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{| align="right"
|{{Infobox U.S. federal election campaign
| committee = Hillary Clinton for President
| logo = [[File:Hillary.png|269px]]
| campaign = [[U.S. presidential election, 2008]]
| candidate = [[Hillary Clinton]]<br>[[United States Senate|Senator]] 2001–2009 <br>[[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] 2009–2013
| cand_id = C00431569
| fec_date = January 31, 2008
| status = Announced: January 20, 2007<br>Suspended: June 7, 2008
| affiliation = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]
| headquarters = [[Arlington, Virginia]]
| key_people = [[Maggie Williams]] <small>(Manager)</small><br>[[Terry McAuliffe]] <small>(Chairman)</small><br>[[Howard Wolfson]] <small> (Communications Director) </small>
| receipts =
| slogan = Solutions for America!
| chant = Yes We Will
| homepage = [http://www.hillaryclinton.com/ www.HillaryClinton.com]
}}
|-
|{{HillaryRodhamClintonSegmentsUnderInfoBox}}
|-
|[[File:Hillary Clinton . Feb 2008 051.JPG|thumb|right|Hillary Clinton campaigning for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. [[South Hall (San Jose)|South Hall]], [[San Jose, California]], February 1, 2008.]]
|}
The '''2008 presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton''', then [[Seniority in the United States Senate|junior]] [[List of United States Senators from New York|United States Senator]] from [[New York]], was announced on her website on January 20, 2007. The wife of former President [[Bill Clinton]], [[Hillary Clinton]] was previously the [[First Lady of the United States]] and [[List of Governors of Arkansas|First Lady of Arkansas]] prior to [[United States Senate election in New York, 2000|her election]] as U.S. Senator from New York. Clinton was the source of much media speculation since having expressed interest in being a candidate in the [[United States presidential election, 2008|2008 presidential election]] since at least October 2002.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www2.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-11/27/content_285278.htm|title = Maybe, says Hillary Clinton to 2008 presidency|date = November 27, 2003|publisher = [[China Daily]]|accessdate = May 29, 2008}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news|title = Can Hillary Upgrade?|page = A27|publisher = New York Times|url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0813FF3B5C0C718CDDA90994DA404482|date = October 2, 2002|author = Dowd, Maureen|accessdate = August 22, 2006|authorlink = Maureen Dowd}} (preview only)</ref>


She got a lot of money for stuff from SUPER PACS!!!
Following her announcement of an [[exploratory committee]] and candidacy filing on January 20, 2007 with the [[Federal Election Commission|FEC]], she began fundraising and campaigning activities. For several months Clinton led opinion polls among Democratic candidates by substantial margins until Senator [[Barack Obama]] pulled close to or even with her. Clinton then regained her polling lead, winning many polls by double digits; by autumn 2007 she was leading all other Democratic candidates by wide margins in national polls.<ref name="cnn101607">{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/16/schneider.poll/index.html | title= Poll: As Thompson's star fades, Clinton's on the rise | publisher=[[CNN.com]] | author=[[Bill Schneider (journalist)|Bill Schneider]] | date=October 16, 2007 | accessdate=October 17, 2007}}</ref> She placed third in the [[Iowa Democratic caucuses, 2008|Iowa caucus]] to Barack Obama and [[John Edwards]],<ref name="nyt01/03/08">{{cite news | url=http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/states/IA.html | title= Election Guide 2008 : Iowa Caucus Results | publisher=[[nytimes.com]] | date=January 3, 2008 | accessdate=January 3, 2008}}</ref> and trailed considerably in polls shortly thereafter in New Hampshire before staging a comeback and finishing first in the [[New Hampshire Democratic primary, 2008|primary there]].<ref name=hampshire>{{cite news | url=http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/states/NH.html | title= Election Guide 2008 : Iowa Caucus Results | publisher=[[nytimes.com]] | date=January 3, 2008 | accessdate=January 3, 2008}}</ref>

She went on to win a plurality of votes in Nevada, but won fewer delegates in Nevada than Obama, then lost by a large margin in [[South Carolina]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestate.com/presidential-politics/story/297566.html |publisher=The State | date=January 27, 2008 | title=Obama routs Clinton in South Carolina |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130033317/http://www.thestate.com/presidential-politics/story/297566.html |archivedate=2008-01-30}}</ref> On [[Super Tuesday (2008)|Super Tuesday]], Clinton won the most populous states such as California and New York, while Obama won more states total. The two gained a nearly equal number of delegates and a nearly equal share of the total popular vote. Clinton then lost the next eleven caucuses and primaries to Obama, and lost the overall delegate lead to him for the first time. On March 4, his consecutive wins increased to twelve when [[Vermont]] went his way. After an increasingly aggressive round of campaigning, Clinton broke the string of losses with wins in the [[Rhode Island Democratic primary, 2008|Rhode Island]], [[Ohio Democratic primary, 2008|Ohio]], and [[Texas Democratic primary and caucuses, 2008|Texas]] primaries.<ref name = "CNN20080304">{{cite news | url=http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/dates/index.html#val=20080304 | title=Results: March 4 - Multi-state events | publisher=CNN | date=March 4, 2008 | accessdate=March 4, 2008}}</ref>

Clinton subsequently lost in [[Wyoming Democratic caucuses, 2008|Wyoming]], [[Mississippi Democratic primary, 2008|Mississippi]], [[Montana Democratic primary, 2008|Montana]], [[North Carolina Democratic primary, 2008|North Carolina]] and [[Oregon Democratic primary, 2008|Oregon]], and won in [[Pennsylvania Democratic primary, 2008|Pennsylvania]], [[Indiana Democratic primary, 2008|Indiana]], [[West Virginia Democratic primary, 2008|West Virginia]], [[Kentucky Democratic primary, 2008|Kentucky]], [[Puerto Rico Democratic primary, 2008|Puerto Rico]] and [[South Dakota Democratic primary, 2008|South Dakota]]. On the final day of primaries on June 3, 2008, Obama had gained enough pledged- and super-delegates to become the [[presumptive nominee]];<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/03/election.democrats/index.html | title= CNN projects Obama clinches nomination | publisher=CNN | date=June 3, 2008 | accessdate=June 3, 2008}}</ref> she then suspended her campaign on June 7, 2008 and endorsed Barack Obama. Upon losing, Hillary Clinton told her supporters, "Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it."<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.hillaryclinton.com/about/bio/|title = Hillary's story|accessdate = |website = |publisher = |last = |first = }}</ref>

While losing the delegate count, and thus the nomination, she earned more popular votes than Barack Obama. In the general election, Barack Obama defeated Senator [[John McCain]] of [[Arizona]], and nominated Clinton the [[List of Secretaries of State of the United States|67th]] [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]], an office in which she served until February 2013. She has subsequently launched a [[Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016|second campaign]] in the [[United States presidential election, 2016|2016 presidential election.]]

==Pre-announcement events==
In July 2005, the magazine ''[[Washington Monthly]]'' ran two side-by-side articles debating the pros and cons of a potential Clinton candidacy.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0507.cannon.html | publisher = [[Washington Monthly]] |date=July–August 2005 | title = Why Not Hillary? | first = Carl M. | last = Cannon | accessdate = August 22, 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Hillary in 2008? | publisher = [[Washington Monthly]] |date=July–August 2005 | first = Amy | last = Sullivan | url = http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0507.sullivan1.html | accessdate = August 22, 2006 }}</ref>

==Announcement of candidacy==
Clinton announced formation of her exploratory committee on January 20, 2007, with a post on her website.<ref>{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Balz |authorlink=Dan Balz |title=Hillary Clinton Opens Presidential Bid |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000426.html |work=The Washington Post |date=January 21, 2007 |accessdate=March 21, 2007 }}</ref> In a statement on her website, she left no doubt that she had decided to run: "I'm in. And I'm in to win."<ref>[http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/in/ HillaryClinton.com - Special Feature] at Clinton's website</ref> She filed the official paperwork for an exploratory committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?P00003392 |title=FEC Disclosure Reports - Clinton, Hillary Rodham |accessdate=March 20, 2007 |publisher=United States Federal Election Commission}}</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000426.html Hillary Clinton Opens Presidential Bid], [[Washington Post]], January 21, 2007</ref>

==Campaign staff and policy team==

===Initial team===
Clinton's campaign was run by a team of advisers and political operatives. [[Patti Solis Doyle]] was the first female Hispanic to manage a presidential campaign,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/01/05/new-congress-old-fights-choosing-teams-for-2008/|title= New Congress, Old Fights; Choosing Teams for 2008 |date=January 6, 2007|publisher=Wall Street Journal|accessdate=January 21, 2007}}</ref> which she did from its inception. Deputy campaign manager [[Mike Henry (political consultant)|Mike Henry]] had managed [[Tim Kaine]]'s successful campaign for Governor of Virginia in 2005 and coordinated the Democratic advertising efforts for the Senate elections of 2006.<ref>[http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/clinton/clintonorg.html "Key People-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) "], [[George Washington University]]. Accessed May 30, 2007.</ref> [[Mark Penn]], CEO of [[public relations|PR]] firm [[Burson-Marsteller]] and president of polling company [[Penn, Schoen & Berland]] was described as Clinton's "strategic genius" in a role likened to that which [[Karl Rove]] played in [[George W. Bush]]'s campaigns.<ref name="atlantic">{{cite news |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/02/inside-the-clinton-shake-up/306684/|title= Inside the Clinton Shake-Up |author=Joshua Green|date=February 2008|publisher=The Atlantic|accessdate=January 25, 2014}}</ref> [[Howard Wolfson]], a veteran of New York politics, served as the campaign spokesperson. [[Evelyn S. Lieberman]], who worked for Clinton when she was First Lady and served as Deputy White House Chief of Staff, was the chief operating officer of the campaign.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012001608.html|title = Clinton Assembles a Seasoned Team|date=January 21, 2007| publisher = The Washington Post| accessdate = January 21, 2007}}</ref> [[Ann Lewis]], White House communications director from 1997 to 2000, was Senior Advisor to the campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://video.aol.com/video-detail/ann-lewis-senior-adviser-clinton-campaign/1592640758 |title=Ann Lewis, Senior Adviser, Clinton campaign |publisher=Video.aol.com |accessdate=April 13, 2012}}</ref> [[Cheryl Mills]] was general counsel for the campaign.<ref name="nymag">{{cite news | url=http://nymag.com/news/politics/nationalinterest/35541/ | title=Hillary Control | author=Michelle Cottle | publisher=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] | date=August 6, 2007 | accessdate=January 1, 2008}}</ref> Jonathan Mantz was finance director, [[Mandy Grunwald]] the lead media consultant, Neera Tanden the campaign's policy director, Kim Molstre the director of scheduling and long-term planning, Phil Singer the deputy communications director, [[Leecia Eve]] a senior policy advisor, [[Nathaniel Pearlman]] the chief technology officer, and [[Minyon Moore]] a senior policy advisor.<ref>[http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/01/clintons_inner_circle.html Who's Who at Team Clinton] Chris Cillizza, ''The Washington Post'', January 22, 2007</ref> Other campaign workers also date from the "[[Hillaryland]]" team of the White House years.<ref>{{cite news | author=Lois Romano | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/20/AR2007062002567.html | title=Gatekeepers of Hillaryland | publisher=Washington Post | date=June 21, 2007}}</ref>

