Hillary Clinton embarked on an extraordinary campaign road trip Sunday after launching her bid to become the first woman to win the White House with a pledge to champion “everyday Americans.”
With an eye to putting behind her the jet-set image of a former first lady, secretary of state and global charity director, Clinton boarded a simple minivan to head from New York to Iowa, AFP reported.
A few hours into the surprise 1,000 mile trip, the 67-year-old Democrat tweeted a picture of herself meeting a family of ordinary voters at a Pennsylvania gas station.
“When Hillary first told us that she was ready to hit the road for Iowa, we looked at her and said: ‘Seriously?’ And she said: ‘Seriously’,” Hillary’s senior aide Huma Abedin said.
“This was her idea, and she has been really excited about it. We’ve been driving for a good part of today,” she added, in a conference call from the road for supporters and reporters.
Long assumed to be the frontrunner for her Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Clinton’s formal entry into the race unleashes her fundraising machine and social media operation.
She put an end to the pantomime surrounding the worst kept secret in US politics by posting an ad on her new Facebook page and website and sending links to her three million Twitter followers.
“I’m running for president,” a beaming Clinton said in a slickly produced video that quickly went viral. “Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion.”
