AFP, Washington :Hillary Clinton was on a campaign road trip deep into the US heartland Monday after launching her bid to become the first woman to win the White House with a pledge to champion “everyday Americans.” With an eye to putting behind her the jet-set image of a former first lady, secretary of state and global charity director, Clinton boarded a simple minivan as she headed from New York to Iowa.A few hours into the surprise 1,000 mile (1,600 kilometer) journey, the 67-year-old Democrat tweeted a picture of herself meeting a family at a Pennsylvania gas station.”When Hillary first told us that she was ready to hit the road for Iowa, we looked at her and said: ‘Seriously?’ And she said: ‘Seriously’,” senior aide Huma Abedin said.”This was her idea and she has been really excited about it. We’ve been driving for a good part of today,” she added, in a conference call Sunday from the road for supporters and reporters.Long assumed to be the frontrunner for her Democratic Party’s presidential nomination for the 2016 race, Clinton’s formal entry unleashed her formidable fundraising machine and social media operation.Clinton, who lost the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama in 2008, put an end to the pantomime surrounding the worst-kept secret in US politics by posting an ad on her new Facebook page and website and sending links to her three million Twitter followers.”I’m running for president,” a beaming Clinton said in a slickly produced video that went viral. “Everyday Americans need a champion and I want to be that champion.”The two-minute clip featured upbeat middle-class families from a variety of backgrounds sharing their aspirations.Her campaign said Clinton will spend the next six to eight weeks building a grassroots organization and “engaging directly with voters.”