Other advisers and supporters included former [[Secretary of State]] [[Madeleine Albright]],<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070911/NEWS01/709110338/1079 | title=Madeleine Albright to campaign for Clinton | publisher=[[Iowa City Press-Citizen]] | date=September 11, 2007 | accessdate=October 18, 2007}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> [[Richard Holbrooke]], [[Sandy Berger]], [[Wesley Clark]], former Rep. and vice presidential candidate [[Geraldine Ferraro]], former Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education [[Richard Riley]], and former Secretary of Defense [[William Perry]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/hillary-clintons-health-_b_65431.html | title=Hillary Clinton's Health Care Diva | author=[[Steve Clemons]] | publisher=The Huffington Post | date=September 22, 2007 | accessdate=October 18, 2007}}</ref> Less well-known but key region and subject specialists were the focus of an intense recruiting battle between her and fellow candidate [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite news | title=The Talent Primary | publisher=[[Newsweek]] | author=Michael Hirsh | date=September 17, 2007}}</ref>

An October 2007 study of ongoing presidential campaign staffs showed that 8 of her 14 senior staff were women, as were 12 of her 20 top paid staff and 85 of her 161 nominally paid staff; overall she had the largest percentage of women in her campaign of any candidate surveyed other than [[Mike Huckabee]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zephyr-teachout-and-kelly-nuxoll/presidential-campaign-sta_b_69698.html | title=Presidential Campaign Staffs Dominated By Men: Giuliani The Worst Offender | author=Zephyr Teachout and Kelly Nuxoll | work=[[Off the Bus]] | publisher=The Huffington Post | date=October 24, 2007 | accessdate=October 26, 2007}}</ref>

===February 2008 reorganization===
On February 10, 2008, Solis Doyle ceased duties as campaign manager, and become a senior adviser, traveling with Clinton. Although Solis Doyle claimed the unanticipated length of the primary campaign led to her to resign the post, campaign insiders confirmed that she was ousted. Solis Doyle had survived three previous efforts to oust her.<ref name="atlantic"/><ref name="DoyleWilliams"/><ref name='Green-Atlantic-2008-09'>
{{cite news | first= Joshua | last= Green | title= The Front-Runner’s Fall | date= September 2008 | publisher= | url = http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200809/hillary-clinton-campaign| work = The Atlantic | pages = | accessdate = September 1, 2008}}
</ref><ref name='Ambinder-Atlantic-February 11, 2008-PartII'>
{{cite news | first= Marc | last= Ambinder| title= Quakes In Hillaryland, Part II | date= February 11, 2008 | publisher= | url = http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/02/learning_some_more_details_sin.php
| work = The Atlantic | pages = | accessdate = September 1, 2008 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080601123500/http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/02/learning_some_more_details_sin.php |archivedate = June 1, 2008}}
</ref><ref name='Ambinder-Atlantic-February 10, 2008-Steps Down'>
{{cite news | first= Marc | last= Ambinder | title= Patti Solis Doyle Steps Down As Clinton Campaign Manager | date = February 10, 2008 | publisher= | url = http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/02/patti_solis_doyle_steps_down_a.php | work = The Atlantic | pages = | accessdate = September 1, 2008 }}
</ref><ref name='Ambinder-Atlantic-February 10, 2008-Letter'>{{cite news | first= Marc | last= Ambinder | title= Patti Solis Doyle's Letter | date= February 10, 2008 | publisher= | url = http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/02/patti_solis_doyles_letter.php | work = The Atlantic| pages = | accessdate = September 1, 2008 }}
</ref><ref name = 'Cottle-New Republic-January 25, 2008'>
{{cite news | first= Michelle | last= Cottle| title= Putsch in Hillaryland: The Clinton campaign's silent shake-up. | date= January 25, 2008 | publisher= | url = http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=75e41edb-784d-4f9a-ba6e-08cab93d09ae | work = The New Republic | pages = | accessdate = September 1, 2008}}
</ref>

[[Maggie Williams]] was appointed campaign manager; she had been Clinton's chief of staff at the White House. Williams had been brought in in January on a thirty-day assignment as a senior advisor, and had demanded clarity in the chain of command with the authority to settle internal strategy and policy disputes, threatening to leave the campaign.<ref name="DoyleWilliams">
{{cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/vote2008/story?id=4269776&page=1 | title=Clinton Campaign Manager Calls It Quits | author=Jake Tapper | publisher=ABC News | date=February 10, 2008 | accessdate=February 10, 2008}}
</ref><ref name='Ambinder-Atlantic-February 11, 2008-PartII'/><ref name='Washington Post-Baker&Kornblut-March 6, 2008'>
{{cite news | first= Peter | last= Baker |author2=Anne E. Kornblut | title= Even in Victory, Clinton Team Is Battling Itself | date= March 6, 2008 | publisher= | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030503621.html?sid=ST2008030600084
| work = Washington Post | pages = A01 | accessdate = }}
</ref><ref name='Green-Atlantic-Doyle Memo-January 13, 2008'>
{{cite news | first= Joshua (commentary) | last= Green | coauthors= Patti Solis Doyle (copy of email) | title= Patti Solis Doyle welcomes her eventual successor, January 13, 2008 | date= September 2008 | publisher= | url = http://www.theatlantic.com/a/green-doyle-1-13-08.mhtml | work = The Atlantic | pages = | accessdate = September 1, 2008 }}</ref>
Within the next few days, Deputy Campaign Manager Mike Henry also stepped down, as did two top staff members for her web-based operations.<ref name="wapo021208fx">
{{cite news | url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/02/clinton_deputy_campaign_manage.html | title=Clinton's Deputy Campaign Manager Steps Aside | author=Chris Cillizza | publisher=''[[The Washington Post]]'' | date=February 12, 2008 | accessdate=February 17, 2008}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23150649/ | title=Clinton shifts to offense | author=Kevin Friedl, Mary Gilbert | publisher=[[MSNBC]] | date=February 13, 2008 | accessdate=February 17, 2008}}
</ref>
In two in-depth accounts by [[Joshua Green (journalist)|Joshua Green]] in ''[[The Atlantic]]'', he attributed Solis Doyle's downfall to her failure to manage campaign spending, her inability to prevent factional disputes within the campaign, and her not recognizing Obama's candidacy as a serious threat earlier.<ref name="atlantic"/><ref name='Green-Atlantic-2008-09'/> Henry's departure was expected, as Solis Doyle had originally brought him in to the campaign.<ref name="wapo021208fx"/>

===April 2008 strategist change===
Chief campaign strategist [[Mark Penn]] resigned on April 6, 2008, amid controversy surrounding his work with the Colombian government and the free trade bill opposed by many big unions. Penn resigned after news surfaced he had met with the Colombian ambassador, not as Clinton's adviser but as CEO of his P.R. firm, though he admitted the subject of the meeting was the trade bill. Penn was replaced with [[Geoff Garin]], a respected pollster, who became the chief strategist.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mooney|first=Alexander|title=Clinton: Penn flap won't hurt us|publisher=CNN|date=April 8, 2008 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/08/clinton.penn/index.html#cnnSTCText|accessdate=April 9, 2008|quote=I don't think [it will hurt], because I think people want to know where I stand," Clinton said on CNN's American Morning}}</ref> He was slated to continue work for the campaign via his polling firm.

==Fundraising==
[[File:HillaryDirectMailFeb2008.JPG|thumb|The funds being spent: no shortage of [[direct mail]] to targeted [[New Jersey]] voters before the [[Super Tuesday (2008)|Super Tuesday]] primaries on February 5, 2008.]]
{{Main|Fundraising for the 2008 United States presidential election}}

===Methods and goals===
In January 2007 Clinton announced that she would forgo public financing for both the primary and general elections due to the spending limits imposed when accepting the federal money.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/23/us/politics/23donate.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fC%2fClinton%2c%20Hillary%20Rodham&oref=slogin: Death Knell May Be Near For Public Funds], ''[[New York Times]]'', January 23, 2007</ref> She had $14 million left from her 2006 Senate race, which put her in a good starting position compared to other Democratic candidates. Clinton insiders said the senator's goal was to raise at least $60 million in 2007.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/06/AR2007020601580.html Clinton Fundraising Goes Full Force], Washington Post, February 7, 2007</ref> Longtime Democratic political and finance leader
[[Terry McAuliffe]] was Clinton's campaign chair.

