Hillary Rodham Clinton first ran for public office while still living in the White House with her husband, US President Bill Clinton.
The Politics of Gender
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Well-situated to become the nation's first female president, Clinton understood that the road ahead would not only break new ground, but also reopen the debate as to whether a woman could be elected President.
She encountered a number of gender based attacks and the use of the "B" word. During the Democratic debate in Las Vegas, she acknowledged that what she was doing was aiming "toward the highest, hardest glass ceiling," and joked about wearing an asbestos pantsuit to withstand the heat.
Starting With the Senate
After the couple purchased a home in Chappaqua, NY in 1999, near the end of his second term, she announced her candidacy for the the Senate seat of the state of New York in February 2000, stepping down from the duties of First Lady at that time.Hillary's New York State of Mind
She won 54% of the vote, easily beating her opponent, New York Congressman Rick Lazio, who received 42%. In 2001, she became New York State's junior senator.New Year's Resolution: Run for President
After winning re-election to the Senate in 2004, Clinton entered the 2008 presidential race with her announcement on January 20, 2007. At that time, Clinton appeared to be the clear front-runner.Inevitable...or Insufferable?
As the 2008 presidential primaries drew closer, many believed that Clinton's place at the top of the Democratic ticket was inevitable. Her own confidence level seemed perhaps a bit too high in a November 26, 2007 interview with CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric.Yet she saw her poll numbers slip as her opponent for the Democratic nomination, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, began to establish himself as a strong and formidable candidate.
