Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska

Wanda's Diary Entries

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Mr. Clinton came to town night before last—a rare event for a small town like Mount Airy, NC. In fact, the local newspapers reported that never in the town’s history had a president paid a visit. Politics can spin strange, magical moments, and this qualified as one. In less than 48 hours, our community geared up for what in a small town is a major event: hosting a former president on a public stage.

In this buckle of the Bible belt, through the years, I’ve heard a lot of derogatory comments about Bill Clinton … and Hillary. But you wouldn’t know it Tuesday night. The carpet was rolled out lush, thick and red for the former president. Hillary buttons, shirts and signs were everywhere. One read: “I AM Counting on Clinton.”

The venue was the gym of the Mount Airy Middle School. Festooned around the school and gym were patriotic paper garlands, posters and a giant sign covering half the wall reading, “Mayberry Welcomes President Clinton.” The Mount Airy High School band was decked out in its Sunday best and worked hard to put on a show for the hundreds who were willing to wait for a glimpse of this legendary man.

President Clinton did not disappoint. After a brief introduction by State Attorney General Rufus Edmiston and State representative Jim Harrell, the former president took the mike. Over the next 40 minutes, he made the case that his wife was the best qualified candidate for the presidency. Right off the bat, he volunteered that he was Hillary’s “ambassador to rural, small-town America.” Places like Wilkesboro, Elkin and Mount Airy, NC, which are similar to his home town of Hope, Arkansas.

“Hillary is in this race because of people like you and for people like you.” “We are in a fix,” he said. “The economy’s in the tank; we’ve got to restore our position in the world.” He never onced mentioned an opponent, staying consistently positive throughout, emphasizing the “comeback kid” quality of Hillary’s campaign to date. He said that although she was outspent in Pennsylvania by three to one, she won by double digits. Even though the polls say otherwise, it can happen in North Carolina, too, he said.

His Southern accent and comfortable-in-any-setting manner, his engaging eye contact around the room of 1,200 made it easy to see how he’d earned his reputation for both oration and charisma. Something else about his performance was not hard to miss. He did not patronize his audience but laid out the case in specifics for Hillary’s suitability for office (and electability) by offering up proposals on health care, price relief at the pump, jobs creation, education and green industry.

The moment I’ll remember best was effectively self-deprecatory. He related how their daughter Chelsea—who herself is out on the campaign trail—was asked in an interview who would make the better president: her mother or father. She paused for a moment and answered her mother. He said that he fully expected when they spoke privately that she’d tell him that since Hillary was on the ballot and he wasn’t, she had to say that. But instead, he related that Chelsea told him, “I was asked a direct question, and I had to answer it truthfully.” Then Bill added, “You know, she’s right.” Hillary, he said, was the best qualified candidate for president he’d ever supported. He asked directly for our votes.

“Former president dazzles audience,” read the Mount Airy News’ headline the next day. “Politics comes to town… big time,” was the Messenger’s headline. No doubt about it, Bill Clinton picked up some votes for his wife that night in Mount Airy. But even if you weren’t persuaded to vote for Hillary, Bill Clinton gave the best show in town Tuesday night. He delivered his stuff—the stuff of legend.