Bill Clinton gave his speech in West Lafayette, Indiana. It was a reasonably good speech to 1,800 people in the main gym and 1,000 people in the auxiliary gym. Organizations at Purdue tried to get him into a more capacious hall, but the Clinton campaign preferred the high-school gym.
People got in (at least to the auxiliary gym) wearing Obama T-shirts. In the overflow room, people sat on bleachers or huddled around the barrier set up near the door where Clinton was to appear to shake hands.
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The speech was good, but below the very high average of this season. In some cases he spoke as rapidly as an auctioneer describing his wife's policies. I liked his emphasis on research and energy independence, and agree that universal health care must be universal.
He finally took a jab at McCain: "We will have a historic election this year no matter who wins. We will either elect the oldest President, the first African-American President or the first woman President." I did not like the encomium he gave to McCain, even if he couched it in a condescending remark based on McCain's age. As for Obama, Clinton said he would be the first African-American President.
Anyway, 2,800 people of the 130,000 residents of our purple county attended. If he had a large showing in Logansport or Rochester, then that would indicate to Democrats that they are not alone in that extremely red portion of the state.
And that's why I hope the campaign continues. The ongoing campaign is threatening the peace of the netroots, and there will need to be some healing before Netroots Nation in Austin. Outside the netroots and the campaigns but in the states being treated to the first primary appearances in decades; we in the April, May and June states are no longer just ATMs for the national campaigns. Outside the campaign and netroots hothouses, we are actually able to remain civil to each other. Finally, these rallies are great opportunities for Democrats seeking Congress in safe, red districts to get some visibility. Perhaps if the Mike Pences and Steve Buyers had to spend some of their lobbyist bribes, um, donations in their district instead of handing it to their endangered wingnut brethren, we can present whoever wins the Presidency a strong Democratic Congress.