I heard Bill Clinton speak tonight

[xmas74]

at a commencement for a nearby university. He spoke about bin Laden, about Kyoto, about the CCI (the reason he was at the university was because of CCI). He also spoke quite a bit about the economy. Without going into his speech it was very good.

What makes this interesting to note is that this is a very conservative area. Most of the voters proudly vote Republican and I know of a decent number of people who really are proud to be with the Tea Party. During the speech people applauded and cheered every time he mentioned something about the environment or about the economy. One of the people sitting behind me, someone who I know is a proud Repub voter, made the comment about how they were "better off" before the days of W. Another made a comment about how this state needed to be more "purple than red".

I know many here don't think that's enough but what I saw tonight is a start. The tide is turning and people are tired of the same Republicans they've elected around here. People listened to what he had to say and nodded in agreement while making comments about how they are always better off with a few more Dems around. This is what we need out here to make a turn around.

[Frances]

1. I was better off under Clinton

I always liked most of the man's policies. He was so smart and such a good communicator.

Of course, I like Obama too. Obama is also smart and a good communicator.

Both men are very resilient.

[xmas74]

8. I did well for myself under Clinton.

I had a decent state job and actually had spending money to do things on occasion.

I take it quite a few in the audience felt the same way.

[Habibi]

11. I did well too.

But, in my case, it was due to W2K. Don't know how much Clinton had to do with that.

[emilyg]

19. Same here.

[Rageneau]

23. I miss Bill.

When he was President, everyone had a good job, gas was 99 cents a gallon, none of our soldiers were dying and the future looked good.

Too bad his own party wouldn't support him when the MSM and the GOP were attacking him, (see: Gore, Lieberman) and too bad he and his wife turned out to be such racists (see: Axelrod, Olberman et al).

[Ilsa]

2. I hope you're right. I hope they were all red turning purple and blue.

But I wonder if, given the locale, you were hearing the voices of too many academicians and state employees who are typically blue to start with.

[xmas74]

6. Nope.

The academics and employees were in a reserved section. I sat in the public section. This was the section where the general public and the families of the graduates were sitting. They were the loudest during the speech-lots of cheering for him.

My area is red-really red. If it begins to turn others will follow.

[MrsBrady]

3. I heard him campaigning for Hillary

he was wonderful.

I love both Obama and Hillary. Bill is awesome.

[xmas74]

9. He sounded great.

He knew exactly what to say to get the crowd whipped up. He even made cracks about the differences between Missouri and Arkansas and jokes about how no one in NYC had ever heard of where he was speaking.

[MrsBrady]

12. I got his autograph...

awesome...

he's so good with a crowd. to see him in person makes you realize just how good he is/was.
why he could become president.

I would love to see Hillary.
I was going to see her, but when the motorbike cop fell from his bike and was killed, she cancelled her campaign stop in Fort Worth. sad day. :(

[gateley]

22. My friend's sister-in-law owns some hot restaurant in

Sydney and he went there on an Australia visit a few years back. She said you could just FEEL his power when he walked in the door. She had her pic taken w/him -- she looks like she's on the verge of fainting. :7

[elleng]

4. VERY good to hear, x.

:thumbsup:

My concern and hope now, that Dems will take serious action against voting/ballot problems, on which I suspect rover+ will spend a lot of energy.

[xmas74]

10. It's a huge problem.

I know that tonight he had the audience in the palm of his hand and that those who voted Repub in the past were reconsidering.

[Liquorice]

5. Bill Clinton gives great speeches. I got to go see him when he came to my

city in 2008. He was wonderful.

I hope you're right and the tide is turning, but I think the right wing will always be around and as ignorant as ever.

[xmas74]

7. Oh they'll always be around

but the voices in the stands where I was sitting were of the working people who showed up for some free entertainment or to root for their college graduate. I read somewhere that this state college has a large percentage of students who are first generation to attend college so most in the stands would be very blue collar.

It was the blue collar rooting for him all the way-the same who we've lost in the past.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. I saw he was going to be there and wondered if you would get to hear him

Clinton is a fantastic public speaker. Glad you got to go!

[xmas74]

15. I was able to get a ticket at the last possible minute.

I took a friend along and she was impressed. She said she understood exactly how he became a two term president after hearing him speak.

