Hillary Makes a Conference Call to 2,000
1. It was a mother and daughter date of historic proportions. My friend Mara and her young daughter Kyla (pictured) attended Sunday’s pre-primary rally for Hillary Clinton, our country’s first female presidential candidate who has a chance of getting the Democratic nomination.
2. A crowd of nearly 2,000 took an hour to slowly file into Patrick Henry High School. Everyone was pumped and all eyes were on the empty stool in the front of the gym where Hillary would speak from. But then the event MC, who had previously been conducting a Hillary Trivia Quiz and passing out Hillary T-shirts, announced the bad news twenty minutes before she was due for her 5 p.m. appearance. Due to brush fires caused by high winds, her plane was not able to land at the Roanoke airport.
3. As far as the rally went, candidate Hillary had to concede to a higher authority: Mother Nature. The consolation for the disappointed crowd and the woman in the bleaches behind me who had been there since 9 a.m. was a speaker phone call from Hillary. She apologized for not being there and reported that her husband Bill would be speaking on her behalf at the same venue the following evening.
4. I had a contingency plan to spend the night with my son Dylan and his wife Alexis after the rally, so I could attend the Obama rally at the Roanoke’s Jefferson Center the next morning. But besides the fact that the wind was uprooting trees and blowing over traffic signs, I heard that Obama’s rally tickets sold out in ten minutes, so I headed back up the mountain and prepared for a night in front of the TV watching the Grammies. I learned later that night that Obama cancelled his Roanoke appearance too.
Post Note: You can listen in on Hillary’s conference call, see Mara’s Hillary the Riveter button and Kyla’s pink “Hillary Rocks” button HERE. Whenever I get confused about who I’m going to vote for in the Virginia primary I watch THIS.
February 11th, 2008 3:35 am
Mother nature maybe did a good work here, you never know !
February 11th, 2008 8:14 am
Margaret Chase Smith, (Rep, Main) entered the race in 1964. I want a woman to be president, but not just because she is a woman. If Clinton gets the nomination, I am not sure she will have much of a chance. Obama probably has a better chance – not because of politics, but because he is much more likable.
February 11th, 2008 8:51 am
I’m getting very worried about this election- the Obamaa express is running fast and can he get things done??Hillary has detractors and big ones, and another war monger no thank you – your thoughts??
February 11th, 2008 9:16 am
I’m more of an Obama fan myself BUT as the race draws closer I worry and wonder if Hillary might be better at matching experience with McCain. Her baggage is already known but Obama’s is not. I’ve been swayed by the fact that Obama was against the war from the start, but if he had to vote one way or the other, how would he have voted? I had hoped to hear them both and get more clear but that didn’t happen. Our primaries are tomorrow and I’m still confused and that probably reflects the rest of the country and why the race is so close. I’ve heard that Republicans would rather see Obama win because they don’t want to go up against the “Clinton machine,” and I’m thinking maybe we’re going to need that machine. I hope others will comment on this.
February 11th, 2008 11:58 am
I like that you’d go to both. Too bad nature cancelled out both. Is there a third runner coming too?
February 11th, 2008 12:06 pm
The Republican candidates have been scheduled to speak in Richmond VA and Lynchburg VA, too far to drive for us. Roanoke is only an hour from Floyd and these two (Clinton and Obama) are the two I wanted to see.
And by the way, since I wrote the comment two up, I’m back on the Obama bandwagon again. Just watch the 60 Minutes video I posted on the front page and you’ll know why.
February 11th, 2008 8:01 pm
I really wanted to see Obama too. Those darn winds. I am still sorry about your mess. I imagine if your yard is like ours the outside isn’t looking so good either.
BTW..I actually thought of Mara and your post when Martin begged to go out and get on the stage! Maybe they could do some kind of song and dance? If she can’t sing or dance any better than Martin though they are going to be in real trouble.
February 12th, 2008 6:37 am
My vote was cast a few weeks ago but I keep going back and forth as to who I want to get the nomination. I can make arguments for each as to who can best win in November, and too, who’s best for the job we need done. More and more though, I’m leaning to Obama – inspiration, vs Clinton – perspiration. Obama has awakened something in us that’s been quiet for so long, and in doing that, I think he’ll be more successful in changing our course…not that Hillary wouldn’t try.
February 12th, 2008 10:21 am
It’s all very simple my friends. It’s “I have a dream vs I have a plan” Nuff said.
Hillary gets my vote.
Obama has never been tested by the GOP machine. Whining and pulling out the race card only goes so far.