Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Bill on Hillary: Get Back to the Future
Hillary Rodham Clinton will bring America "back to the future," husband Bill says, promoting his own legacy in public life almost as much as his wife's presidential campaign.
"I think she has proven in all these debates, and especially the last one, that she is the strongest, most reliable person that we could elect," the former president told more than 400 potential voters at a YMCA gym. "And I say that as an admirer of the rest of the candidates. I like this field."
Clinton's visit marked the start of a battle of campaign surrogates _ Clinton vs. Winfrey, the former president stumping for his wife and media mogul Oprah Winfrey backing Sen. Clinton's chief rival, Barack Obama, in appearances scheduled for next week.
"Oprah vs. Bill! Now, there's a race," said Gail VanGundy, 59, an undecided voter who said the former president is a bigger draw for her than Winfrey.
"Both have star power," said Alfred Monroe, 76, as he awaited the former president's appearance in this eastern Iowa town.
Whether surrogates like Clinton and Winfrey sway voters is debatable, but operatives in both campaigns welcome their ability to draw crowds and attention in the closing days of a hotly contested race. An hour before Clinton was scheduled to arrive in Muscatine, more than 50 people lined up for seats.
Speaking for more than an hour, he discussed his wife's agenda and experience in exhaustive terms, sprinkling the remarks with asides about his presidency and his activities on the world stage since he left office in January 2001.
"I never ask anybody to vote for Hillary because they supported me. I only ask you to listen to my reasons why I think you should caucus for her," Clinton said, adding that his opinion should matter because "I know what it takes to be president" and "because of the life I've lived since I left office."
He seemed to suggest that the nation needs a return to 1990s sensibilities.
"Here's why I think that she is the person to bring us the right kind of change that we need. First of all, what kind of change do we need? We need to get American back to the future. We need to get America back to the solutions business."
He said his wife has the experience to be president, noting among other things her work as Arkansas' first lady on behalf of school standards, her travels as the nation's first lady to 82 countries and her victory as a Senate candidate in several GOP counties in New York.
Left off his list of Sen. Clinton's experiences: her stewardship of the Clinton administration health care plan that failed in the 1990s.
"You need somebody who is strong, competent, has a good vision and never forgets what it's like to be you," Clinton said. "That's why if we had never spent a year together as husband and wife, I'd be here today."
He pulled a pledge card out of his pocket, held it up to the crowd and asked them to caucus on his wife's behalf Jan. 3.
"The reason I want you to sign one of these cards is because I know her," he said. "I hope you make her the next president because she would be a great president and you would never, ever regret it."
Hillary Rodham Clinton will bring America "back to the future," husband Bill says, promoting his own legacy in public life almost as much as his wife's presidential campaign.
"I think she has proven in all these debates, and especially the last one, that she is the strongest, most reliable person that we could elect," the former president told more than 400 potential voters at a YMCA gym. "And I say that as an admirer of the rest of the candidates. I like this field."
Clinton's visit marked the start of a battle of campaign surrogates _ Clinton vs. Winfrey, the former president stumping for his wife and media mogul Oprah Winfrey backing Sen. Clinton's chief rival, Barack Obama, in appearances scheduled for next week.
"Oprah vs. Bill! Now, there's a race," said Gail VanGundy, 59, an undecided voter who said the former president is a bigger draw for her than Winfrey.
"Both have star power," said Alfred Monroe, 76, as he awaited the former president's appearance in this eastern Iowa town.
Whether surrogates like Clinton and Winfrey sway voters is debatable, but operatives in both campaigns welcome their ability to draw crowds and attention in the closing days of a hotly contested race. An hour before Clinton was scheduled to arrive in Muscatine, more than 50 people lined up for seats.
Speaking for more than an hour, he discussed his wife's agenda and experience in exhaustive terms, sprinkling the remarks with asides about his presidency and his activities on the world stage since he left office in January 2001.
"I never ask anybody to vote for Hillary because they supported me. I only ask you to listen to my reasons why I think you should caucus for her," Clinton said, adding that his opinion should matter because "I know what it takes to be president" and "because of the life I've lived since I left office."
He seemed to suggest that the nation needs a return to 1990s sensibilities.
"Here's why I think that she is the person to bring us the right kind of change that we need. First of all, what kind of change do we need? We need to get American back to the future. We need to get America back to the solutions business."
He said his wife has the experience to be president, noting among other things her work as Arkansas' first lady on behalf of school standards, her travels as the nation's first lady to 82 countries and her victory as a Senate candidate in several GOP counties in New York.
Left off his list of Sen. Clinton's experiences: her stewardship of the Clinton administration health care plan that failed in the 1990s.
"You need somebody who is strong, competent, has a good vision and never forgets what it's like to be you," Clinton said. "That's why if we had never spent a year together as husband and wife, I'd be here today."
He pulled a pledge card out of his pocket, held it up to the crowd and asked them to caucus on his wife's behalf Jan. 3.
"The reason I want you to sign one of these cards is because I know her," he said. "I hope you make her the next president because she would be a great president and you would never, ever regret it."
