Hillary Clinton announced her intention to run for President a second time on Saturday, with a long platform speech on New York’s Roosevelt Island.

Apparently, we’re supposed to think of Hillary as a fighter, a caricature of herself that she drove home time and again throughout her speech with stories about her mother, her upbringing in a posh northwest suburb of Chicago, and her efforts to crash through the glass ceiling on the coattails of her husband.

Hillary Clinton used the first major rally of her second run for the White House Saturday to make a populist case for her presidential campaign, declaring that the goal of her presidency would be to tip the nation’s economic scales back toward the middle class’s favor.

Clinton used her gender to cast her candidacy as historic and forward-looking. And she used the story of her mother, Dorothy Rodham, to show that she understands the challenges of climbing out of poverty…

The rally’s geography, on a narrow island in New York City’s East River, offered a stirring contrast between the towering Manhattan skyline and working-class Queens. It allowed for nods at both Clinton’s experience — the former secretary of state pointed at the United Nations headquarters, and she represented New York as a senator for eight years — and at the economic contrast that was the focus of Clinton’s speech.

Populism is, by definition, popular. And Clinton’s speech was a long treatise of popular ideas, designed, it seemed to provide raw footage for future campaign commercials and Internet memes. It was, at its core, a good, solid speech that laid out, in a digestible way, exactly what she intends to focus on in her campaign. Which is, it seems, basically everything, a list – that includes her hair dye schedule – that she’ll address at a rate of one issue per week for the rest of the summer. It was the kind of speech people say they want in politics, but don’t really want because it’s far too much to think about. It was Cliff’s notes of her book, on tape, delivered in person, with a in-real-life PowerPoint of Hillary Clinton’s greatest achievements. 

She also released a “Campaign Playlist” that she’s been thumbing through on her iPod – classic, I’m sure, perhaps generation 2. She says they represent how she feels about her campaign and how Americans should feel about the next phase of the Clinton Dynasty. It’s…well…it’s overly cheerful.

“Believer” by American Authors

“The Fighter” by Gym Class Heroes, feat. Ryan Tedder

“Roar” by Katy Perry

“Break Free” by Ariana Grande and Zedd

“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson

“Best Day Of My Life” by American Authors

“Happy – From ‘Despicable Me 2′” by Pharrell Williams

“Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez

“Pumpin Blood” by NONONO

“Wake Up Everybody” by John Legend and The Roots

“Brave” by Sara Bareilles

“Fighters” by Kris Allen

“Beautiful Day” by Bon Jovi

“Vivir Mi Vida” by Marc Anthony

There’s something in there to appeal to every necessary demographic. A little J-Lo for the Hispanic vote, a little John Legend to round out the minority demo appeal, a Katy Perry power anthem for the ladies, some Bon Jovi for the Boomers and a couple of bands Hillary Clinton is unlikely to know exist but whose material was included anyway in a desperate attempt to court people under the age of 35. She really likes American Authors. Or someone does.