text: Hillary Clinton is expected to officially declare her candidacy for president on 'Sunday afternoon,' according to a Democratic Party source in Iowa. The Clinton partisan spoke to Daily Mail Online on background, saying the former secretary of state will first put her name forward for the White House on Twitter, and then barnstorm the Hawkeye State in what the Associated Press calls a series of 'small' meetings with voters. Separately, an Iowa Republcian Party official said on-the-ground forces loyal to Hillary are rounding up Democrats via phone trees and emails in preparation of campaign appearances early in the coming week. A New Hampshire GOP political operative who works for a likely candidate who hasn't yet launched a campaign added that Clinton's efforts in the state are 'surprisingly slow, given her primary victory here in 2008.' Clinton will fly to New Hampshire after her Iowa swing. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . READY FOR HILLARY? Clinton will announce her bid to become America's first female president this weekend . STARTING GUN: The former first lady faces no substantial competition – yet – for the Democratic nomination in 2016 . In a timely release just days before the start of her presidential campaign, Clinton reveals in a new epilogue to her book 'Hard Choices' why she decided to take the presidential leap. 'Becoming a grandmother has made me think deeply about the responsibility we all share as stewards of the world we inherit and will one day pass on. Rather than make me want to slow down, it has spurred me to speed up. 'As Margaret Mead said, children keep our imaginations fresh and our hearts young, and they drive us to work for a better future. I've also returned again and again to this question of universality – how much we all have in common even if the circumstances of our lives may be different. 'As you've seen throughout this book, one of the defining themes of my time as Secretary of State was our increasing global interdependence. Despite all the division and discord in the world, which sometimes can seem overwhelming, the basic fact of the 21st century is that we're more connected than ever. 'If the United States continues to lead the world in the years ahead, as I believe it can and must, it will be because we have learned how to define the terms of our interdependence to promote more cooperation and shared prosperity and less conflict and inequality. 'As we've seen since the first edition of this book was published in June 2014, the negative side of interdependence remains potent – whether it was the spread of virulent new strands of extremism in the Middle East or old-style nationalism in Europe or a deadly epidemic in Africa. Our job is to build up the positive side. 'The United States and the other great democracies have to redouble our efforts to empower moderates and marginalize extremists everywhere, and to stand firmly and united in pursuit of a more just, free, and peaceful world. 'That's the world I want for Charlotte and for all our kids.' In the excerpt, released Friday to the Huffington Post, she describes how becoming a grandmother inspired her 'to see the world in new ways' and made her realize that 'there was so much more to do.' 'Becoming a grandmother has made me think deeply about the responsibility we all share as stewards of the world we inherit and will one day pass on,' she writes. 'Rather than make me want to slow down, it has spurred me to speed up.' The maneuver of re-upping public attention on her poorly selling memoir, though, highlights one of Clinton's key liabilities: likeability. Her campaign has a steep hill to climb if she is to escape the 1990s-era image of a controlling and often temperamental politician, or the 2000s sequel – a scheming conniver bent on winning power. The Republican National Committee had been mum about Hillary's impending announcement, but the party took its gloves off Friday morning with a scathing video ad highlighting her scandals. 'From the East Wing to the State Department, Hillary Clinton has left a trail of secrecy, scandal and failed liberal policies that no image consultant can erase, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said Friday in a statement. 'Voters want to elect someone they can trust and Hillary's record proves that she cannot be trusted.' The Clinton campaign-in-waiting held a secret off-the-record dinner with a hand-picked group of journalists Thursday night in Washington, D.C., also according to the Huffington Post. The former first lady once faced no substantial competition for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination but a few challengers have emerged lately – most notably former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley, who has also conducting private fundraisers meetings in New York City. Clinton also faces intense scrutiny over an email scandal involving a private home-brew server she maintained at her Chappaqua, New York home, a problem that will taint her claim to her party's top perch. Announcing a presidential campaign on social media has become ordinary this year, with Republicans Rand Paul and Ted Cruz preempting their own televised launches with Tweets and Facebook posts meant to appeal to young and low-attention-span voters. Clinton, too, will need to leverage the online space and will follow her tweets with email and video announcements. The Reuters news service predicted that the videos will go 'viral.' In her previous presidential run in 2008, Clinton lost to Barack Obama, in part because of the Obama campaign's intense use of digital and online strategies to draw attention to his candidacy and raise huge sums through small donations. By 2012 his team, led by veterans from Facebook and Google, were deploying sophisticated social media strategies. Clinton's 2016 campaign is expected to concentrate on making the 67-year-old former first lady relatable to ordinary Americans despite her age and longstanding connection to the Democratic Party's political machinery. After serving eight years as first lady, she won a U.S. Senate seat in New York and then spent four years jetting to foreign capitals as Obama's first-term secretary of state. Day-to-day contact with everyday Americans has been elusive and rare. SKELETONS: Clinton will face a new round of scrutiny over her time in the White House as first lady . TWEET TWEET: The 67-year-old Democrat will have to find ways to connect with the younger voters as she distances herself from past and present scandals . Kristina Schake (pictured) has been brought in to help transform Hillary Clinton's public image . But in a year when Republicans have a deep bench, Democrats have sat back and waited for Hillary to claim their brass ring. She remains the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic nomination but has seen her poll numbers slip in recent days. On Thursday a Quinnipiac University poll revealed she has slipped against the leading 2016 Republican candidates in Colorado, Iowa and Virginia. Pollsters cited damage from what has become known as 'email-gate.' In a bid to recast her image she has brought in Kristina Schake, the former White House aide responsible for transforming  Michelle Obama's public image into that of an all-American 'everywoman' who shops at retail outlets, does 'mom dancing' on TV and even has a Twitter account. Schake, 45, will attempt to turn the 67-year-old politician from an aggressive and secretive figure into a softer, more accessible one. Thursday's swing state poll also showed Clinton in a close race with U.S. Senator Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican who declared his candidacy on Tuesday. Clinton is in tight hypothetical races in Colorado and Iowa, where she previously led by commanding margins. STAND WITH RAND: The Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll showed Hillary Clinton in a close race with U.S. Senator Rand Paul (pictured), the Kentucky Republican who declared his candidacy on Tuesday . 'It isn't just one or two Republicans who are stepping up;it's virtually the entire GOP field that is running better against her' since the last swing state survey on February 18, pollster Peter Brown said in a statement. Brown attributed the drop to the controversy that erupted in March over Clinton's use of personal email for work when she was America's top diplomat. Republicans have raised the prospect of congressional hearings on the issue. Paul led Clinton by 44 per cent to 41 per cent in Colorado and 43 per cent to 42 per cent in Iowa, the Quinnipiac poll showed. In Virginia, Clinton led 47 per cent to 43 per cent. 'These numbers are a boost for U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky as he formally launches his campaign,' Brown said. Most earlier polls had shown Clinton with a substantial lead over the Republican field.
target: Former secretary of state is expected to announce candidacy Sunday afternoon and then hit the campaign trail .
  Iowa sources say Democrats are preparing for Hillary to barnstorm the state Sunday and Monday .
  Social media posts will be followed by video and email announcements .
  New polls suggests the former first lady is slipping behind leading 2016 Republican candidates in vital swing states .
  New epilogue of her book 'Hard Choices' reveals how becoming a grandmother inspired her to run for president .
  Republicans launch 'Stop Hillary' ad campaign .