===HillRaisers===
"[[Bundling (fundraising)|Bundlers]]" that collected more than $100,000 for her campaign became known as "HillRaisers";<ref name="nyt083107b">{{cite news
| url=
| title=Use of Bundlers Raises New Risks for Campaigns
| publisher=The New York Times
| author=[[David D. Kirkpatrick]]
| date=August 31, 2007
| accessdate= }}
</ref> (a play on the expression ''hellraiser'') and were asked to raise as much as $1 million each.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/summary.asp?id=N00000019&cycle=2008 | title=Race for the White House: Hillary Clinton (D) | publisher=[[Center for Responsive Politics]] | accessdate=October 17, 2007}}</ref> [[Elton John]] raised $2.5 million in a benefit concert for Clinton at [[Radio City Music Hall]], on April 9.<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24046575/ |title=Elton John raises $2.5 million for Clinton |publisher=MSNBC |date=October 4, 2008 |accessdate=April 13, 2012}}</ref>

By August 2007, there were 233 HillRaisers.<ref name="nyt083107b"/> They included [[Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.]], [[Steven Rattner]], New Jersey Governor [[Jon Corzine]], U.S. Senator [[Dianne Feinstein]], [[John Grisham]], [[Magic Johnson]], [[Ronald Perelman]], Pennsylvania Governor [[Ed Rendell]], [[Steven Spielberg]] and many others.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/us/politics/21hillary.html?n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fC%2fClinton%2c%20Hillary%20Rodham Clinton Enters '08 Field, Fueling Race For Money], ''[[New York Times]]'', January 21, 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/HillRaisers/ "Hillary for President: HILLRAISERS"], hillaryclinton.com. Accessed September 2, 2007.</ref>

In late August 2007, HillRaiser [[Norman Hsu]] came into considerable negative publicity when it was revealed that he was a 15-year-long [[fugitive]] on investment fraud charges<ref name="nyt083007">{{cite news
| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/us/politics/30bundler.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
| title=Clinton Donor Under a Cloud In Fraud Case
| publisher=The New York Times
| author=Mike McIntire, Leslie Wayne
| date=August 30, 2007
| accessdate= August 31, 2007 }}
</ref> and had also possibly engaged in violations of campaign finance law as a "bundler".<ref name="wsj20070828">
{{cite news
| author =
| title = Big Source of Clinton's Cash Is an Unlikely Address
| publisher = Wall Street Journal
| date = August 28, 2007
| accessdate = August 31, 2007
| url = http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118826947048110677.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news
| first=Brody
| last=Mullins
}}
</ref>

===Results===
[[File:Bill clinton with andrew.jpg|thumb|Bill Clinton campaigning for Hillary Clinton in [[Monmouth, Oregon]].]]
On April 1, 2007, Clinton announced she had raised $26 million during the preceding three months, along with an additional transfer of $10 million from her Senate campaign account to her presidential account.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/04/01/clinton.money/index.html | title= Record millions roll in for Clinton White House bid | publisher=[[CNN.com]] | date=April 1, 2007 | accessdate=October 19, 2007}}</ref> This dwarfed the previous record for the comparable quarter, which was $9 million by [[Al Gore]] in 1999.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040101143.html | title=Clinton Shatters Record for Fundraising | author=[[Anne E. Kornblut]] | publisher=The Washington Post | date=April 2, 2007 | accessdate=October 19, 2007}}</ref>

For the second quarter of 2007, Clinton raised about $27 million, less than Obama's newly set records for the quarter of $32.5 million in donations from 258,000 contributors but more than all other candidates.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/us/politics/01cnd-obama.html?ref=politics | title=Obama Raised $32.5 Million in Second Quarter | publisher=The New York Times | author=Jeff Zeleny | date=July 1, 2007 | accessdate=July 1, 2007}}</ref> According to the [[Center for Responsive Politics]], during the first six months of the year, about 70% of her funds came from donors giving the maximum $2,300; this compared to 44% for Obama and 42% for Edwards.<ref>{{cite news | author=Fredreka Schouten | publisher=[[USA Today]] | title=Clinton socks away more cash for general election | date=October 3, 2007}}</ref>

For the third quarter of 2007, which typically sees lower numbers than the rest of the year, Clinton led all candidates with $27 million raised and with 100,000 new contributors.<ref name="lat100207">{{cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-dems3oct03,1,1411964.story | title=Clinton leads the field in campaign fundraising | author=Dan Morain | publisher=[[The Los Angeles Times]] | date=October 2, 2007 | accessdate=October 4, 2007}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> This beat Obama's $20 million and allowed Clinton to apportion some of the amount for an expected general election race rather than the primary season.<ref name="lat100207"/>

In the fourth quarter of 2007, Clinton raised approximately $20 million, bringing her total for the year to more than $100 million.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/12/with-the-books.html | title=Clinton's fundraising topped $100M for year; $20M in 4Q | author=Mark Memmott, Jill Lawrence | publisher=[[USA Today]] | date=December 31, 2007 | accessdate=January 5, 2008}}</ref> This equaled the amount raised by Obama in the quarter,<ref name="cq010308">{{cite news | url=http://cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002651468 | title=Paul Joins Clinton and Obama as a Heavyweight Fundraiser | publisher=Congressional Quarterly Politics | author=Emily Cadei | date=January 3, 2008 | accessdate=January 5, 2008 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080106151451/http://cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002651468 |archivedate = January 6, 2008}}</ref> and was also similar to what Republican fundraising [[Ron Paul]] garnered during the quarter.<ref name="cq010308"/>

During January 2008, Clinton raised $13.5 million.<ref name="ap020608">{{cite news | url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/06/politics/main3799059.shtml | title=Clinton Loaned Campaign $5M | publisher=Associated Press for [[CBS News]] | date=February 6, 2008 | accessdate=February 6, 2008}}</ref> This paled in comparison to Obama's $32 million for the same month,<ref name="ap020608"/> and Clinton was forced to loan her campaign $5 million from her and Bill Clinton's personal assets.<ref name="ap020608"/> Further, Clinton's campaign ended January with $7.6 million in debt, aside from the personal loan.<ref name="pol022008">{{cite news | url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8613.html | title=January yields debt for HRC, cash for Obama | author= [[Kenneth Vogel]], Jeanne Cummings | publisher=[[The Politico]] | date=February 20, 2008 | accessdate=February 21, 2008}}</ref> Rebounding from weak fundraising in January 2008, Sen. Clinton expected to raise $35 million in February 2008—a figure rival Sen. Barack Obama's campaign said it would surpass.<ref name="cnn280208">{{cite news | url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/28/clinton.money.ap/index.html | title=Clinton raises $35 million in February | publisher=CNN | date=February 28, 2008 | accessdate=February 28, 2008 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080229221106/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/28/clinton.money.ap/index.html |archivedate = February 29, 2008}}</ref> On March 6, 2008 it was revealed that Senator Obama raised a record $55 million in February, what the ''Associated Press'' reported as the largest amount of funds raised in one month in the history of Presidential primaries.<ref name="AP020609">{{cite news | url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080306/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_money | title= Obama raises $55 million in February | publisher=CNN | date=March 6, 2008 | accessdate=March 8, 2008 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080310000532/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080306/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_money |archivedate = March 10, 2008}}</ref>

In April, it was revealed that the Clinton campaign began the month $1 million in debt. While the campaign had $20 million cash on hand, only $9 million was available for the primary and the campaign had $10 million in debt. Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson acknowledged the debt, but noted that "The money continues to come in strongly" and that the campaign would be paying off the debts.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/21/clintons-primary-campaign-begins-april-in-debt/#more-6564 | title=Clinton's primary campaign begins April in debt | author=Alexander Mooney | publisher=CNN | date=April 21, 2008 | accessdate=April 21, 2008}}</ref>

Clinton left the race with $22.5 million in debt, at least $11.4 million of which came from her own pocket.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://opensecrets.org/pres08/summary.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00000019 |title=Summary data for Hillary Clinton |publisher=OpenSecrets |accessdate=April 13, 2012}}</ref>

By the conclusion of the election cycle in November 2008, Clinton's campaign was severely in debt; she owed millions of dollars to outside vendors and wrote off the $13 million that she lent it herself.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/us/politics/23clintons.html |title=Clinton Is Out $13 Million She Lent Campaign |author=Falcone, Michael |work=The New York Times |date=December 22, 2008 |accessdate=December 23, 2008}}</ref> She continued to raise funds, but then her January 2009 confirmation as [[U.S. Secretary of State]] prevented her from doing any political fundraising herself.<ref name="pol041509">{{cite news | url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21298.html | title=Hillary took in $5.6M in 1st quarter | author=Vogel, Kenneth P. | publisher=''[[The Politico]]'' | date=April 15, 2009 | accessdate=April 21, 2009}}</ref><ref name="usa-debt"/><ref name="bbw-debt"/> During the first quarter of 2009, a surprisingly large $5.6 million came into her campaign, enabling her to pay off all creditors other than her pollster [[Mark Penn]], to whom the campaign still owed $2.3 million.<ref name="pol041509"/>

Over time, Bill Clinton took up most of the fundraising burden, sending out fundraising letters, signing campaign memorabilia, and selling appearances with him.<ref name="usa-debt"/> By the start of 2012, the debt was down to about $250,000.<ref name="bbw-debt"/> A team of Obama donors, including [[Steve Spinner]] and [[Jane Watson Stetson]], who wanted to thank Clinton for her service during the Obama administration, took up the cause; they used public records to find potential donors who still had not reached contribution limits for 2008.<ref name="bbw-debt">{{cite news | url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-28/obamas-parting-gift-to-hillary-clinton | title=Obama's Parting Gift to Hillary Clinton | author=Green, Joshua | newspaper=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]] | date=January 28, 2013 }}</ref> In addition, the Clinton campaign's donor list was rented out to [[Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012|Obama's 2012 re-election campaign]], bringing in around $63,000 in October 2012.<ref name="usa-debt"/> The Clinton campaign finally declared it had paid off all its debt in a report filed at the beginning of 2013, showing in fact a $205,000 surplus, just as Clinton was about to end her tenure as Secretary of State.<ref name="usa-debt">{{cite news | url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2013/01/23/hillary-clinton-campaign-debt-free/1857991/ | title=Hillary Clinton pays off 2008 campaign debt | author=Camia, Catalina | newspaper=[[USA Today]] | date=January 23, 2013}}</ref>

