Hillary Clinton for president ad hits airwaves
CNN Associate Producer Rebecca Stewart, CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser, CNN's Frances Sanchez
A new ad advocating for Hillary Clinton for president in 2012 began running in New Orleans Wednesday.
(CNN) - We've still got two months left until the 2010 midterm elections, but we now have our first television commercial of the 2012 presidential campaign. And the ad advocates for a person who says she has no intention of running for the White House.
"She has more experience working in and with the White House than most living presidents. She is one of the most admired women in our nation's history. Let's make sure the president we should have elected in 2008 will be on the ballot in 2012. Hillary 2012: Hillary Clinton for President. Start now. Where there's a Hill there's a way," says an ad that began running on television in New Orleans Wednesday.
The commercial was paid for by a Chicago dentist named William DeJean.
When asked why he put the ad up, DeJean told CNN Thursday that "I'm a dentist and I don't think this country is headed in the right direction."
Regarding Clinton, DeJean says "I think she is the most qualified."
DeJean adds that he thinks people are having buyer's remorse about President Barack Obama and says the current administration is ruining the Democratic Party. He says he spent $5,000 to create the commercial and tells CNN that besides New Orleans, the ad will run in Washington, New York and Los Angeles, and possible Houston. DeJean says he chose to first run the ad in New Orleans because he's a native of the city and because the city's in the news due to the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
"I didn't expect to see any ads about 2012 before the midterms in 2010, although this will likely not be a big TV buy, Mr. DeJean clearly is motivated to see change," says Evan Tracey, Campaign Media Analysis Group and CNN's consultant on political TV ad spending.
According to data from CMAG, DeJean paid to run ads supporting Clinton during the 2008 presidential campaign. Clinton, senator from New York at the time, battled then Sen. Obama of Illinois in a marathon and historic Democratic primary season, nearly becoming the woman to win a major party presidential nomination, before ending her bid and endorsing Obama in June 2008.
Since becoming secretary of state in the Obama administration, Clinton has squashed any talk of her either challenging Obama in 2012 or making another bid for the White House down the road.
In an interview with NBC last October, Clinton said "no" three times to the question "will you ever run for president again?"
At town hall in Saudi Arabia in February, Clinton said "I am very proud to support Barack Obama and I will continue to support Barack Obama."
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
Filed under: 2012 • Hillary Clinton
Seriously, do you really think HC would upset the Democratic party and do something like that? Now, i could see J/B leaving because he don't want the VP job and he knows that once BO wins 2012 he really is not going to run four years later, so with that said, I can see HC doing the VP job with B/O for 2012. She would run afterwards and win two terms. Something to think about and i think it will happen.
September 2, 2010 05:07 pm at 5:07 pm |
Maybe the DeJean charater should check with Hillary Clinton first before trying to speak for her. I am sure that she does not appreciate your divide and conquor tactics. Hillary Clinton fought a long and hard campaign but what I have admired about her is that once the President was elected both her an Bill Clinton showed alot of class and united their efforts with the President to support the goals of the Administration. I don't think that she would try to divide the party by running against the President in 2012. She is doing a tremendous job as Secretary of State and Bill Clinton is out there supporting the Democratic Party in every way that he can. Hillary is a Democrat period and if she had won her goals for the country would not be much different from President Obama.
Rani McBride
She lost! Get over it. You are almost as bad as McCain and Palin. Sore loosers!!!
BeverlyNC
Hillary does not want to be President. She has found her calling as Secretary of State. She is outstanding in this important job and has gained world respect for her savvy work. We need her to keep doing the wonderful job she is doing it.
We need to be focusing on November 2010 and making sure our hard-working Democrats keep and increase the majority so we can stop Republicans filibusters and complete obstructionism of all legislation.
We need to end the hate Republcans spread and bring saneness and human decency back.
We need to reject and shame hate merchants Palin, Beck, Bachmann et al. They bring NOTHING positive to America and the issues we are facing. They are traitors to our recovery and to the people who need jobs and to the middle class.
These are NOT wins for Palin. They are great WINS FOR THE DEMOCRATS because no sane person is going to vote for these racist extremist candidates who run from the media, have no clue how our govt works and don't have a single idea for restoring America.
All they talk about is eliminating Social Security, Medicare, and lunatic statements like getting rid of public schools, "beheading" illegal immigrants, removing portions of our Constitution, and other extremist idiotic statements. You really want these tea bagger racist nutjobs in our government??? They are dangerous to our democracy and the very foundation of our nation.
Vote for real leaders, solid solution deliverers, and PEOPLE-focused, experienced, common sense DEMOCRATS. They will keep America moving forward, our economy continuing to improve, more jobs per month being created, bringing manufacturing back to America, and work to strengthen the middle class. They are the Party of the PEOPLE and are working hard for YOU while Republicans do nothing but spread hate, fear, lies, racism and have not offered a single solution and voted NO on every single piece of legislation regardless of who it hurt. They HATE the middle class and only look out for their rich white elitist buddies and the large corporations who buy their votes.
Stand up for the Democrats who have stood up and fought for YOU all year.
Yair
We will hear more calls for Hillary to run in 2012. Snce people are getting more disappointed at Obama, liberals have to save their destructive agenda by urging Hillary to run against the likely conservative candidate, Sarah Palin. Liberals have the nightmare of Palin's presidency every single night, and their efforts to stop her have already become futile!
Oy Vey Az
Hey I am all on board with this idea.
If She runs for president the republican presidential candidate had better be Superman.
Oops ... Oh I forgot ... Robin is all they have.
Peter E
I do not doubt that Hillary would be far better president than Obama or any of the republican 'contenders' (I'm using that word very generously here) but I do think we should ask a prospective candidate whether she actually would be running before producing ads for her.
I love Hillary, but I'm not certain even she would have navigated the messy waters of these first two years better than Obama. However, I do think she'd be tremendous for 2012!
Limbaugh is a liberal
I won't be surprised if in 2011-12 republicans will pour more money in campaigning for Hillary than into Palin's campaign... or any other republican campaign. Face it: regardless of how much people are disillusioned with Obama, they haven't yet forgotten that the current crises in America have all been caused by a republican president. And they have not yet seen a single viable republican candidate. The only way republicans have even the remotest chance of even coming close to beating Obama is to try to divide the democratic party.
DeJean's money should have been given to a charity since it looks like he has a surplus.
sign me up...
@"All the news that's fit to omit": "you progressive geniuses needed to be cutting edge so an unqualified, clueless and classless fraud got the nomination"
I didn't know that progressives picked Sarah Palin. Is that the excuse Sid McCrashup's using now?
Rickster
We have already seen the results of democrats in office and they should never be allowed into power again.
I hope that after Obama's first term Hillary gives herself a 4 year vacation and then goes for the presiency in 2016. Obama is great and should be followed by an even greater president. Hillary will be that president.
Phil in KC
Well, that's got to make for some uncomfortable moments at the White House.
Monte Brown
If Hillary Clinton is not the Democratic Nominee in 2012 I am voting for a Republican even if the Republican Nominee is Satan.
This country is not heading in the right direction and Hiliary Clinton would do a better job and frankly if the Democratic Party runs with Barrak Obama for re-election, I will vote Republican. The economy, the deficit, the Middle east are all a mess....