Read the Transcript of Clinton's Announcement

It was a moment that America — and, mostly, reporters — had been waiting for, well, since she lost the 2008 election. On Sunday, Hillary Clinton announced she was running for president for the second time since President Obama claimed victory in the primaries seven years ago. While reporters and political junkies flocked either to to her newly acquired campaign office in Brooklyn or to Twitter — where both #HillarysBigAnnouncement and #WhyImNotVotingForHillary trended during the day — to await her announcement, Clinton herself prepared to inform the country that she would attempt to clinch the Democratic nomination ahead of Nov. 8, 2016. So once she did declare her intentions for 2016, there was little doubt that the transcript of Clinton's video announcement would be inspected by pundits and voters alike.

So how did Clinton let constituents know that she's willing and ready to be subject to a frantic, public news cycle that would no doubt include as much sexism as tough questions as to her ability to lead the nation? Well, although her campaign chief John Podesta first broke the news to 2008 campaign donors, here's what Clinton said in her video released Sunday:

I'm getting ready to do something too. I'm running for president. Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times. But the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top. Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion. So you can do more than just get by. You can get ahead, and stay ahead. Because when families are strong, America is strong. So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote, because it's your time. And I hope you'll join me on this journey.

Interestingly, though, Clinton was hardly took on a starring role in her own video. Instead, she was merely the headliner, introducing some of her platforms via a diverse set of constituents themselves, who served as symbols for Clinton's views towards gay marriage, small businesses, and more. Among those featured in the video:

• A woman tending to a garden: "It's spring, so we're starting to get the gardens ready, and my tomatoes are legendary here in my own neighborhood."
• A mother, worried about education: "My daughter is about to start kindergarten next year, and so we're moving so she can belong to a better school."
• Two brothers, speaking Spanish: "My brother and I are starting our first business."
• Another mother: "After five years of raising my children, I am now going back to work."
• A young couple: Woman: "Every day we're trying to get more and more ready and more prepared." Man: "Baby boy, coming your way."
• A female student: "Right now I'm applying for jobs. It's a look into what the real world will look like after college."
• An LGBT couple: "I'm getting married this summer to someone I really care about."
• A child: "I'm gonna be in the play, and I'm going to be in a fish costume. [Sings] From little tiny fishes..."
• A soon-to-be retiree: "I'm getting ready to retire soon. Retirement means reinventing yourself in many ways."
• A couple of dog owners: Woman: "Well, we've been doing a lot of home renovations." Man: "But most importantly, we just want to teach our dog to quit eating the trash." Woman: "And so we have high hopes for 2015 that that's going to happen."
• A man in a factory: "I've started a new career recently. This is a fifth generation company, which means a lot to me. This country was founded on hard work, and it really feels good to be a part of that."

Watch the video below:

Clearly, Clinton meant for this to be more than merely an announcement video — instead, the candidate not only wanted to tease some of what was to come during her campaign, but to get the campaigning started early. After all, were your heartstrings not tugged? Were you not more intrigued by the former Secretary of State's second presidential runs than if you had simply read a tweet? But don't worry, that eventually came too:

So, yes, Clinton is clearly ready to run for office, as she has been since 2008. But, after this, are you ready for the campaign to come?