Presidential election in America

HILLARY CLINTON'S putative campaign for president was made official on April 12th. The announcement came in an e-mail from John Podesta, her campaign chairman, who told donors and supporters that she would soon head to Iowa for a meet-and-greet with voters. A video was also released on a new campaign website, Hillary for America, featuring lots of "everyday Americans" who "need a champion".

Mrs Clinton has been a fixture of national politics since the early 1990s: as First Lady, senator for New York, presidential candidate and secretary of state. (Before that, she was a big noise in Arkansas, where she advised the governor, her husband Bill.) She has always been controversial. Some see her as a feminist icon, who braved the insults of the vast right-wing conspiracy to push for women's rights and universal health care. Others see her as unprincipled and privileged, using her marriage as a springboard to power for its own sake. Our cover story this week asks: what does she stand for?

A separate report asks whether she can win. She has a higher approval rating than any other plausible contender, but also a higher disapproval rating. This is largely because many Americans have barely heard of her rivals, whereas only those who have been living in caves for the past quarter-century are unaware of Mrs Clinton. A poll for ABC News/Washington Post earlier this month found that only 4% of Americans had no opinion of her. By contrast, 47% had no opinion of Scott Walker, the Republican governor of Wisconsin.