Hillary's Primary Goal

As stated by this CNN article, Hillary Clinton's got her eyes set on $100 million-- the amount of money she says she'll need in the primary to kickstart her presidential bid. Her camp has sent out a video asking for 10 people, aptly named "Hillstarters," to donate $2,700 each to start her fundraising. She is hoping to start raising money early because her staff estimates that it will cost more money to win the 2016 presidential campaign than it cost in 2012, where Obama spent $1 billion. Her strategists are guessing that the Clinton Campaign with SuperPACs and supportive groups will raise $2 billion for the general election, but they are focusing right now on the money that they need for the primaries.

First of all, I think it's ridiculous how much is spent on every campaign. I understand that the expenses are crucial to advertising and the like, but it is SO MUCH MONEY. Clinton is definitely trying to get a head start in this fundraising game, as many other possible presidential candidates have not yet officially declared that they're running. I can see where this would be beneficial, especially since she will have the money to start advertising (positively and negatively) much sooner than the currently uncommitted. Although I'm not exactly sure how one would limit or control raising and spending on political campaigns, I do think it would be interesting to see how much each candidate could do with a specified, equal amount of money-- especially to see if any candidate would pull ahead who right now doesn't have to money to compete with powerhouses like the Clintons.

The Everyday American

This CNN article outlines the first few moves of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. The beginning of the campaign took Clinton and a group of close aides to Iowa, but she made a few stops along the way. One of these was at a Chipotle in Ohio (the article describes her order, if one would ever want to eat like a presidential candidate), where the media went abuzz due to her lack of recognition in the restaurant except by the security cameras. Another stop she made was at a gas station, where she engaged in conversation with a young man. The article says that she stopped at different hotels or towns, but did not add any specifics.

Although pretty short and simple, albeit a bit strange/stalker-ish (does anyone really care about the snacks--cottage cheese--that she packed for her journey?), this article is just the first of many articles to come which detail the lives of presidential candidates in order to connect the American people to their possibly-future president. In addition, she is campaigning on the road, which is another way to spark voters'  interest in her campaign. By stopping at gas stations where she engages in conversation, eating at a popular and "normal" restaurant, and sharing these things with the media, Clinton is looking to portray herself as an everyday citizen, just like you and me, so as to better connect herself to her voters. By becoming relatable, she hopes to win more public support and swing public opinion in her favor come voting day. I'm interested to see if this tactic is affective in upcoming polls, but I certainly haven't been swayed by this campaigning.