With the Iowa caucus taking place in less than a year from now, the presidential candidates have started to emerge. The midterm elections just ended and the race for president in 2008 is going to be expensive. Thus the candidates need to raise money as soon as possible and are announcing their plans earlier than before. Hillary Clinton announced on Saturday Jan. 20 that she was forming an exploratory committee to run for president. The exploratory committee is the first step in officially running for president. Barack Obama the senator from Ill. announced his plans to have an exploratory committee a little earlier on Tuesday Jan. 16th. Both senators have ties to the Chicago area as Clinton was born there and Obama was a state senator in the city.
Barack Obama will make his decision to run on Feb. 10, 2007. On his website BarcackObama.com, he says “For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation. Years ago, as a community organizer in Chicago, I learned that meaningful change always begins at the grassroots, and that engaged citizens working together can accomplish extraordinary things.”
Hillary Clinton’s official website HillaryClinton.com says that change is needed. “I believe that change is coming Nov. 4, 2008. And I am forming my exploratory committee because I believe that together we can bring the leadership that this country needs. No matter where you live, no matter what your political views, I want you to be a part of this important conversation right at the start.” Clinton said.
On Sunday Jan. 21, New Mexico Hispanic Governor Bill Richardson announced his plans to form an exploratory committee. His website, RichardsonForPresident.com, was the only one that had his plans to announce in both English and Spanish. Asked on the ABC television show “This Week” Richardson said, “I can bring this country together. I’m a negotiator. I’ve brought countries together closer on peace treaties. I’ve rescued Americans, hostages and servicemen.”
East Moline, Ill. resident and long time Democrat, Eva Savala said, “It’s too early to make a statement on the candidates though I’ve always been a supporter of Hillary Clinton. Bill Richardson maybe for the vice-president candidate.”
On the diversity of the candidates, Savala was impressed. “I think it’s great. It represents our country, the diversity.”
Also having declared to the race is Senator and former Vice-President Candidate John Edwards who is actually leading the Zogby polls in Iowa with 27 percent of the vote. The poll was done on Jan. 16th, 2007. Former Governor of Iowa Tom Vilsack has 16 percent of the vote as well. Both candidates have made the run for president official. Barack Obama had 17 percent and Hillary Clinton also had 16 percent.
The new Washington Post-ABC poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton with a lead nationally. In the Democratic primary, she has 41 percent. Sen. Barack Obama had 17 percent, former Sen. John Edwards had 11 percent and former Vice President Al Gore had 10 percent. Former candidate Sen. John Kerry had 8 percent of the vote. No other Democratic candidate even had three percent. This poll was taken from Jan. 16-19 just before the announcements of Sen. Clinton and Governor Richardson.