NEW YORK (CNN) — In the middle of the East River on Roosevelt Island, Hillary Clinton will look to answer a question Saturday that has dogged her campaign for the past two months: Why?
The first major rally of her campaign will seek to offer a more expansive rationale for why she believes she should be president. In doing so, the former secretary of state will focus on the Rodham side of her family — particularly her mother — not the side of her family with a former president.
Clinton supporters started to line up at 6:30 a.m. for a rally her team is billing as her official campaign kickoff. Clinton soft-launched her campaign in April and proceeded to travel the country, particularly to early states, and hold more than 30 fundraisers.
“I think this will be a new moment,” said John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman. “We have had the spring training, now it is opening day. I think, for us, this is an opportunity to lay out really the operating manual for where she wants to take the country. And we are looking forward to hearing her, and I think the people who support her around the country will get quite excited about this.”
The venue is notably small for a campaign kickoff, with a large media contingent taking up a sizable amount of space. A whopping 550 members of the media asked for credentials, according to camping aides, but not all were granted access.
Weather had been a concern for campaign aides, who closely watched the forecast that — as of two days ago — called for rain and thunderstorms. But the weather appeared to be cooperating as the event was set to kick off.
Republicans, looking to seize on the media attention around Clinton’s event, bussed supporters up from Washington on Saturday morning. Their supporters, many of whom got on a bus at 5:45 a.m., will hand out information about Clinton, including red sunglasses that say “Stop Clinton” and “Shady.”
Some of Clinton’s more high profile supporters are attending the event. Kasim Reed, mayor of Atlanta, told CNN that he decided to attend the event because he wants to “stand with Secretary Clinton.”
“I think that people have really been waiting for this aspect of the campaign to begin,” Reed said. “There is an enormous amount of pent up energy to get on with the campaign and go on our and making the case to folks why she should be the 45th president.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who’s supporting Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic field, will notably not be attending Saturday’s rally. He said earlier this week that he will not attend because he is waiting for her to address her “larger vision” on income inequality.
Clinton’s speech will not be a detailed policy rollout, aides said ahead of the event. Instead, the former secretary of state will preview a list of critical policy issues, aides said, but will wait until later in the summer to outline the details of each policy proposal.
Aides said that Clinton’s speech will be a mix of her biography and vision, with the former first lady arguing that the guiding principle in her campaign will be how America’s families are doing, not those at the top. Clinton will repeatedly use the phrase “it is your time,” aides said, to hammer home that Americans who helped bring the country back from recession now deserve to enjoy the benefits.
Saturday’s event will also be a chance for Clinton to introduce herself to a large media audience. The former first lady enjoys near universal name ID, but aides hope she will be able to ask herself in a different, softer light.
“She is a well-known figure, but when you’re asking the American people to support you as president, even if it is for the second time, there is no skipping of steps,” said Palmieri. “If you want to understand Hillary Clinton, and what has motivated her career of fighting for kids and families, her mother is a big part of the story.”
In that effort, the entire day will focus on Clinton. Although both Bill and Chelsea Clinton will attend — the first time either will appear at a campaign event — they will not be the focus and are not expected to speak.
Talking points distributed to the campaign’s “friend and allies” which were obtained by CNN made clear that “the speaking program will feature Hillary Clinton exclusively.”
The pre-program of the event, however, will be filled with symbolic acts and speakers.
A drumline from Brooklyn, where the campaign is headquartered, will perform and Andrea Gonzales, a DREAMer from Houston, will also address the audience.
As attendees streamed into the rally, music from Clinton’s recently announced Spotify playlist blared from large speakers around the event. The playlist, which will serve as the soundtrack to Clinton’s campaign, includes hits like Katy Perry’s “Roar” and Pharrell William’s “Happy.
Hillary Clinton also joined Periscope, a live streaming phone app, on Saturday. One of her newest campaign hires, famed Olympic skater Michelle Kwan, will host Clinton’s Periscope at the event.