===Campaign finance irregularities===
[[Norman Hsu]] was a businessman with a background in the [[apparel industry]]. By 2007 he was a prominent fundraiser for the Clinton campaign, having achieved [[HillRaiser]] status, having co-hosted a $1 million fundraiser at wealthy Democratic Party supporter [[Ron Burkle]]'s [[Beverly Hills]] estate,<ref name="wsj20070828"/> and having been scheduled to co-host a major gala fundraising event featuring music legend [[Quincy Jones]].<ref name="nyt083007"/>

On August 28, 2007, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that Hsu may have engaged in improper actions during the collection of "[[bundling (fundraising)|bundled]]" campaign contribution.<ref name="wsj20070828">
{{cite news
| author = Brody Mullins
| title = Big Source of Clinton's Cash Is an Unlikely Address
| publisher = Wall Street Journal
|date=August 28, 2007
| accessdate = August 31, 2007
| url = http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118826947048110677.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news
}}
</ref> The Clinton campaign rose to Hsu's defense, saying "Norman Hsu is a longtime and generous supporter of the Democratic party and its candidates, including Senator Clinton. During Mr. Hsu's many years of active participation in the political process, there has been no question about his integrity or his commitment to playing by the rules, and we have absolutely no reason to call his contributions into question."<ref name="wsj20070828"/>

The next day, on August 29, ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' reported that Hsu was a longtime fugitive, having failed to appear for sentencing for a 1992 fraud conviction.<ref name="lat082907">{{cite news
| author = Chuck Neubauer, Robin Fields
| title = Democratic fundraiser is a fugitive in plain sight
| date=August 29, 2007
| accessdate = November 19, 2014
| publisher = [[Los Angeles Times]]
| url = http://articles.latimes.com/2007/aug/29/nation/na-hsu29}}
</ref><ref name = "latimes2007-08-30">{{cite news
| author = Chuck Neubauer, Dan Morain
| title = Fugitive donor bows out of fundraising
|date=August 30, 2007
| accessdate = November 19, 2014
| publisher = [[Los Angeles Times]]
| url = http://articles.latimes.com/2007/aug/30/nation/na-hsu30}}
</ref> The Clinton campaign reversed course, saying it would give to charity the $23,000 that Hsu personally contributed to her presidential campaign, her Senate re-election and her political action committee.<ref>{{cite news | url= | title=Clinton Donor Under a Cloud In Fraud Case | publisher=The New York Times | author=Mike McIntire, Leslie Eaton | date=August 30, 2007 | accessdate= }}</ref><ref name="ap092907">Jim Kuhnhenn, [http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RB03200&show_article=1.html "Clinton to Give Away Fundraiser's Cash"], [[Associated Press]], August 29, 2007. Accessed September 1, 2007.</ref> The campaign said it did not plan to give away funds that Hsu had collected from other donors.<ref name="ap092907"/>

Although Hsu had donated to other Democratic candidates, scrutiny was focused on the Clinton campaign, with mainstream press reports asking why the campaign had been unable to take steps to discover Hsu's past.<ref name="lat090107">{{cite news
| author = Dan Morain
| title = Donor surrenders as Clinton camp ponders how
| publisher = The Los Angeles Times
|date=September 1, 2007
| accessdate = November 19, 2014
| url = http://articles.latimes.com/2007/sep/01/nation/na-hsu1
}}</ref> and speculating that opponents would liken developments to the [[1996 United States campaign finance controversy]].<ref name="nyt083007"/> Some in the [[conservative media]] took a harsher tone, with [[WorldNetDaily]] founder [[Joseph Farah]] stating that Hillary Clinton should be arrested by the [[FBI]].<ref name="farah083007">[[Joseph Farah]], [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57386 "Arrest Hillary"], [[WorldNetDaily]], August 30, 2007. Accessed September 4, 2007.</ref> Clinton said the Hsu revelations were "a big surprise to everybody." She added that, "When you have as many contributors as I’m fortunate enough to have, we do the very best job we can based on the information available to us to make appropriate vetting decisions."<ref name="nyt083107">
{{cite news
| author = Mike McIntire & Leslie Wayne
| title = Democrats Turn From Big Donor Who’s Fugitive
| publisher = The New York Times
|date=August 31, 2007
| accessdate = August 31, 2007
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/us/politics/31hsu.html
}}</ref>

On September 5, Hsu failed to appear for a court hearing and became a fugitive again.<ref name="nyt090607"/> The Clinton campaign said, "We believe that Mr. Hsu, like any individual who has obligations before the court, should be meeting them, and he should do so now."<ref name="nyt090607">
{{cite news
| author = Leslie Wayne & Carolyn Marshall
| title = Clinton Donor Fails to Appear in Court Again
| publisher = The New York Times
|date=September 6, 2007
| accessdate = September 7, 2007
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/us/06hsu.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin
}}</ref> Hsu was recaptured less than 48 hours later.

By September 10, newspaper reports indicated that the [[FBI]] was looking into the legitimacy of an investment pool that Hsu had been running at the time of his large-scale contributing.<ref name="lat091007"/> Moreover, [[Irvine, California]] businessman Jack Cassidy said he had, as early as June 2007, tried to warn authorities and the Clinton campaign that Hsu was running an illicit enterprise, and that both officials and the Clinton campaign had been non-responsive.<ref name="lat091007">
{{cite news
| author = Robin Fields, Chuck Neubauer and Tom Hamburger
| title = Donor's business under FBI scrutiny
| publisher = [[Los Angeles Times]]
|date=September 10, 2007
| accessdate = September 10, 2007
| url = http://articles.latimes.com/2007/sep/10/nation/na-hsu10
}}</ref> A [[California Democratic Party]] query at the time in June was responded to by the Clinton campaign's western finance director: "I can tell you with 100 certainty that Norman Hsu is not involved in a ponzi scheme. He is completely legit."<ref name="latimes2007-09-10b">{{cite news
| author = Robin Fields, Chuck Neubauer, Tom Hamburger
| title = Clinton returning $850,000 linked to Hsu
|date=September 10, 2007
| accessdate = September 10, 2007
| publisher = Los Angeles Times
| url = http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-hsu11sep11,1,7623157.story}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
</ref> The campaign later said it had further looked at Hsu's public records at the time, but that no problems had emerged.<ref name="latimes2007-09-10b"/>

Later on September 10, the Clinton campaign announced it would return the full $850,000 in donations that Hsu had raised from others: "In light of recent events and allegations that Mr. Norman Hsu engaged in an illegal investment scheme, we have decided out of an abundance of caution to return the money he raised for our campaign. An estimated 260 donors this week will receive refunds totaling approximately $850,000 from the campaign."<ref name="ap2007-09-10">{{cite news
| author = Lara Jakes Jordan
| title = Clinton to Return $850,000 Raised by Hsu
| publisher = Associated Press via Deseret News
|date=September 10, 2007
| accessdate = January 8, 2008
| url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20070911/ai_n19516400}}
</ref> In doing so, the Clinton camp set a precedent for how campaigns should deal with potential "bundling" scandals.<ref name="ap091107">{{cite news
| author = Jim Kuhnhenn
| title = Clinton Returns Money, Sets Precedent
| agency = Associated Press
|date=September 11, 2007
| accessdate = September 13, 2007
| url = http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3587972 }} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
</ref> The campaign also announced it would put into place tougher procedures for vetting major contributors, including running criminal [[background check]]s.<ref name="latimes2007-09-10b"/> Hsu-raised bundles had also gone to Clinton's [[political action committee]] and to her [[New York United States Senate election, 2006|2006 Senate re-election campaign]]; Clinton officials were undecided regarding what to do with those funds.<ref name="nydn091207">
{{cite news
| author = James Gordon Meek, Michael McAuliff
| title = Team Clinton can't explain ignoring warnings on Hsu
| publisher = [[New York Daily News]]
|date=September 12, 2007
| accessdate = September 12, 2007
| url = http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/09/12/2007-09-12_team_clinton_cant_explain_ignoring_warni.html
}}</ref>

In the following days, campaign strategists were worried that the Hsu matter had the potential to become a major fundraising scandal that could significantly damage the campaign.<ref name = "nyt091207">{{cite news
| author = Patrick Healy
| title = Clinton Sees Fear Realized in Trouble With Donor
|date=September 12, 2007
| accessdate = September 12, 2007
| publisher = The New York Times
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/12/us/politics/12clinton.html}}
</ref> Nevertheless, the campaign indicated that it would try to get donations re-given right after the refunds, for example taking back donations if they clearly came from the donor's bank account rather than from Hsu or another third party<ref name = "nyt091207"/> and if the donor swears the money is their own.<ref name="nydn091307"/> Clinton herself affirmed this position: "I believe that the vast majority of those two-hundred-plus donors are perfectly capable of making up their own minds."<ref name="nydn091307">
{{cite news
| author = James Gordon Meek, Michael McAuliff
| title = Hillary returns dirty cash, says donors can cut new checks
| publisher = [[New York Daily News]]
|date=September 13, 2007
| accessdate = September 13, 2007
| url = http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/09/13/2007-09-13_hillary_returns_dirty_cash_says_donors_c-2.html
}}</ref>

