sunday marked the beginning of a new chapter, in which these questions will be answered once and for all. Hillary’s Twitter bio now ends “2016 presidential candidate.”
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons // U.S. Department of State.