Thousands of people attended the annual "Harkin Steak Fry" on Sunday in the early-voting state of Iowa to cheer Hillary Clinton, wearing "Ready for Hillary" buttons and even posing for pictures with cardboard cutouts of Clinton as the former Secretary of State stoked speculation that she was moving closer to announcing a bid for the White House in 2016, Reuters reported.
After grilling steaks with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, Clinton delivered a populist speech to the crowd of more than 6,000 Democrats, which included not just Iowans but also people from nearby Kansas and even Kentucky, at a vast green field a few miles outside of Des Moines. Her appearance at the 37th and final steak fry, a gathering of Democratic activists that often attracts presidential hopefuls, was to honor Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, who is retiring.
Although the former first lady spoke about pushing legislation on a minimum wage, defended President Barack Obama's signature healthcare initiative known as Obamacare, slammed Republicans as "guardians of gridlock" and urged Democrats to vote for the party's gubernatorial and U.S. Senate campaigns, she also dropped a few hints about her presidential intentions in 2016, NBC News reported.
Clinton also focused much of her speech on promoting Iowa's Democratic candidates, including Senate hopeful Bruce Braley, who is vying in a closely watched race in the 2014 midterm elections on Nov. 4. But it was clear that many in the crowd expect Clinton to start a presidential campaign next year, according to the Associated Press.
"Hello, Iowa, I'm back," she said at the start of her speech, an unsubtle reminder that she had not visited the state since 2008, when she suffered an embarrassing defeat in the Iowa caucus, coming in third behind Barack Obama, who went on to win the presidency, and John Edwards.
"I've got a few things on my mind these days," she said, as the crowd cheered, adding that she would leave the stage immediately if her pregnant daughter, Chelsea, went into labor.
"Then of course, there's that other thing," Clinton said. "It's true, I'm thinking about it. But for today, that's not why I'm here."
She offered another hint at the end of the 20-minute speech, emphasizing why Democrats must vote in non-presidential years.
"Too many people only get excited about presidential campaigns," she said. "Look, I get excited about those campaigns too."
"It's really great to be back," she concluded. "Let's not let another 7 years go by."
Meanwhile, 2016 was in the air, particularly when Harkin, referred to Clinton and her husband as "the comeback couple" and said "there are many more chapters that will be written in the amazing life of Hillary Clinton."
