Hillary Clinton Chooses Not To Distance Herself From Obama
While Hillary Clinton has not yet officially announced her candidacy for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, she has gotten pretty close. The media and the public seem to believe that Hillary will almost certainly be running for president once Barack Obama leaves office. And in a political decision that some might consider unwise, Clinton decided not to disassociate herself with the current president.
According to CBS News, Hillary Clinton recently returned to Iowa for the annual Harkin Steak Fry. While she claimed to be there “for the steak,” most suspect the trip was part of her 2016 presidential campaign. In Hillary’s last election, the people in the state of Iowa did not take kindly to her political ideology and obliterated her chances at the White House by withholding their 6 electoral votes.
“It’s been seven years, and a lot has changed,” Clinton said on Sunday, according to CNN.
It seemed as though Hillary was optimistic that the people of Iowa had changed their minds about her. The Inquisitr reported on Iowa’s reaction to Hillary’s return earlier this week. Most of the people interviewed seemed unimpressed with Clinton’s visit, calling her “been there, done that,” and “uninspired.” CNN claimed that she and her husband, Bill Clinton, failed to connect with the people of Iowa. But that didn’t stop her from trying. Hillary met with the hundreds of reporters, speaking fondly of the state.
“Good to see you!” Clinton said to the press. “My goodness! You guys having a good time? Good. We’re having a good time today.”
Clinton also declared that it was “fabulous to be back” in Iowa, and added, “I love Iowa.”
Hillary tried to humanize herself with anecdotes about growing up in a middle-class family and recently becoming a grandmother. Clinton also attempted to associate herself with the legacy of Democratic Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who will soon be retiring. Meanwhile, Hillary ignored many of the questions thrown to her about her rumored candidacy.
Another one of Hillary Clinton’s decisions that could have been a major mistake for her 2016 campaign was failing to distance herself from Barack Obama, a president whose approval ratings have been remarkably low in recent months. A recent Gallup poll shows Obama’s approval rating is as low as 38 percent.
According to Tom Harkin, Clinton is irreversibly affiliated with Obama’s Affordable Care Act, claiming that her “fingerprints are all over that legislation.” Hillary made no effort to separate herself from President Obama, for whom she served as Secretary of State for his entire first term.
However, a political science professor at the University of Iowa named Timothy Hagle claims that this decision may not have necessarily been a fatal error on Clinton’s part.
“In this type of event she’s probably not going to want to distance herself too much from President Obama even if the lines regarding him aren’t getting the greatest amount of applause,” said Hagle.
What do you think? Was Hillary’s decision to affiliate herself with Obama a wise one? Would you vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016? Let us know in the comments.
