Did Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign come to a screeching halt after she placed a disappointed third in the Iowa Caucuses last week? This was the question on everyone’s mind. After months of presenting herself as something of a shoo-in for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Clinton’s disappointing and unexpected loss has confronted her campaign with a myriad of potentially lethal problems.

Undoubtedly, her campaign advisers are working furiously to alter strategies and redirect the focus of her platform issues. As several more primaries loom, Clinton must find a way to regain the support of the American people in order to keep her campaign on track.

Clinton is not without a heart however, and the disappointment of her third-place loss, following such an intense campaign-to-date, was visible during a recent press conference in New Hampshire. Fighting back tears, Clinton poignantly told reporters, “You know, this is very personal for me. It’s not just political. It’s not just public. I see what’s happening, and we have to reverse it.

“You know, some of us put ourselves out there and do this against some pretty difficult odds, and we do it, each one of us because we care about our country, but some of us are right and some of us are wrong, some of us are ready and some of us are not, some of us know what we will do on day one and some of us haven’t thought that through enough.”

Despite this impassioned plea, the idea of Clinton as the next president has been a tough sell for many people. First of all, she is inexorably linked to her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Despite his political brilliance, Clinton’s presidency was scarred by his sexual indiscretions. Clinton’s actions elicited a general mistrust from the American people. Undoubtedly, some form of transference has occurred with Hillary’s campaign; it is likely that many people are unable to separate the perceived moral ambiguity of Bill from that of Hillary’s own integrity.

On the other hand, Bill’s staunch political clout has also been a likely asset for Hillary. His political knowledge has significantly added to the value of her campaign, given that her rivals are lacking in experience.

Unmistakably, she has had to walk a fine line when relying on her husband’s political influence. “Sen. Clinton needs to make this campaign about her vision, her plans and her strengths,” Democratic strategist Donna Brazile warned.

In the end, what can Hillary do to refocus her campaign? Should she continue to promote herself as a voice of experience and reason, or campaign herself as a beacon of change? Clearly, relying too heavily on Bill is akin to glorifying the political past: something that many Americans seem to be resisting. More than any other recent election, Americans have grown increasingly wary of the current administration and are clearly ready for change.

According to Associated Press writer Nancy Benac, “A survey of Democratic caucus-goers in Iowa found that by a margin of 52 percent to 20 percent, more Democrats said they wanted a candidate who could bring about change than said they were seeking a candidate with the proper experience. And Barack Obama, who won decisively in Iowa, was the overwhelming winner among voters looking for change — he got 51 percent of their votes, compared with 19 percent for Clinton.”

More than anything else, Obama has truly been presented to the United States as that pillar of change. In addition to his charismatic personality, Obama has received numerous celebrity endorsements, including one from Oprah Winfrey.

The reigning “queen of talk” has a powerful influence over many American women. She has used her star power to publically support Obama. Given that the bulk of her audience and fanbase is made up of women, it is likely that Winfrey has lured some of Clinton’s supporters over to Obama’s camp.

Fortunately for Clinton, she is capable of listening to the American people — or at least the voters in Iowa. As of press time, Clinton has become something of a “comeback kid,” as she managed to defeat Obama for a stunning win in the New Hampshire primaries. According to CNN, and somewhat ironically counter-intuitive to Winfrey’s outspoken support of Obama, women and “diehard” Democrats have been essential to this comeback.

So, in the end, are the American people ready for a black man or a white woman to be the next president? Given the current state of this election, it is undoubtedly impossible to tell.

[Reach columnist Chris Heide at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]