Bill Clinton still rules.
Thursday night my mouth dropped open when I looked at my e-mail and read that Bill Clinton was coming to
my alma mater. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard once performed in this sleepy suburb, and more recently fusion guitarist Al DiMeola was here. Now Bill Clinton. Wow, this place is turning interesting!
The presentation, a rally for his wife Hillary's presidential campaign, was to begin at 6:30. Maya Angelou once spoke at KSU and I arrived to find not a single parking space available for probably a mile. Conveniently I had this Friday off for my birthday, which was Saturday, so I made it to the steps of the Kennesaw State gym by 4:30, two hours early, to avoid a Maya Angelou disappointment. I was told that they were having people sit in the student center to wait and be called to the gym at 6:15, as right now the place was being scoured by Secret Service and the press was setting up.
There were only eight people, including myself, in the student center, and I started worrying Bill's appearance in this most conservative of suburbs (home of Newt Gingrich and Bob Barr, two of his biggest foes in the `90's) was going to be an embarrassment. At 5:15, however, my fellow waiters suddenly ran out the door, and I found I was probably about number 300 in line. That was better than what began developing behind me, a line that stretched at least a quarter-mile, if not more. I felt very fortunate.
Initially I was seated three-quarters back on the floor, but quickly opted for a stadium seat off to the side that was raised and padded, for better viewing and more comfortable butt.
The opening acts came out and tried to ignite their political careers, then the Big Dog was introduced. Immediately a mass squeal went up from the crowd and everyone was on their feet, waving the "Hillary 2008" signs they had been given in line. I pumped my fist as though Iron Maiden was onstage. The whole scene reminded me, wasn't Clinton also called the Rockstar President? Everyone remained standing as he began speaking until he said, "Y'all sit down and relax."
There's been a lot of talk lately that Bill Clinton has spiraled out of control with his angry tirades in public, and had hurt Hillary's campaign; could she reign him in? Watching him Friday night I realized: this man is a Rhodes scholar and graduate of Yale law school. He's not a fool, he's smart enough to know when to check himself. Two black members of the Fulton County government joined bill onstage, and I knew this was a photo op to counter charges Clinton had made "racist comments" against Hillary's opponent, Barack Obama.
"I flew out of Phoenix after the debate last night," Bill said. "I thought Hillary did real well. I thought
he did real well too. In most elections you say, 'I'm voting for this one because if that one wins, I'll just die!' We don't have to say that in this election," he went on, and I was dismayed at his magnanimity.
Listening to him, I found myself thinking, "I wish I had gotten an aisle seat so I could get up to go pee." However I was also thinking I'd never noticed how
country he was. The Clinton that I saw on that night's news that had spoken at the Carter Library later that evening was the more stately Clinton. I appreciate a politician with the savvy to gauge to his audience.
Though putting on the folksy, Clinton detailed many ideas and concepts that kinda went right by me, but I gleaned some of it. Hopefully I'm getting these things right:
He made an unintentional funny that I was sure would make the news. "It's easy to get distracted when you're president," he said, leaving a perfect pause afterward. The crowd froze for a moment, then a ripple of laughter went through the gym. Before the ripple subsided he began speaking again, which made me think that line and the pause afterward were pure, blissful accidents. He should do that line every time, though!
After he stepped from the podium the gym surged towards him and he did the best he could to shake hands and take as many pictures as possible. I was ready to stand there two hours to get a picture. After five or ten minutes, though, he gave us one final wave and disappeared behind the curtain to make his appointment with Jimmy Carter.
An excellent photographer I know got lots of pics (the pic above is not from Friday night), so I'll have those up here as soon as they're available.
Bill Clinton still rules.
* I made this percentage up myself. It was something like that.
Most if not all your points could easily be taken apart one by one. It just goes to show that everyone hears what they want to hear when listening to someone with whom they agree.
Good luck in the elections. I hope my side wins. You'll thank me later.