Hillary gets boost from Bill in Southeast Ohio
By Jackie Zimmermann, Staff Writer
February 27, 2008 | 11:38 p.m.
By 2:15 p.m., the line to see Bill Clinton speak was at least two across and reached from the Athens Community Center to Ponderosa. At 2:20 p.m., it inched forward as everyone filed inside, armed with signs and ready to push their way to the stage.
The main event started around 3:30 p.m. As soon as his entrance was announced, the venue erupted with applause and screams. While the atmosphere was nothing less than one would find at a rock concert, it was not a legendary rock star gracing the stage: It was the former president.
After stopping in Chillicothe and Portsmouth, the former president spoke to a crowded Athens Community Center on Monday on behalf of his wife. Using his notorious charm and easy wit, Clinton covered Hillary’s stances on education, health care, international relations and environmental concerns.
Clinton warned the supporters that it is often easy to forget about certain constituents when elected president but guaranteed that his wife would stay true to her values and never forget that she is simply the most “important hired-hand” in the country. He boasted about her commitment to public service and her accomplishments as a New York senator.
The crowd, a mix of college students and Athens residents, was a combination of true Hillary supporters and those that just wanted to see the former president in action. Regardless of their motivation, the onlookers were responsive to Clinton’s speech, and cheered enthusiastically for many of his wife’s political stances.
With the Ohio primaries less than a week away, both Democratic candidates have been hitting the campaign trail hard in order to win this influential state. Michelle Obama will also be making an appearance Thursday, Feb. 28, at 3 p.m. in Ohio University’s Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. The event is open and free to the public.
---