Bill Clinton Campaigns For Hillary In Oregon

This story was written by Anneke Tucker, OSU Daily Barometer

Bill Clinton, former president of the United States, spoke at Lincoln Elementary School in the back of a Ford F350 in south Corvallis Monday evening. High school and college students, teachers, young children and Hillary Clinton supporters all turned out to watch the former president campaign for his wife.

Some supporters waited hours to get into the event, including some high school students who waited as long as an hour and 45 minutes, on their feet.

"It's just exciting to see someone that is famous and hear what he has to say," said Reva Gillman, a student at Corvallis High School who attended the event.

The crowd was excited, and after the jostling for position and several small mishaps - including a man who suffered a direct hit to the head from a flying orange - the show began.

Oregon House Representative Sara Gelser (D-OR) introduced Clinton after leading the crowd in shouts of support for Hillary. Clinton responded to their welcome by thanking them for their support in his years as president, and then he turned his focus to the candidate, his wife.

Clinton discussed Hillary's different stances on issues and then pointed out that she had won votes on her campaign trail in the states where "people who needed a president voted for her," Clinton said.

Some of the main issues and platforms he covered were Hillary's take on health care, renewable energy and greenhouse emissions, credit card interest rates, biofuel, stem cell research, global warming research and education.

Octavio Merecias, a graduate student in Latin affairs and a veteran of Clinton campaign rallies, said he enjoyed listening to the former president.

"He is a smart, very well spoken and an intelligent person - not a republican or democrat, but person."

Clinton spoke about Hillary's major plans for education, which included doubling tuition tax credits, increasing Pell Grants and making loans more affordable for students.

"Hillary says, 'I believe in you, we need you, get an education and we will make it possible for you to stay there,'" Clinton said.

Clinton ended the rally by giving examples of how Hillary was going to make a difference in the nation and a difference in Oregon.

"She's the best change-maker I've ever known," he said.

"She works hard," Merecias said. "There are a lot of issues out there."

The final day for voting in Oregon is Tuesday, May 20. Voters can mail their ballots or turn them to the dropbox in The Valley Library.