Hillary Clinton in 2007 campaigned across Iowa for president in a helicopter.
But eight years later — in an attempt to appeal to “everyday Americans” — the Democrat is embarking on a road-trip from New York to Iowa in what she’s calling her “Scooby” van.
Facing restless progressive populists who are skeptical of her ability to relate to ordinary people, Clinton on Sunday announced her candidacy, saying: “Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion.”
Later in the afternoon, Clinton tweeted a photo of herself at a gas station on the way to Iowa.
Road trip! Loaded the van & set off for IA. Met a great family when we stopped this afternoon. Many more to come. -H pic.twitter.com/5Va7zeR8RP
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 13, 2015
CNN reported that Clinton has nicknamed the van “Scooby” — in reference to the vehicle in the “The Scooby Doo Show.”
“When Hillary first told us that she was ready to hit the road for Iowa, we literally looked at her and said, ‘Seriously?’ And she said, ‘Seriously,'” aide Huma Abedin said in a conference call Sunday night, according to the Associated Press. “This was her idea, and she’s been really excited about it since she came up with it.”
But don’t be mistaken—Clinton isn’t the one behind the wheel. She memorably said last year that she hadn’t driven a car herself since 1996, and an aide told CNN on Sunday that a Secret Service agent is actually in the driver’s seat.
The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, is having fun pointing out what the van in Scooby Doo is really called: the Mystery Machine.
fun fact 4 @HillaryClinton & reporters: van she has nicknamed 'Scooby Doo' van was actually called the Mystery Machine -> very appropriate
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) April 13, 2015