As she stepped to the podium to address Iowa Democrats at the Harkin Steak Fry, Hillary Clinton first spoke to the crowd about her coming grandchild and possible presidential run.
It was Clinton’s first visit to Iowa after finishing third in the caucus that also was the launching pad for President Obama and Clinton’s campaign back in 2008. And though Clinton has been fairly tight-lipped about a presidential run, it is a given in the general public’s mind that she will be running in 2016.
“I think she can run and win, but we are tired of the Bushes and Clinton’s name in our politics,” said Lloyd Ekengo, 45, an investor from East New York. “We need someone extremely new.
In 2008, Clinton was the brunt of criticism ranging from the type of pant-suit she wore to her inability of connecting with the middle class. But most problematic for Clinton was breaking away from her husband’s scandal his last term in office.
“She can possibly win but hopefully her policies are different from her husband’s,” said Chris Tale, 20, a security guard from Jamaica.
Clinton has started off with acknowledging her defeat against Obama in 2008, and her advocates have said that she could start learning from her mistakes to strengthen her 2016 bid. And people are ready for it.
“If we were to ready to handle a black president then a woman can do the job just as the men,” said Laverne Williams, 35, a nurses aid.
