After two months of being on the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton held her first big campaign rally today on New York’s Roosevelt Island. She made several policy proposals aimed toward the middle class, LGBT rights, and wage equality, to name a few. Oh, and she took on big, bad corporations.
"Prosperity can't be just for CEOs and hedge fund managers," Clinton told the crowd. "Democracy can't be just for billionaires and corporations. Prosperity and democracy are part of your basic bargain, too. You brought our country back. Now it's time, your time, to secure the gains and move ahead. And you know what? America can't succeed unless you succeed."
Larry Sabato, analyzing the speech on CNN, said it was smart for Clinton to focus on the middle class because 80 percent of Americans are in this demographic.
“You can never lose on fighting for the middle class.”
At times Clinton strayed from her policy goals and targeted the GOP for denying climate change and suggested they would take the nation backward. She then read off some of lines from Beatles’ “Yesterday” to really drive her point home.
Clever.
Hundreds of people showed up for her big event to hear her campaign promises and take selfies with her and her husband.
In Iowa, it was a much different scene.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny was in Marshalltown, Iowa, where an Iowa House Party hosted by Hillary for Iowa was set up for people to come and watch the speech.
Only six people showed up.
.@HillaryforIA has organized 55 watch parties around IA today. Here's a peek inside Marshalltown #HillaryHouseParty pic.twitter.com/6VPFfg7o83
— Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) June 13, 2015It was such a paltry showing, CNN host Fredricka Whitfield said of the scene, “I don’t know. It’s looking kind of pitiful.”
Iowa is the first major campaign stop for any presidential candidate. The Iowa Caucus officially kicks off each general election and it’s important for candidates to leave an impressive mark on the state. If the scene in Marshalltown today is any indication, Clinton is going to have quite an uphill climb in the race.
Also of note, Fox News's Leland Vittert reported that an overflow room was prepared for speechgoers who couldn't fit in the main crowd at Roosevelt Island. It was empty.
I guess a party hosted by Hillary is one that's just not worth crashing.