Mid to late Friday afternoon, on March 7, 2008, Hillary Clinton spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of hundreds at Laramie County Community College (LCCC) in Cheyenne, Wyoming, before many who arrived hours earlier just to get a seat in the campus gymnasium. The partisan supporters of Hillary Clinton and the politically curious like myself got a chance to hear this Democratic candidate for President of the United States, who is trailing Barack Obama in the delegate count currently. With Wyoming’s 12 delegates up for grabs in such a close tight race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, both candidates have taken time in their schedule to visit my home state the past couple of days leading up to the March 8 caucus in my state.
I couldn’t bring anything into the gym except my wallet and camera. Security went over me front and back with a wand and hand patted me down, too, before I could enter. The LCCC gym was dimly lit except for the stage area. Because I’m just under six feet tall, I was able to catch a good look at Mrs. Clinton even though I was probably 75 feet away from her in the standing room area. Still, I had to stand on my tippy toes to see her over the onlookers.
Hillary Clinton started late, yet I must admit that even though I’m not a fan of her, she does give a good speech and speaks with conviction and lots of energy. She said that Bill and Chelsea had a great time in Wyoming Thursday (March 6, 2008). One woman who attended the rally said, “She’s a politician, she can talk.” I think that she looks better in person than she does on television. Hillary Clinton even spoke to the Cheyenne, Wyoming crowd about how one of her early jobs of cleaning fish in the state of Alaska was rather messy.
Some Other Highlights Of Clinton’s Talk A Day Before The Wyoming Caucus
Clinton criticized the Bush Administration’s policy on tax cuts for the rich, and said that when her husband left office, there was a budget surplus. Despite being behind schedule, and being scheduled to speak at a rally in Casper, Wyoming early Friday night (more than 180 miles away from Cheyenne, Wyoming in the middle of the state), she took many questions from the crowd. Her numerous partisans cheered her every answer and attack on George W. Bush’s administration. For instance, a woman asked Mrs. Clinton about how she would handle the plight of the Katrina victims. The New York Senator criticized the Bush Administration’s handling of the New Orleans tragedy, and said that as president, she’d get a daily accounting from the person who would oversee the efforts to manage the situation down there. Mrs. Clinton also said that she’s done work for Wyoming via the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and also wants to see health care records made more simplified.
Another person told me that she was glad that politicians like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have taken the time to come to Wyoming before the caucus, even though she was disappointed that Barack Obama isn’t scheduled to be in Cheyenne before the Wyoming Caucus.