Hillary Clinton Officially Launched this Weekend

Image from ABC News

I'm a little confused by how presidential campaigns are done these days. Obviously, they start wayyy too early, and go on far too long. But we also have pre-announcements, and announcements that there will be a pre-announcement. We had Jeb! Bush running a campaign before he was officially running, potentially running afoul of (impotent) election laws. And then we have the official announcement that is weeks or months before the official launch?

Well, I guess it's a way to get yourself injected into the news cycle, and given the average American's attention span, I can understand that. So, hooray for Hillary Clinton, she's in with both feet. Go, Hillz.

If you note a lack of enthusiasm, it's President Obama's fault. I mean, what isn't, right? Don't get me wrong, I've never for a minute regretted either of my votes, and I hole the president in high esteem. I haven't agreed with him on everything, but his batting average is higher than any recent president in my book, including Bill Clinton. And he's leagues better than any of his prior competition. Same goes for Hillary, I'd vote for her in a hot second over every single GOP challenger.

But mustering as much enthusiasm as I had in 2008 is very, very tricky. For anyone. At that time, I was so desperate to get out of the political funk I was in after two Dubya terms, and the Karl Rove Alternate Universe Reality Warping Machine (I really wish I could make that spell K.R.A.P. somehow). Barack Obama was so different, so refreshing, so dynamic, I'd be surprised if I ever get that excited about voting again. And though I'm still a supporter, the hype was just impossible to live up to, and the enthusiasm impossible to maintain over two terms.

Add to that, that I'm in barely-just-platonic love with Elizabeth Warren, and that I agree with Bernie Sanders on almost everything (but believe him to be an extreme long-shot), and my Hillary love is just on simmer, not boil. So, heads up DNC, Team Clinton and all you liberal grass roots groups: you'd better pump up the extreme contrast between Republicans and Democrats, trumpet the importance of Supreme Court nominations, and fan the flames of the insane policy proposals coming from the GOP Clown Car. You can't buy enthusiasm, but you can put these realities front and center, in jumbo, bold, loud letters. Not everybody loves Hillary Clinton. But I've yet to find an Obama voter who wouldn't vote for her over her GOP competition. Now, let's just hope Bernie doesn't become a Ralph Nader-type spoiler.

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Hillary Clinton Launches Campaign With Help From Spotify, Echosmith



Hillary Clinton kicked her 2016 presidential campaign into gear on Saturday with a grand formal launch on New York City's Roosevelt Island. Hours before the event, her campaign released the Democratic candidate's official playlist on Spotify, showcasing a range of uplifting anthems, including a handful by female artists like Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Sara Bareilles and Jennifer Lopez. . .

Read more: Rolling Stone