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Having missed several opportunities to see President William Jefferson Clinton over the years, I was not going to make that same mistake again! What can I say, Bill and I have not been able to sync our schedules. BUT–this time I managed to make it the Pack Square Park in Downtown Asheville, North Carolina with camera in hand to record the event!
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Mr. Clinton came to the area to help Democratic incumbent Heath Shuler retain his hold on his Senate seat in the 11th district of North Carolina against Republican challenger Jeff Miller. Weathering the wind and sun was not really an arduous task as several thousand supporters waited since 8 a.m. to see the former President. The real test of endurance was waiting for the notoriously late President to make his appearance (his plane came in late according to reports). Several times over the crowd was promised that the President would be out any moment, but alas, we were instead treated to several rounds of sing-a-longs lead by our elected officials (Woody Guthrie’s This land is your land—kitsch, but effective!) as well as several encores by local favorite Kat Williams who sang the National Anthem. Kat’s rather inspiring acapella rendition of Stand By Me made up for the long wait. Kat really was quite the pro in handling the rather impatient crowd (chants of “Bill, Bill!” permeated the air). Her improvised banter bordered on standup comedy (Kat as a write in?!). Overall, the initial proceedings were a test of a crowd’s patience and tolerance worthy of 70’s icon Andy Kaufman!
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At one point after the pledge of allegiance, the larger than life U.S. flag that hung in the background tumbled to the ground. Okay, the words “that’s not good” ran through my head as if witnessing the onset of some bad omen. But the rally continued without a hitch. And once Clinton did make the stage (around 2 p.m.), as hoped the event delivered on its promise.
Yes, Mr. Clinton came to aid a candidate who has some tough competition this year; let’s not gloss over that fact! But the crowd was in a positive mood. Families came; some children seemed in awe of a historical President who was in office before they were even born. Overall, the crowd was very attentive to the message being delivered. Clinton expressed what I felt to be genuine concern for the economy and the future of education in this country. Several times he stressed the importance of furthering one’s education and staying in school—maintaining that commitment! You didn’t really get a sense of hatred towards conservatives from the largely Democratic crowd, but rather an understanding that the new paradigm shift in the Nation’s consciousness must be well nurtured and allowed to develop. And most importantly, not to prematurely abandoned new ideas based on fear of an uncertain future and a misguided adherence to comfortable notions of the past. This goes for both political camps.
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All images © Joe Longobardi. All Rights Reserved. joelongobardiphotography.com/