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Gov. Bill Clinton rallies campaign
support in Piedmont Triad Area
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PERSPECTIVES
FIRST PERSON
Photo by Sara Karpenske for College Relations
September 4,1992
By Sarah Dings
Yesterday I stood in the midst of 3500
other people who all agreed on the same
thing. Triad International airport hosted
the rally for Governor Bill Clinton,
America's democratic hope for the presi
dency.
The rally contained the excitement of a
football game, only the fans were not di
vided. Well, I did see three lone men—
Bush/Quayle signs tight in hand—wander
ing forlornly through through the mass of
people. Freedom of speech was upheld and
disturbances were minimal.
Sometimes it takes a foreign perspective
to make an American realize the beauty of
his or her political system. For example, an
elderly British man visiting North Carolina
gestured to two men standing in silence
beside one another- one holding a Bush
sign and the other wearing a Clinton shirt.
The British man said, "Back home in
England, as a Conservative, I wouldn't
consider even living on the same street as a
Socialist, never mind standing next to him!"
Elsewhere in the crowd, people were
saying exactly what they felt. One man
held a sign saying, "A Woman Who Votes
For Bush Is Like A Chicken Who Votes for
Colonel Sanders."
One sign B ill Clinton himself commented
on read, "Working Women for Hillary's
Husband." I also saw signs reading "Hillary,
Marry Me!"
A schmuck for political speeches, I was
energized by Governor Clinton's vision.
He said that he planned to move the country
"forward, not to the left or to the right."
This remark was probably a response to the
media who try to depict him as a fanatic
radical. You know, the kind who actually
"allows" his wife to be a lawyer.
Clinton spoke to the predominantly col
lege-aged crowd when he called for more
affordable tuitions and more jobs for gradu
ates. He spoke to the women in the audi
ence when he reinforced his stand on the
pro-choice issue.
He spoke to everyone when he said that
he intended to get Americans motivated to
rejoin the world economy.
People were packing themselves closer
to the platform and were craning their necks
so that they could see at least a sliver of Bill
Clinton on the stage.
I heard a little boy complaining that he
could not see. The tall guy standing next to
me let him climb up on his shoulders. The
boy's mother turned to her son to ask what
he could see.
Other upturned faces questioned the child
about what he could see from his high
perch. The questioning was symbolic; the
elders were turning to the young to help
them see the events happening before them.
As environmental awareness, progress
to aid an ailing economy, and improve
ments in health care were spoken of, it
became obvious to the crowd that these
were issues affecting young and old, issues
upon which everyone's life would depend.
And yes, 1 did get to shake Bill Clinton's
hand.