The political watchdog organization [[Judicial Watch]] said it would try to get the [[U.S. Justice Department]] and the [[Senate Ethics Committee]] to investigate the Hsu matter.<ref name="nydn091207"/> Clinton aides stressed that Hsu had never received favorable treatment from her: "The Senate office had no official contact with him, and undertook no actions on his behalf."<ref name="nydn091207"/> Clinton herself called the whole affair "a rude awakening to all of us," meaning other campaigns as well.<ref name = "NPR20070918">"[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14503634 Clinton Sees Better Chances for Health Overhaul]". [[National Public Radio|NPR]]. September 18, 2007. Retrieved on September 18, 2007.</ref>

By October 2007 the Hsu matter had quieted down. Clinton's third quarter campaign expenditures report showed the $800,000 in contributions, mostly Hsu-related, being returned to more than 200 donors, some of whom were surprised to see the money coming back and who said they knew not of Hsu.<ref name="nyt101707">{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/us/politics/17donate.html | title=Details of Candidates’ Spending Are Released | author=Michael Luo | publisher=The New York Times | date=October 17, 2007 | accessdate=October 17, 2007}}</ref>

In March 2007, a Pakistani immigrant named Abdul Rehman Jinnah was indicted by a grand jury for violating federal election laws. The charges stem from $30,000 in illegal contributions to Clinton's presidential campaign. Hillary Clinton's campaign "denied any knowledge of Jinnah's scheme."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/03042007/news/nationalnews/pro_clinton_dirty_cash_man_flees_nationalnews_christine_field.htm | title=Pro-Clinton 'Dirty Cash' Man Flees | author=Christine Field | publisher=[[New York Post]] | date=March 4, 2007 | accessdate=October 19, 2007}}</ref>

In September 2007, reports were made that William Danielczyk, [[private equity]] firm head, bundled money for Clinton from Republican Party supporters, including at least one who claimed that Danielczyk later reimbursed her, a charge Danielczyk denied. The Clinton campaign returned that donation, and said: "These allegations are troubling and we will again ask each of the individuals solicited by Mr. Danielczyk to affirm that their contributions were given with their own funds."<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119025305222133413.html "Donors stir 'bundling' questions"], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', September 20, 2007.</ref>

In October 2007, an article in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' stated that, "Dishwashers, waiters and others whose jobs and dilapidated home addresses seem to make them unpromising targets for political fundraisers are pouring $1,000 and $2,000 contributions into Clinton's campaign treasury. In April, a single fundraiser in an area long known for its gritty urban poverty yielded a whopping $380,000." .<ref name="lat101907">{{cite news | url =http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-donors19oct19,0,4231217.story | title=An unlikely treasure-trove of donors for Clinton | author=Peter Nicholas, Tom Hamburger | publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=October 19, 2007 | accessdate=October 19, 2007}}</ref> The Times further stated, "At this point in the presidential campaign cycle, Clinton has raised more money than any candidate in history. Those dishwashers, waiters and street stall hawkers are part of the reason. And Clinton's success in gathering money from Chinatown's least-affluent residents stems from a two-pronged strategy: mutually beneficial alliances with powerful groups, and appeals to the hopes and dreams of people now consigned to the margins." .<ref name="lat101907"/> The ''[[New York Post]]'' reported similar findings.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/10202007/news/nationalnews/hills_cash_eyed_as_chinese_lau.htm|author=Charles Hurt and Elaine Chan|publisher=New York Post|date=October 20, 2007|title=Hill's Cash Eyed as Chinese-Laundered|accessdate=October 22, 2007}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' editorialized that reports such as these appear "to be another instance in which a Clinton campaign's zeal for campaign cash overwhelms its judgment," comparing it to the [[1996 United States campaign finance controversy|1996 Clinton-Gore finance controversy]] of her husband.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101069.html | title=Dishwashers for Clinton | publisher=The Washington Post | date=October 22, 2007 |
accessdate=October 25, 2007}}</ref>

In December 2007, the [[Sri Lanka]]n [[Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)|Ministry of Defence]]
and the ''[[Canada Free Press]]'' reported that one of Clinton's fundraisers in [[New Jersey]], a U.S. resident who was associated with a December 12 fundraising event at the [[State Theatre, New Brunswick|State Theatre]] in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]], was also a fundraiser for the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20071213_05 | title= LTTE Heavily Involved In Fund Raising For Hillary Clinton In New Jersey | author=Walter Jayawardhana | publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)|Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence]]| date=December 14, 2007| accessdate=December 18, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/980 | title= Clinton fundraising ties to terror group | author=Doug Hagmann | publisher=[[Canada Free Press]] | date=December 15, 2007 | accessdate=December 18, 2007}}</ref> which the [[U.S. government]] has determined<ref name = "USTreas20071115">{{cite news | url=http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp683.htm | title=Treasury Targets Charity Covertly Supporting Violence in Sri Lanka | publisher=[[U.S. Department of Treasury]] | date=November 15, 2007 | accessdate=February 15, 2008}}</ref> is a [[front organization]] for the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]],<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.fbi.gov/page2/jan08/tamil_tigers011008.html | title=Taming the Tamil Tigers| publisher=[[U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation]] | date=January 10, 2008 | accessdate=February 15, 2008}}</ref> which is on the [[U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/37191.htm | title=Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) | publisher=[[U.S. State Department]] | date=October 11, 2005 | accessdate=December 18, 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071212050031/http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/37191.htm |archivedate = December 12, 2007}}</ref> In February 2008, Hillary Clinton's foreign policy adviser, Andrew Shapiro, announced that the Clinton campaign had returned the T.R.O. donations after complaints of impropriety given the outlawed T.R.O.'s terrorist links<ref name = "USTreas20071115"/><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/9566 | title=Clinton office rejected and returned campaign funds from LTTE supporters in America | publisher=[[Asian Tribune]] | date=February 10, 2008 | accessdate=February 15, 2008}}</ref>

A February 13, 2008, ''[[NPR]]'' article stated (with regard to mailing lists) that "Last year, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton took the unusual step of renting out some of her lists." The Clinton campaign responded "that the lists were rented out by her 2006 Senate campaign committee — and that the rentals took place before she began her formal campaign for president last January." Of this response ''NPR'' commented, "That would mean the rental fees went unpaid for at least 11 months. Starke, the analyst, cites [[InfoUSA|Info U.S.A.]] data showing that on average, it settles accounts within 64 days."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18958566 | title=Clintons' InfoUSA Ties Scrutinized | publisher=[[NPR]] | date=February 13, 2008 | accessdate=February 14, 2008}}</ref>

==Campaign developments and primaries==
{{Main|Hillary Clinton presidential primary campaign, 2008}}

==Delegate count==
[[File:2008 Democratic Primaries Delegate Vote.svg|thumb|500px|center|'''Pledged Delegate''' margins by state. Obama won the delegate count in the darkest purple states by the largest margins, while Clinton won the delegate count in the darkest green states by the largest margins. They tied in [[Missouri Democratic primary, 2008|MO]] and [[New Hampshire Democratic primary, 2008|NH]]. [[:Image:2008 Democratic Primaries Popular Vote.svg|(Compare to popular vote map.)]]]]

{{2008DemDel}}

[[File:2008 Democratic Primaries Popular Vote.svg|thumb|500px|center|'''Popular Vote''' margins by state. Obama won the popular vote in the darkest purple states by the largest margins, while Clinton won the popular vote in the darkest green states by the largest margins.]]

[[File:Results by county of the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primaries.png|thumb|500px|center|'''Popular Vote''' margins by county. Obama won the counties colored purple, Clinton won the counties colored green. Edwards won the counties colored orange, and pink counties were a delegate tie. This map includes Florida and Michigan, only half of which count under current party regulations.]]

==Endorsements==
{{Main|List of Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign endorsements}}

==Media coverage==
An October 29, 2007 study by the [[Project for Excellence in Journalism]] and the [[Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy]] found that Clinton had received the most media coverage of any of the 2008 presidential candidates, being the subject of 17 percent of all stories.<ref name="pej"/> The study found that 27 percent of the stories had a favorable tone towards her, 38 percent had an unfavorable tone, with the balance neutral.<ref name="pej">{{cite web | url=http://journalism.org/node/8187 | title=A First Look at Coverage of the 2008 Presidential Campaign | publisher=[[Project for Excellence in Journalism]] | date=October 29, 2007 | accessdate=November 3, 2007}}</ref>

A November 12, 2007 assessment by [[Michael Crowley (journalist)|Michael Crowley]] of ''[[The New Republic]]'' of relations between the Clinton campaign and the press found that regarding published stories, "the Clinton media machine [is] hyper-vigilant [and that] that no detail or editorial spin is too minor to draw a rebuke."<ref name="tnr111207">{{cite news | url=http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=6e01fdce-ad97-4dab-a07d-bf98dc52f681 | author=[[Michael Crowley (journalist)|Michael Crowley]] | title=Bunker Hillary | publisher=[[The New Republic]] | date=November 12, 2007 | accessdate=December 6, 2007}}</ref> The Clinton camp was also reported to engage in retribution regarding stories they did not like, complaining to reporters' editors or withholding access in other areas:<ref name="tnr111207"/> "Even seasoned political journalists describe reporting on Hillary as a torturous experience."<ref name="tnr111207"/> In spite of this, Crowley measured the press corps as giving Clinton "strikingly positive coverage".<ref name="tnr111207"/>

By December 2007, the Clinton campaign charged that Obama's campaign was getting much more favorable media treatment than their own, especially once their campaign began faltering.<ref name="wapo121907">{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/18/AR2007121802184_pf.html | title=For Clinton, A Matter of Fair Media | author=[[Howard Kurtz]] | publisher=The Washington Post | date=December 19, 2007 | accessdate=December 19, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Washington Post]]'' media analyst [[Howard Kurtz]] found a number of journalists who agreed with the claim,<ref name="wapo121907"/> with [[Mark Halperin]], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's editor-at-large for political news, saying, "Your typical reporter has a thinly disguised preference that Barack Obama be the nominee. The narrative of him beating her is better than her beating him, in part because she's a Clinton and in part because he's a young African American. ... There's no one rooting for her to come back."<ref name="wapo121907"/>