[aquart]

14. You could be very right.

I knew more than a year in advance that Bush I wasn't getting re-elected. I was heading into Manhattan on the LIRR Port Washington Line, full of Nassau County citizens, a Republican stronghold. Got into a silly argument about Viet Nam with someone who was probably drunk and my clincher (for reasons I recall not) was to say quite loudly (I swear I was sober) "The difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats take with one hand and give with the other, but Republicans steal with both hands!"

And the car applauded. A train car full of Republican county residents APPLAUDED. One of the two most shocking moments of my life.

[xmas74]

16. This is an area that has been hit very hard by the recession.

Let's also add on that Republican lawmakers in my state want to turn this into a total right to work state, want to fight minimum wage legislation, and are trying to totally revoke child labor laws. They are also attacking collective bargaining rights in my state and are overall trying to break the few unions left in this state.

The people of Missouri are spitting mad and are ready to fight.

[aquart]

17. They better be.

Because the other side has all the money.

[xmas74]

18. Yes, they do have all the money.

I just hope that everyone is mad enough to not listen to the other side.

[aquart]

27. Me, too.

[center rising]

20. The Big Dawg still packs them in

[xmas74]

21. And he certainly did.

The audience response in this conservative town was very good.

[Horse with no Name]

24. Say what you will

I saw Clinton speak in a very red, very conservative area and people loved him.

[xmas74]

30. Exactly.

And this is a red, conservative area.

I'm a liberal and I'm proud of it. The problem is that doesn't play well around my neck of the woods. If we can get someone who isn't a tea party favorite to pack them in we're doing well. It shows them other points of view from what they normally think.

There were many in the audience agreeing with him, especially when he spoke about global warming.

[Beacool]

25. Bill is not only a great speaker,

but he also has the ability to expand on the most difficult issues in terms that everyone can understand. He has a brilliant mind, but speaks in terms that are understandable to the average person without coming off as condescending. He is still the best politician of his generation and the one president who I wish was still in office, personal flaws and all. As for the Republicans, many are now reevaluating how they felt about Clinton and have realized that times were good under his tutelage. His 8 years saw the best economy in over 40 years.

Looking around and seeing so much misery, millions unemployed or underemployed, high food prices and even higher gasoline prices, I wish that it was still the Clinton era.

:)

[xmas74]

31. I heard lots of that kind of talk last night

from the audience-lots of wishful thinking.

He spoke about global warming and climate change and the audience, who would normally argue back about there being "no global warming" (I know these people-they don't usually go for any "tree hugging hippie crap") were nodding their heads in agreement.

[Beacool]

35. Yep, and they almost hounded the man out of office.

The average Republicans (not the Freeper types) would give their eyetooth to have Bill back if we could also get back the economy we had when he was president. Imagine what he and his administration could have accomplished if he, his wife and staffers didn't have a special prosecutor up their backside for over 5 years. And all for what, to impeach him for lying about a private sex matter? When I think back to those times the whole thing makes me sick all over again.

x(

[GSLevel9]

26. the 90's ROOOOOCCCKKKKEEDDDD!!!!!!! nt

[xmas74]

34. The 90's were great for me. nt

[upi402]

28. He's a phony lying corporatist. Sorry you were subjected to it. n/t

[xmas74]

33. I'm not.

We don't get that many people around here. And though you may not like him others did.

He spoke about global warming and climate changes in a way that had the audience nodding their heads in agreement about how changes needed to be made. He did this by speaking not only of places far away from them but then relayed it to places very close (such as the levees and the recent flooding in Poplar Bluff, MO.) He spoke about our flooding problems in the years 1993-1995 and said that we were all told that it was a hundred year flood yet today we're having an epic five hundred year flood. People were easily able to understand what he was saying and were able to connect the dots.

Sometimes you don't have to like the messenger in order to appreciate the message. If he can get the message out to this very red area, more power to him.

[hfojvt]

29. I wondered if you saw him

He spoke at Washington Days in Topeka about four or five years ago, but I never got a ticket. I wasn't really interested in paying $125 to hear him speak, but this year I sorta got roped into paying to hear Senator McCaskill speak.

[xmas74]

32. He was free here.

The general public tickets were first come, first serve. I knew someone with the International Student Organization on campus and was able to get two tickets at the last possible minute. (The ISO was given a large block of tickets and a couple of members were sweet enough to pass them on. They're good boys and I'll be making them a thank you cake this weekend!)

I've heard McCaskill speak a number of times. I campaigned for her a few years ago, though sometimes I'm sorry I did. She hasn't exactly held up to her promises and has had some nasty things to say about state employees.