Hillary Clinton plans to re-introduce herself to voters
After decades in the spotlight, Hillary Clinton this Saturday will use her first major address as a 2016 presidential candidate to re-introduce herself to voters, explaining how her personal story has driven her career aims of helping children and middle class families.
Since launching her 2016 bid for the Democratic nomination in April, Clinton has held small events in key voting states. This Saturday's speech and rally at Four Freedoms Park in New York City marks the next phase of her campaign, according to a campaign official. Four key elements will comprise Clinton's speech: her motivations, who she's fighting for, her vision for the nation and a comparison between her vision and the GOP vision.
The undergirding concept behind the whole speech is her personal story, the Clinton campaign said. Clinton, of course, heads into the 2016 race as one of the most well-known presidential candidates ever, after serving as secretary of state, a U.S. senator, the first lady of the United States and the first lady of Arkansas. Still, the campaign says, her personal story explains Clinton's drive to be a champion for everyday Americans.
"She is a well-known figure, but when you're asking the American people to support you as president, even if it is for the second time, there is no skipping of steps," Jennifer Palmieri, the Hillary for America communications director, told CBS News in a statement.
That story starts with Hillary Clinton's mother, Dorothy Rodham. In her memoir Hard Choices, Clinton wrote, "No one had a bigger influence on my life or did more to shape the person I became" than her mother. Dorothy Rodham's childhood was "marked by trauma and abandonment," Clinton wrote, noting that her mother was on her own and working as a housekeeper and nanny by age 14. In spite of the challenges she faced, Dorothy Rodham told her daughter she thrived in life because of the help of others.
In her speech, according to a campaign official, Clinton will share that story and talk about how she adopted a fighter's instinct from her mother. She'll also explain how her mother's reliance on the help of others shaped her belief that everyone needs a champion.That belief drove her career in public service.
To further share her story, Clinton's campaign is producing a biographical video, expected to be rolled out in the days after Saturday's event. It will highlight Clinton's work as an advocate for children and families, dating back to her work as a young lawyer for the Children's Defense Fund.
Meanwhile, as Clinton readies her message for Saturday, Republicans are ratcheting up their own efforts to frame Clinton's campaign. The Republican National Committee is releasing a new ad, called "Wrong for America," as part of its larger #StopHillary campaign.
The ad is airing on cable in Washington, D.C. and New York City starting Friday. The new effort also includes a targeted digital push in the key states of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina, in conjunction with Clinton's upcoming campaign stops.
CBS News' Hannah Fraser-Chanpong contributed to this report.
