Clinton Campaign 2016

I think I can speak for most of the American population when I say most of us are not surprised that Hillary Rodham Clinton has declared her candidacy for the 2016 Presidential election. What did surprise me, however, is the way Hillary has gone about her campaign.

Besides the fact that I am a public relations major, I am also taking two courses - Women & Politics and Media & Politics. Taking these classes and doing readings for this semester has given me a newfound interest in politics and presidential campaigns.

While I just recently read that Sarah Palin spent $150,000 wardrobe, Hillary’s campaign may come as a shock to some. The Clintons have name recognition, money, and a long history of politics. However, Hillary has taken a different, more low-key approach to her campaign – a small social media announcement, van tour of Iowa, meeting locals, and photo-ops at community colleges and small coffee shops. Within the first week of her campaign, the biggest headline I’ve seen pertaining to Hillary’s campaign was a blurry black-and-white surveillance still from Chipotle showing Hillary purchasing a chicken burrito bowl.

I believe this stop at Chipotle was a small PR move on her campaign of proving herself as relatable. While Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio may not have the Clinton name recognition, they certainly have the money to create the “presidential” images for themselves. While Hillary has both the name and the money, it seems as though her campaign goal is to appear relatable – just one of the everyday American mothers and workers hoping for change. It is a difficult balance that Clinton is trying to achieve. She is, after all, one of the most well known faces of politics and connecting with real Americans. I’m very excited to see where Clinton’s campaign is headed and whether or not her low-key approach will be successful in 2016.