Is Hillary Clinton really to reshuffle the cards with the rich?

In 2008 presidential campaign, a fresh face called Barack Obama became Hillary Clinton's nightmare. As we are now heading towards another campaign season, will another Senate newbie called Elizabeth Warren become Mrs. Clinton's nemesis this time?

Unlike then Illinois Senator and current U.S. President Obama, the menace of Warren to Clinton lies not in a future confrontation in Democratic primaries. Warren has already made her "not-running- for-presidency" decision crystal clear.

Instead, Warren's threat is much more nuanced: As the darling of the progressive wing within the Democratic Party, Warren reminds voters, as well as Clinton, of what Clinton stands for and who she does not necessarily represent. That could complicate Clinton's glide path to Democratic nomination.

During her 2008 presidency bid, Mrs. Clinton touted prosperity in the 1990s as results of trade deals, Wall Street deregulation and deficit reduction adopted during Bill Clinton's presidency. However, in today's America, the past economic boons become demonized as wealth gap between the wealthiest and the vast majority of Americans keeps widening.

According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 62 percent of Americans say the current U.S. economic system unfairly favors powerful interests, while only 33 percent believe the system is fair to most Americans.

Accusing Clinton of being too cozy with the Wall Street and too ambiguous about her stance on trade deal, liberal activists have so far attempted but failed to draft Warren, a "progressive fighter" as they labeled her, into the presidential race.

"In the wake of the Great Recession, Senator Warren stood up to the big banks ... Senator Warren is leading the fight for students and graduates who are struggling under the weight of crippling student loan debt," wrote a statement by "Run Warren Run," a campaign organized by liberal political groups.

"Our country will be better off if Elizabeth Warren runs for president," the statement concluded.

While Clinton's camp stressed patience in policy rollout that they said would be materialized in the coming weeks, one thing is certain: though less likely to portray herself as the twin sister of Warren in leftist economic policies, Clinton is nudging her way towards Warren.

"Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times, but the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top," said Clinton in her campaign announcement video earlier April that featured aspirations of ordinary Americans. "Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion," she said.

In her first week as a 2016 presidential candidate, Clinton did not hesitate in her barbed remarks against the Wall Street managers who happened to be her donors in the past and will continue to fund her campaign this time.

In her first fundraising email, Clinton wrote: "Families have fought their way back from tough economic times. But it's not enough -- not when the average CEO makes 300 times what the average worker makes."

Later in the early-voting state Iowa on April 14 during her first campaign trip, she said that something was wrong when "hedge fund managers pay less in taxes than nurses or the truckers I saw on I-80."

"The deck is stacked in their favor ... My job is to reshuffle the cards," said Clinton, striking the same chord this week in another early-voting state New Hampshire.

Also, using Times Magazine's 100 Most influential People list last week, Clinton did not shy away from paying tribute to Warren, whom Clinton praised as "a special kind of leader" that worked as "champion of working families and scourge of special interests."

"Elizabeth Warren never lets us forget that the work of taming Wall Street's irresponsible risk taking and reforming our financial system is far from finished," wrote Clinton in her endorsement of Warren.

Meanwhile, Warren so far has not endorsed Clinton's White House run. "I think we need to give her a chance, if she is going to run, and to declare," Warren told the U.S. TV network NBC's "Today" ahead of Clinton's announcement.

For a candidate frequently criticized by rivals for her high- flying lifestyle, who just recently charged about 200,000 U.S. dollars for each speech at private equity firms, investment banks, trade association conventions, etc., Clinton is launching an uphill campaign to shake up an image not preferred by herself in the second and most likely last presidential campaign.

In spite of her efforts, the irony is there: even if she is pitting herself against the rich in the campaign, the hedge fund managers would still love her. Enditem