After Clinton's loss in Iowa and in the run-up to her apparent loss in New Hampshire and campaign collapse to come, negative media coverage of her became intense; as [[The Politico]] phrased it in retrospect, "She is carrying the burden of 16 years of contentious relations between the Clintons and the news media. ... Many journalists rushed with unseemly haste to the narrative about the fall of the Clinton machine.<ref name="pol010908">{{cite news | url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7822.html | title=Why reporters get it wrong | author=John F. Harris, Jim VandeHei | publisher=[[The Politico]] | date=January 9, 2008 | accessdate=January 11, 2008}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[NBC]] anchor [[Brian Williams]] conceded that at least one NBC reporter said regarding Obama, "it's hard to stay objective covering this guy."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/television/journo_love_for_obama_74502.asp | title=Journo Love for Obama | publisher=[[Mediabistro.com]] | date=January 8, 2008 | accessdate=January 11, 2008}}</ref>

[[Media Matters for America|Media Matters]] singled out [[MSNBC]]'s [[Chris Matthews]] for his consistently harsh coverage of Clinton.<ref>{{cite web|author=J.M. |url=http://mediamatters.org/items/200801110011?f=h_top |title=Media Matters on Chris Matthews Remarks |publisher=Mediamatters.org |accessdate=April 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://mediamatters.org/items/200712180005?f=h_top Chris Matthews on Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani] Media Matters, December 18, 2007</ref> During the primaries, and especially after the Iowa caucuses, Matthews was openly enthusiastic about Obama's candidacy. [[The New Republic]] reported that Matthews was "swooning" over Obama in the days leading up to the January 8 New Hampshire Democratic primary.<ref name=swoon>[http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=226356 Hillary's team takes a bow] The New Republic, January 9, 2008</ref> On the night of that election, Matthews co-anchored MSNBC's coverage. [[Air America Radio]] host [[Rachel Maddow]] and political analyst [[Patrick Buchanan]] both noted the high turnout among women, and asserted that the media coverage made Clinton a sympathetic figure to female voters. Buchanan stated that the media had "virtually canonized" Obama and behaved as if he'd been "born in [[Bethlehem]]." Maddow told Matthews that several blogs were citing him as "a symbol of what the mainstream media has done to Hillary Clinton." She added that sites such as [[Talking Points Memo|TalkingPointsMemo.com]] indicated that voters felt that the media were "piling on" Clinton, and were "coming to her defense with their votes." Matthews replied sarcastically, "My influence in American politics looms over the people. I'm overwhelmed myself."<ref>[http://mediamatters.org/items/200801090006 Matthews on Clinton's performance: "good enough here for women who wanted to root for her anyway"] MediaMatters.org, January 9, 2008</ref> He added, "I will never underestimate Hillary Clinton again."<ref name=swoon/> The next day, Matthews appeared on [[Joe Scarborough]]'s MSNBC morning show and said, "I'll be brutal, the reason she's a U.S. senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around. That's how she got to be senator from New York. We keep forgetting it. She didn't win there on her merit."<ref name="mediabistro.com">{{cite web|author=SteveK on January 10, 2008 12:30 PM |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/matthews_credits_hillarys_success_to_fact_that_bill_messed_around_74705.asp |title=Matthews Credits Hillary’s Success to Fact That Bill "Messed Around" - TVNewser |publisher=Mediabistro.com |date=2008-01-10 |accessdate=2011-04-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=MICHAEL CALDERONE|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7961.html |title=Chris Matthews sorry for 'sexist' comments - Michael Calderone |publisher=Politico.Com |date= |accessdate=2011-04-05}}</ref> While this incited more controversy, Matthews noted that Clinton's political career started after she appeared with Senator [[Chuck Schumer]] and impressed Democratic leaders with her graceful handling of the [[Monica Lewinsky scandal]]. "I thought it was an unexceptional statement," he said.<ref>David Bauder, [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080112/ap_po/matthews_vs_clinton Chris Matthews a target for Clinton fans] Associated Press, January 12, 2008</ref> These comments, among others, led Media Matters to launch a campaign against him and his remarks.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

In a January 14 ''[[New York Times]]''/[[CBS News]] poll, 51&nbsp;percent of Democratic primary voters thought the media had been harder on Clinton than on the other candidates (with women especially thinking so), while 12&nbsp;percent thought the media had been harder on Obama.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/us/politics/14poll.html | title=Fluidity in G.O.P. Race; Democrats Eye Electability | author=Robin Toner, Marjorie Connelly | publisher=The New York Times | date=January 14, 2008 | accessdate=January 14, 2008}}</ref> Measurements in late January by the [[University of Navarra]] indicated that Clinton and Obama were receiving roughly equal amounts of global media attention, once Obama won the Iowa caucuses.<ref name="navarra">{{cite web | url=http://www.unav.es/econom/politics/democratic-party-media-attention | title=Democratic Party Media Attention Analysis | author=Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales | publisher=[[University of Navarra]] | date=January 24, 2008 | accessdate=January 29, 2008}}</ref>

On February 8, Clinton's Communications Director Howard Wolfson Clinton criticized [[MSNBC]]'s correspondent [[David Shuster]] "for suggesting the Clinton campaign had 'pimped out' 27-year old [[Chelsea Clinton|Chelsea]] by having her place phone calls to celebrities and Democratic Party 'superdelegates' on her mother's behalf."<ref name="postch">{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020802296.html | title= MSNBC's Chelsea Comment Angers Clinton | author=Beth Foudy | publisher=Washington Post | date=February 9, 2008 | accessdate=February 14, 2008}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Shuster apologized "on the air" and was temporarily suspended from the network. Wolfson argued that this was part of "a pattern of tasteless comments by MSNBC anchors about the Clinton campaign" and suggested that Clinton's participation in the scheduled, MSNBC-sponsored Cleveland debate could be jeopardized.<ref name="postch"/> The Clinton campaign agreed to continue with the debate after the apology was offered.<ref name="resume">{{cite news | url=http://www.wlwt.com/news/15295717/detail.html | title= Clinton Overlooks Anchor Remark; Agrees To Debate| author= | publisher=WLWT | date=February 14, 2008 | accessdate=February 14, 2008}}</ref> In a February 12 interview with Chris Plante on WMAL-AM, "former President Bill Clinton implied the media has been unfair to his wife, stated that she was standing up to sexism when she took on NBC, and -- when asked about MSNBC's David Shuster's comments about his daughter, Chelsea -- said there was a double standard."<ref name = "intbc">{{cite web | url =http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/bill-clinton-un.html| title =Bill Clinton, Unplugged: Calls Shuster's Comments 'Careless, Crass, Cruel'| publisher = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]| accessdate =February 14, 2008 }}</ref> Other critics have also argued that this incident was part of a larger pattern of "sexist coverage."<ref name = "BH">{{cite web | url =http://news.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1072505&srvc=home&position=recent| title =Sexist coverage of Hillary brings women to her corner| work = [[Boston Herald]]| accessdate =February 10, 2008 }}</ref>

Clinton got an ironic supporter in conservative radio show host [[Rush Limbaugh]]. Limbaugh executed a plan for the listeners of Limbaugh's radio program to vote for Clinton in their states' respective primaries. Limbaugh started his Operation Chaos in order to "politically bloody up Barack Obama". This was known as "Rush the Vote" among the "Drive-by Media", a derogatory term used by Limbaugh when referencing the mainstream media, of which he does not consider himself to be a part.<ref>[http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_050508/content/01125111.guest.html Operation Chaos Goals Restated for All You Nervous Conservatives] May 5, 2008</ref> Though, Limbaugh wasn't supporting Clinton in hopes she would win the presidency, rather wanting to help divide the Democratic Party, so they wouldn't be well organized when the general election came.

==Gender==
[[File:Youth Vote Hillary Clinton Feb 2008 082.JPG|thumb|right|Some of Clinton's [[Gen Y]] female supporters at a campaign rally. [[South Hall (San Jose)|South Hall]], [[San Jose, California]], February 1, 2008]]
Although Clinton was the 25th woman to run for U.S. president,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.girlsingovernment.org/index/is-hillary-clinton-the-first-woman-to-run-for-president-of-t.html | title=Is Hillary Clinton the first woman to run for President of the United States? | publisher=Girls in Government | accessdate=October 19, 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930022345/http://www.girlsingovernment.org/index/is-hillary-clinton-the-first-woman-to-run-for-president-of-t.html |archivedate = September 30, 2007}}</ref> she was the first female candidate to have held a highly probable chance of winning the nomination of a major party, and the presidential election.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.nationaljournal.com/articles/071001nj3.htm | title=The XX Factor | author=Alexis Simendinger | publisher=[[National Journal]] | date=October 1, 2007 | accessdate=October 17, 2007}}</ref> She was also the first woman to be an American presidential candidate in every primary and caucus in every state.<ref>http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/fast_facts/resources/Firsts.php</ref> As such, remarks surrounding her gender and appearance came to the fore.
In March 2006, actress [[Sharon Stone]] expressed her doubt about Clinton's presidential chances, saying "Hillary still has sexual power, and I don't think people will accept that. It's too threatening."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE420060328034635&Page=4&Title=Features+-+People+%26+Lifestyle&Topic=0 | title=Hillary Clinton is too sexy to be president | publisher=newindpress.com | date=March 28, 2006 | accessdate=October 19, 2007}}</ref> On a similar note, on August 9, 2006, the sculpture ''The Presidential Bust of Hillary Rodham Clinton: The First Woman President of the United States of America''<ref>{{cite web | url=http://wizbangblog.com/images/2006/07/hillary_museum_of_sex.jpg | title=The Presidential Bust of Hillary Rodham Clinton: The First Woman President of the United States of America |date=July 2006 | accessdate=August 13, 2007}}</ref> was unveiled at the [[Museum of Sex]] in New York and attracted attention for its named focus; sculptor [[Daniel Edwards]] hoped it would spark discussion about sex, politics and celebrity.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14270562/ | title=Sen. Clinton busts out at Museum of Sex | publisher=[[MSNBC.com]] | accessdate=August 13, 2007}}</ref>

