‘It’s time we had a mom as a president’: Bill Clinton’s rally in New York state
‘You ought to vote for the best candidate. It is clearly Hillary’
Welcome to The Tab Cornell’s live blog from Bill Clinton’s New York State speech for Hillary. Stay tuned for updates as they happen from Rochester.
7pm – Bill heads downstairs to the overflow room
He says: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her happier in my life, when she was a senator for upstate New York. Every night, there were 10 new stories, and everything like, ‘this is what we’re going to do.’
“And that’s what America needs now, somebody that has an upbeat spirit and tries to make good things happen. We’ve been gridlocked long enough.
“I think personally, as I’ve said a thousand times, the President has done a much better job than he gets credit for. Because they have tried to derail and derail and derail him. But we’re now at a point where we can push change.”
Bill says: “Her plan for regulating Wall Street going forward is for the best. We have to get a hold of these hedge funds and individual billionaires.”
6.43pm – Join the queue for selfies
6.41pm – Bill finishes to applause
We weren’t born to follow by Bon Jovi plays him out.
A final quote that stands out: “Stop complaining…stop blaming. What are we going to do? That’s the kind of leader America needs now.”
6.03pm onwards – Bill’s speech
Here are some key points:
Brought an Econ major with me. He looks like he’s going to cry listening to Bill’s assertion that students could get a small business loan.
“There are too many young Americans that are in jail for too long for non-violent offenses.”
Someone just collapsed in the front – that’s how hot it is down below.
Policeman helped her up and escorted her out – she’s OK. A lot of elderly supporters seem to have exited a while prior.
“Sometimes I just replay that scene on my TiVo from the Florida Republican debate when Trump, Rubio, and Cruz are all calling each other liars at the same time.” He says it sounded like a rap song.
“If you believe we can all rise together, you ought to vote for the best candidate. It is clearly Hillary.”
The crowd is loving it.
“I am telling you, and I believe it with all my heart, we are this close to having the kind of explosive, shared prosperity that we had in the 1990s, where we can all rise together.
“If you believe that, we first of all have to elect a President whose vision is shared prosperity. Where the community works for the struggling, the striving, and the successful, where we all rise together.”
“Someone came to me and asked what great new ideas I brought to Washington. I said, ‘Arithmetic’.”
He’s now quoting Yeats: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” and “Too long a sacrifice/Can make a stone of the heart.”
“Too long a sacrifice will make a stone of the heart.”
“Half of the people in the country are living on the same pay they got when I was president if you adjust for inflation.”
“I’m here to plead with you to get a big turnout.”
“I’m here because Hillary needs your help.”
5.59pm – BILL CLINTON TAKES THE STAGE
He’s coming on to the tune of Pharrell’s Happy. People are shouting: “I love you Bill!”
5.54pm – Congresswoman Louise Slaughter now takes the mic
Speaking about Hillary, Congresswoman Slaughter says: “We have a democratic candidate – the best candidate – who knows every foreign leader by their first name.” Nice one, Louise.
5.50pm – Mayor Lovely Warren takes the stage
“We have a partner in the federal government who is proud to continue President Obama’s legacy.
“The FIRST female mayor of Rochester is endorsing Hillary Clinton for the FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!”
The mayor is shouting into her mic and the room is pumped. Bring on Bill.
5.46pm – We’ve started
The Monroe Co Democrat Chairwoman, Jamie Romeo has started introducing Bill.
She says: “It’s time we had a mom as a President.”
5.41pm – Still waiting on the speech
The heat is on.
5.36pm – Bill is in the building
5.35pm – Still no sign of Bill
Some great sideburns though.
The union is packed out:
5.14pm – Waiting for Bill to speak
4.51pm – We found the only Bernie supporters at a Hillary rally
Meet Scott and Sam Little of Rochester.
4.46pm – Outside the union
The doors are opening at the Laborers Union in Rochester. Bill to speak at 5.30pm.
4.33pm – On the way to Rochester