Hillary Clinton has been out in the media recently promoting her new book, Hard Choices. Some in politics are even calling this a “dry run” for Clinton as she contemplates running for president in 2016. If this is the case and this is really a trial run for her campaign, Clinton is doing her best to not repeat the mistakes of candidates like Mitt Romney, who turned off voters with their extensive wealth, as she has recently just stated that she and former president Bill Clinton were “dead broke” when they left the White House in 2001. Legal fees involving President Clinton’s impeachment supposedly caused the presidential power couple to be $12 million in debt.
Clinton attempted to to use this story as a way of showing that she understands and empathizes with the typical American family that struggles with finances on an every day basis. However, critics of Clinton believe this statement shows just how out of touch she is with the American people, pointing out the fact that Bill Clinton would receive an annual $200,000 pension as a former president and that Hilary Clinton had just been elected as a U.S. senator for New York.
Since they left the White House, the Clintons have garnered more than $100 million in income from speeches and books. The couple’s combined net worth is reportedly between $10 million and $50 million.
Many believe that it’s highly unlikely that this misstep will greatly impact voters’ view of Clinton and that her main goal, if she is to run for president, should be to separate herself from President Obama. A recent Pew/USA Today poll that shows that 65% of Americans want a president that will provide policies and programs different from those of the current Obama administration. Only 30% stated that they would like to more of the same types of policies and programs with the new president.
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