In October 2006, Clinton's then-New York Senate race opponent, [[John Spencer (politician)|John Spencer]], was reported to have commented on how much better Clinton looked now compared to in the 1970s, and speculated that she had [[cosmetic surgery]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/23/spencer.remarks/index.html | title= Opponent denies knocking Sen. Clinton's looks | author=Mark Preston | publisher=[[CNN.com]] | date=October 23, 2006 | accessdate=August 13, 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070321133945/http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/23/spencer.remarks/index.html |archivedate = March 21, 2007}}</ref> On the other hand, syndicated radio talk show host [[Mark Levin]] never mentioned her name without appending a sneering "Her Thighness" to it.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://mediamatters.org/items/200704060008 | title=On Hannity radio show, WABC's Levin said of Pelosi: "You could bounce a dime off her cheeks" | publisher=[[Media Matters]] | date=April 6, 2007 | accessdate=August 13, 2007}}</ref>

In her Senate career, Senator Clinton is often seen wearing a [[suit (clothes)|suit]]. However, twice in 2006, Clinton was criticized by [[National Review Online]] editor [[Kathryn Jean Lopez]] for showing [[cleavage (breasts)|cleavage]] while speaking in the Senate.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZmEwODcwYmZmMWU0NTUzNjQyOTk1Yjg1MGNjYzkwZDI= | title=Cleavage in the Senate | author=[[Kathryn Jean Lopez]] | publisher=[[National Review Online]] | date=June 8, 2006 | accessdate=August 13, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MDVlNTI5YzdhNmJhOTY5MmUyNDA2NDM1ZmQ5Y2FiYzM= | title=Hill Fashion Notes, A Continuing, Very Occasional, Very Unfortunate Series | author=[[Kathryn Jean Lopez]] | publisher=[[National Review Online]] | date=July 18, 2006 | accessdate=August 13, 2007}}</ref> Lopez implored Clinton to be more modest. ''The Washington Post'' revisited this question based on a new incident in July 2007,<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/19/AR2007071902668_pf.html "Hillary Clinton's Tentative Dip Into New Neckline Territory"], ''[[The Washington Post]]'', July 20, 2007.</ref> which provoked a widespread round of media self-criticism about whether it was a legitimate topic or not;<ref>{{cite news | url=http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article2168901.ece | title=The US debates Hillary's cleavage | author=Jennifer Howze | publisher=The Times | date=July 30, 2007 | accessdate=August 13, 2007 | location=London}}</ref> the Clinton campaign then used claimed outrage at the reporting for fundraising purposes.<ref>[http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/07/28/clinton-seeks-cleavage-cash/ "Clinton seeks ‘cleavage’ cash"], [[CNN]], July 28, 2007.</ref>

By the time the campaign was in full force in December 2007, American communications studies professor [[Kathleen Hall Jamieson]] observed that there was a large amount of [[misogyny]] present about Clinton on the Internet,<ref name="bmj120707">{{cite news | url=http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/12072007/transcript1.html | title=Transcript: December 7, 2007 | work=[[Bill Moyers Journal]] | publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] | date=December 7, 2007 | accessdate=December 10, 2007}}</ref> up to and including [[Facebook]] and other sites devoted to depictions reducing Clinton to sexual humiliation.<ref name="bmj120707"/> She also said that "We know that there's language to condemn female speech that doesn't exist for male speech. We call women's speech shrill and strident. And Hillary Clinton's laugh was being described as a cackle,"<ref name="bmj120707"/> making reference to a flurry of media coverage two months prior about the physical nature and political motivation of her aural indication of amusement.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/02/AR2007100201940.html | title=Hillary Chuckles; Pundits Snort | author=[[Howard Kurtz]] | publisher=The Washington Post | date=October 3, 2007 | accessdate=December 10, 2007}}</ref> Tanya Romaniuk also described how "the news media reshaped the kinds of meanings and values attached to" Clinton's 'cackle' characterization, "and concomitantly (re)produced and reinforced a stereotypically gendered, negative (i.e., sexist, misogynist) perception of her."<ref>{{Cite journal | last = Romaniuk | first = Tanya | title = Text trajectories and media discourse: tracking gendered representations in presidential politics | journal = [[Gender and Language]] | volume = 8 | issue = 2 | pages = 245–268 | publisher = [[Equinox Publishing (London)|Equinox]] | doi = 10.1558/genl.v8i2.245 | year = June 2014 | url = https://dx.doi.org/10.1558/genl.v8i2.245 | ref = harv | postscript = .}}</ref>

Use against Clinton of the [[bitch (insult)|"bitch" epithet]] flourished during the campaign, especially on the Internet but via conventional media as well.<ref name="falk-bword">{{cite book |last=Falk |first=Erika |title=Women for President: Media Bias in Eight Campaigns |publisher=[[University of Illinois Press]]| year=2007 |isbn=0-252-07511-0 |pages=161–163}}</ref> Hundreds of [[YouTube]] videos carried the word, with such titles as "Hillary Clinton: The Bitch is Back" and "Hillary Clinton: Crazy Bitch", and a [[Facebook]] groups with the theme proliferated, including one named "Life's a Bitch, Why Vote for One?" that had more than 1,500 members.<ref name="falk-bword"/><ref name="j-d-bword"/> Broadcaster [[Glenn Beck]] used the term in describing her.<ref>''The Glenn Beck Program'', March 15, 2007.</ref> In a November 2007 public appearance, [[John McCain]] was asked by one of his supporters, "How do we beat the bitch?" (McCain responded by saying, "May I give the translation?" and then went on to say he respected Clinton but could defeat her.)<ref name="j-d-bword">{{cite news | url=http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=100020 | title=The ‘B’ Word in Traditional News and on the Web | author=Kathleen Hall Jamieson | author2= Jacqueline Dunn | publisher=[[Nieman Reports]] | date=Summer 2008}}</ref> A February 2008 ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' monologue by [[Tina Fey]] led a backlash-through-embracing movement, when she said "I think what bothers me the most is when people say that Hillary is a bitch. Let me say something about that. Yeah, she is. And so am I.... You know what? Bitches get stuff done.... Get on board. Bitch is the new black!"<ref name="j-d-bword"/> A new Facebook group "Bitch is the new Black" gained three times the membership of all the anti-Clinton groups named after the word.<ref name="j-d-bword"/>

Along this theme, [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] commentator [[Bill Moyers]] noted<ref name="bmj120707"/> that [[MSNBC]] commentator [[Tucker Carlson]] had said of Clinton, "There's just something about her that feels castrating, overbearing, and scary,"<ref>{{cite news | url=http://politicalblogs.startribune.com/bigquestionblog/?p=624 | title=There’s just something about her that feels castrating, overbearing, and scary | publisher=[[Star-Tribune]] | date=March 28, 2007 | accessdate=February 24, 2013}}</ref> and that top-rated radio talk show host [[Rush Limbaugh]] continued to refer to her as "the woman with the testicle lockbox."<ref>{''The Rush Limbaugh Show'': [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2007/11/23/it_is_never_too_late_for_victory It Is Never Too Late for Victory.] November 23, 2007.</ref> During the campaign, Carlson made repeated statements of the form "When she comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E6D71F3EF930A25755C0A96E9C8B63 | title=Critics and News Executives Split Over Sexism in Clinton Coverage | publisher=[[New York Times]] | date=June 13, 2008}}</ref> Further discussion ensued when the ''[[Drudge Report]]'' and a few other media outlets ran an unflattering [[Associated Press]] photograph of Clinton looking old and tired on the wintry Iowa campaign trail;<ref name="nyt121907-dowd">{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/opinion/19dowd.html | title=Rush to Judgment | author=[[Maureen Dowd]] | publisher=The New York Times | date=December 19, 2007 | accessdate=January 6, 2008}}</ref> Limbaugh sympathized with the plight of American women in an appearance-obsessed culture, then asked, "Will this country want to actually watch a woman get older before their eyes on a daily basis?"<ref name="nyt121907-dowd"/>

Following Clinton's "choked up moment" in New Hampshire and surprise victory there the following day, discussion of gender's role in the campaign moved front and center.<ref name="nyt011008">{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/us/politics/10women.html | title=Women’s Support for Clinton Rises in Wake of Perceived Sexism | author=[[Jodi Kantor]] | publisher=The New York Times | date=January 10, 2008 | accessdate=January 13, 2008}}</ref> Clinton's win In New Hampshire was the first time a woman had ever won a major American party's presidential primary for the purposes of delegate selection.<ref>http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/fast_facts/elections/preswatch_clinton.php</ref> (Shirley Chisholm's prior "win" in New Jersey in 1972 was in a no-delegate-awarding, presidential preference ballot that the major candidates were not listed in and that the only other candidate who was listed had already withdrawn from; the actual delegate selection vote went to [[George McGovern]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F0061EF83959107B93C5A9178DD85F468785F9 | title=Dakotan Beats Humphrey By a Big Margin in Jersey | first=Ronald | last=Sullivan | newspaper=The New York Times | date=June 7, 1972 | page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1665&dat=19720515&id=UmlPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tiQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7133,1487123 | title=Sanford Is Withdrawing From N.J. | agency=Associated Press | newspaper=The Times-News | location=Hendersonville, North Carolina | date=May 13, 1972 | page=12}}</ref>) Women following the campaign recalled a series of criticisms of Clinton, such as the pitch of her voice, a debate moderator's question of whether she was "likeable" (and Obama's reply that she was "likeable enough", felt by some to be condescending), and hecklers' demands that she "iron their shirt", as motivations for re-examining who they would support in the contest.<ref name="nyt011008"/>

