Hillary Clinton’s Trip to Iowa

And what it means for America.

Suzanne Ciechalski, Contributing Writer • September 24, 2014

Hillary Clinton is really good at keeping the American public on their toes about whether or not she will run for presidency in 2016, but after her trip to Iowa this past weekend, things may become a little clearer.

Clinton visited Iowa this weekend to attend the annual steak fry hosted by Senator Tom Harkin. Harkin will be leaving office this January after serving as a senator for 37 years and the steak fry is a must-attend for Democrats. According to Hillary Clinton, she attended for the steak, not because she is going to run. Many are wondering if that is the case.

NPR stated that Hillary Clinton has not visited Iowa since 2008, when she lost the Iowa caucuses to Barack Obama. So more than likely, her presence there this weekend does mean something.

“You don’t go to Iowa if you’re not running for president. This is not a book tour. She’s running,” MSNBC reporter Andrea Mitchell stated.

At the steak fry, Clinton did make it a point to say that she is toying with the idea of running for president, but also mentioned the fact that she and her husband, Bill, are expecting a grandchild sometime this month which could affect her decision.

According to the polls, Clinton’s ratings have gone down since April but she still beats out her potential Republican opponents such as Chris Christie and Jeb Bush. She has a seven point lead on both Christie and Bush, and a six point lead on Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

With the release of Clinton’s memoir “Hard Choices” earlier this year, she became the subject of various interviews and has been pressed about the subject of running for president every time.

Back in June, Clinton stated that America is ready for a female president; is she going to be that president? According to her, we will have to wait and see. She claims that she will not make a decision on running until after the first of next year. If she does, the odds seem to be in her favor. A champion of women’s rights and a highly experienced politician, Hillary Clinton could be exactly what America needs in the next election. Her trip to Iowa is just one more hint at what her decision will be.

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About the Contributor

Suzanne Ciechalski, Editor-in-Chief

Suzanne Ciechalski is a senior journalism major with a minor in government and politics. In her second year as EIC, she hopes to continue increasing the Torch’s editorial content by spanning coverage to include news within the local community outside of SJU, and breaking news. She also hopes to expand the Torch’s visibility by building on the paper’s online presence and by reaching out to students through stories, journalism workshops and other events. Before graduating, she hopes to instill an element of community service within the Torch by reaching out to local high schools about how the Torch can help them build on their current newspaper, or develop one. Suzanne has been with the Torch for three years, previously serving as the opinion editor and as a staff writer. Have any questions? Email Suzanne at [email protected]