I got to go see Hillary tonight thanks to my mom helping with the kids (thanks mom!). I didn’t really mind standing in line at all — it was a sunny afternoon and I was chatting with people who are Team Hill. I work from home and tend to be a little awkward when I get out among the other humans. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) that sometimes leads to nervous talking and over-sharing with strangers so I was having a good old time. Being a WI resident I could have used a beer, a lawn chair and a brat — then things would have been perfect!
There were some haters about. Hillary 4 Prison, Benghazi, etc. I noticed the neon yellow “Hillary Sucks Chodes” poster had been a do-over, as the activist had not left enough room for all the letters in “Chodes” when he first attempted it and crossed it out, on the back. When our former SOS started to speak, a rude gentleman in the audience yelled incoherently at her phrases all ending, “...your husband!”
There were three speeches leading up to Hillary from a member of the county board, her Green Bay organizer and a longtime Labor leader from the area. I really enjoyed the remarks from Emma Tyler, of her campaign, who talked about the personal reasons she is fighting for Hillary — she discussed living in FEMA housing after Katrina, losing her 13 yr old brother and fighting for LGBT rights. It tied in well with Hillary, who later brought up that we need to reach out to families in our communities that need help and that she wants to be a president who partners with us to get the resources.
Russ got huge applause. Equal Pay as well. Loud. In my opinion, I think she should talk about Equal Pay all the time. Especially with Pres. Obama’s recent Exec. Order to collect the data that we can use to legislate it. She did well making the case that WI is an example of what the GOP can do, largely unchecked. I agree with everyone who says she wanders into the weeds and is OK to lose people because she wants to make her case. She has some strong points on kids and families — about how families can be a child’s first school and the way every child’s success in school will ultimately impact our nation’s success.
The most surprising thing for me was how long she stayed meeting voters and taking photos. I was able to see her from a few feet away but I didn’t feel like throwing elbows or pushing other people out of the way to muscle in. She was taking time to talk with a lot of fellow grandmas who wanted a couple of moments with her more than a selfie. I have no idea how she’ll do overall in WI, but I know there were plenty of people there who are dedicated to getting her into the White House and she’s got my vote!