Clinton Discusses Her Internal Struggle Over BBQ
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- In her final North Carolina appearances Hillary Clinton focused on drawing contrasts with Barack Obama, primarily over her policies on gas prices, health care and the housing crunch. But with the election so close, Clinton guarded every word, being careful not say anything that could cost her any votes here, instead, Clinton found solace in the one thing most North Carolinians can agree on, how much they like barbeque.
"The only question, the only question I will not answer is 'Which is the best barbeque?'" Clinton asked the crowd, drawing laughter. Her question left some in the traveling press scratching their heads (she certainly didn't respond to questions over what flavor Dairy Queen ice cream she was eating at a stop in Indiana yesterday).
"I've made plenty of mistakes in my life and I'm not walking into that one!" Clinton said of the heated BBQ debate.
"For a while I was a little worried," Clinton admitted, "because every sighting of my husband was going into or coming out of a barbeque joint and I said 'Oooh, I hope the cardiologist doesn't read that.'" It is unclear how many stops the former president has made to barbeque locations during his visits to the state.
During her campaign in North Carolina, Clinton has oftentimes adopted a southern twang to accompany her Midwestern accent, she also refrains from telling stories of her Midwestern upbringing. Clinton didn't mention how she was born in Chicago and raised with "Midwestern values," a line she uses almost daily in the other May 6 state, Indiana.
Clinton spoke under a covered train depot in the small town of High Point at her final rally. She said, "I love being in a train station," but moments later a large freight train stormed through the depot making it difficult for the several hundred people at the station to hear Clinton speak. Her speech was later interrupted by another passing train and a track repair car.
A win for Clinton in North Carolina is a long shot, although some polls show her within single-digits of Barack Obama. And her last minute visit to this state shows the campaign has confidence that a win or a close loss is possible. There's no doubt that a win here would be a huge victory for Clinton and her campaign.