Later in January 2008, Clinton backed out of a cover photo shoot with ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'' over concerns by the Clinton camp that she would appear "too feminine,"<ref>''Women's Wear Daily'': [https://web.archive.org/web/20080120151630/http://www.wwd.com/issue/article/121588?page=0 Memo Pad: Sharp Words... Shutter Fly... Close, But No Cigar...]. January 18, 2008.</ref> which prompted the magazine's editor-in-chief, [[Anna Wintour]], to write, "Imagine my amazement, then, when I learned that Hillary Clinton, our only female presidential hopeful, had decided to steer clear of our pages at this point in her campaign for fear of looking too feminine. The notion that a contemporary woman must look mannish in order to be taken seriously as a seeker of power is frankly dismaying. How has our culture come to this? How is it that ''[[The Washington Post]]'' recoils from the slightest hint of cleavage on a senator? This is America, not Saudi Arabia. It's also 2008: [[Margaret Thatcher]] may have looked terrific in a blue power suit, but that was 20 years ago. I do think Americans have moved on from the power-suit mentality, which served as a bridge for a generation of women to reach boardrooms filled with men. Political campaigns that do not recognize this are making a serious misjudgment."<ref name="Hillary's snub">{{cite news | title=Wintour goes nuclear over Hillary's snub to 'Vogue' | url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wintour-goes-nuclear-over-hillarys-snub-to-vogue-771263.html | first=Susie | last= Mesure | date=January 20, 2008 |publisher=[[The Independent]] | accessdate=January 22, 2008 | location=London}}</ref>

===Sarah Palin comparison===
Following the nomination of [[Sarah Palin]] for the vice presidency at the Republican National Convention, Palin and Clinton were compared and contrasted with one another in the media, due to their status as women running in the 2008 presidential election. A ''New York Times'' article stated, "Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Palin have little in common beyond their breakout performances at the conventions and the soap opera aspects of their family lives. Mrs. Clinton always faces high expectations; Mrs. Palin faced low expectations this week, and benefited from them. Mrs. Clinton can seem harsh when she goes on the attack; Mrs. Palin has shown a knack for attacking without seeming nasty. Mrs. Clinton has a lot of experience; Ms. Palin, not so much. Mrs. Clinton is pantsuits; Mrs. Palin is skirts."<ref>Patrick Healey.[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/us/politics/06web-healy.html "The Real ’08 Fight: Clinton v. Palin?"]; ''The New York Times'', September 5, 2008</ref> Guy Cecil, the former political director of Mrs. Clinton's campaign, said it was "insulting" for Republicans to compare Palin to Clinton.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/01/clinton-advisers-palin-pi_n_122911.html "Clinton Advisers: Palin Pick Means Bigger Role For Hillary"]; Huffington Post, September 1, 2008</ref> A ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' skit, "[[A Nonpartisan Message From Governor Sarah Palin & Senator Hillary Clinton]]", counterposed Palin, played by [[Tina Fey]], against Hillary Clinton, played by [[Amy Poehler]]. Fey presented Palin as a dimwit unable to understand global politics, as emphasized by the line: "I can see Russia from my house." Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive and McCain advisor [[Carly Fiorina]] blasted that one of the [[Saturday Night Live parodies of Sarah Palin]] in a television interview: "They were defining Hillary Clinton as very substantive and Sarah Palin as totally superficial,"<ref>[http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iBqRMwm8pDt4bbIHnsfzUWyl_e8g "Palin imitators flood YouTube with mocking videos"]; AFP, September 17, 2008</ref> and an [[ABC News]] headline soon after ran, "Now the McCain Campaign's Complaining that Saturday Night Live Skit Was 'Sexist'".<ref>Jake Tapper.[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/now-the-mccain.html "Now the McCain Campaign's Complaining that Saturday Night Live Skit Was 'Sexist'"]; ABC, September 17, 2008</ref> However, Palin stated that she found the skit amusing.

"Hillary is missing in action from the Palin--hating brigade", opines a writer at the ''Weekly Standard.''<ref>Noemie Emery.[http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/591xzuuj.asp "The Palin Effect "]; Weekly Standard, September 2008, Volume 014, Issue 03</ref> Former Democratic presidential candidate [[Hillary Clinton]] referred to Palin's VP nomination as "[[historic]],"<ref>[http://www.etonline.com/news/2008/09/65488/index.html "Palin Thinks Obama Regrets Not Choosing Clinton for VP"]; ET, September 12, 2008</ref> stating, ""We should all be proud of Governor Sarah Palin's historic [[nomination]], and I congratulate her and Senator McCain...While their policies would take America in the wrong direction, Governor Palin will add an important new voice to the debate."<ref name="Clinton Praises Palin Pick">Jon Nichols. [http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/351275 "Clinton Praises Palin Pick"]; The Nation, August 30, 2008</ref> [[Wisconsin]] Congresswoman [[Tammy Baldwin]] expressed a different view: "To the extent that this choice represents an effort to court supporters of Hillary Clinton's historic candidacy, McCain misjudges the reasons so many voters rallied around her candidacy. It was Senator Clinton's experience, skill and commitment to change, especially in the areas of [[health care]] and [[energy policy]], that drew such strong support. Sarah Palin's opposition to [[Roe v. Wade]] and her support of big oil will not draw Democrats from the Obama-[[Joe Biden|Biden]] ticket."<ref name="Clinton Praises Palin Pick"/> President of the [[National Organization for Women]] (NOW) Kim Gandy said "What McCain does not understand is that women supported Hillary Clinton not just because she was a woman, but because she was a champion on their issues. They will surely not find Sarah Palin to be an advocate for women."<ref name="Clinton Praises Palin Pick"/>

In mid September 2008, a flurry of articles circulated announcing that "Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin plan to appear next week at the same rally in New York City – perhaps the closest the two history-making women will be to each other before Election Day."<ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/16/clinton-palin-to-find-common-ground-at-iran-protest/ "Clinton, Palin to Find Common Ground at Iran Protest"]; Foxnews, September 16, 2008</ref> However, Clinton pulled out of her scheduled appearance at the rally protesting Iranian President [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] when she found out Palin would also be there.<ref>[http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/17/clinton-cancels-appearance-over-palin/ "Clinton cancels appearance over Palin"]; CNN, September 17, 2008</ref> "Clinton decided not to attend because she did not want to take part in a "partisan political event," her aide said. Soon after, organizers of the rally in New York withdrew their invitation to Palin.<ref>Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent, and Reuters.[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1022772.html "Sarah Palin blames 'Democrat partisans' for withdrawn invitation to anti-Iran rally"]; Haaretz, 20-09-2008</ref>

==Opinion polling==
{{Main|Statewide opinion polling for the Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2008}}
{{See also|Nationwide opinion polling for the Democratic Party 2008 presidential candidates}}

==See also==
* [[Opinion polling for the Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008]]
* [[Opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2008]]
* [[Political positions of Hillary Rodham Clinton]]
* [[Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016]]

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite book | first=Dan | last=Balz | authorlink=Dan Balz | first2=Haynes | last2=Johnson | authorlink2 = Haynes Johnson | title=The Battle for America, 2008: The Story of an Extraordinary Election | publisher=[[Viking Penguin]] | location=New York | year=2009 | isbn=0-670-02111-3}}
*{{Cite book | first=John | last=Heilemann |authorlink=John Heilemann | first2=Mark | last2=Halperin | authorlink2=Mark Halperin | title=[[Game Change|Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime]] | publisher=[[HarperCollins]] | location=New York | year= 2010 | isbn=0-06-173363-6}}
*{{Cite book | first=Erik (ed.) | last=Jones | first2= Salvatore | last2=Vassallo | title=The 2008 Presidential Elections: A Story in Four Acts | publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] | year=2009 | isbn=0-230-61938-X}}
*{{Cite book | first=Anne E. | last=Kornblut | authorlink=Anne E. Kornblut | title=Notes from the Cracked Ceiling: Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and What It Will Take for a Woman to Win | publisher=[[Crown Publishers]] | year=2009 | isbn=0-307-46425-3}}
*{{Cite book | first=David | last=Plouffe | authorlink=David Plouffe | title=The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory | publisher=[[Viking Adult]] | year=2009 | isbn=0-670-02133-4}}
*{{Cite book | first=Leslie | last=Sanchez | authorlink=Leslie Sanchez | title=You've Come a Long Way, Maybe: Sarah, Michelle, Hillary, and the Shaping of the New American Woman | publisher= [[Palgrave Macmillan]] | year=2009 | isbn= 0-230-61816-2 }}
*{{Cite book |title="A Long Time Coming": The Inspiring, Combative 2008 Campaign and the Historic Election of Barack Obama |last=Thomas |first=Evan |authorlink=Evan Thomas |year=2009 |publisher=[[PublicAffairs]] |location=New York|isbn=1-58648-607-1 }}

==Notes and references==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikisource|Hillary Clinton's Decision to Form a Presidential Exploratory Committee}}
* {{newseum front page archive|event=Hillary Clinton concedes|month=06|day=08|year=08}}
*[http://www.c-span.org/video/standalone/?196368-1/clinton-campaign-event&popoutPlayer Clinton's 2008 Presidential announcement on C-SPAN]
*{{dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Government/Elections/President/2008/Candidates/Clinton,_Hillary}}
{{Hillary Rodham Clinton}}
{{United States presidential election, 2008 navigation}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Hillary Rodham}}
[[Category:Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008|*]]

Revision as of 20:08, 5 November 2015

She got a lot of money for stuff from SUPER PACS!!!
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