Watch video coverage of Hillary Clinton's Missoula appearance.“I believe that America is worth fighting for,” she told the crowd, which overflowed the seating in the hangar near Missoula International Airport.
Clinton’s voice was hoarse after a late-night speech Saturday at the Montana Democratic Party’s annual Mansfield-Metcalf dinner in Butte, where Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, also spoke.
The country needs to invest, she said, “in clean coal, something that Gov. (Brian) Schweitzer is advocating.”
She played off the pundits’ analogy of her campaign being like a job interview, while Obama’s is more like a date.
“Who would you hire?” she asked, over and over again, seeking to emphasize her experience over Obama’s.
And she took questions from audience members, who quizzed her on everything from illegal immigration, to the rights of the disabled, to her 2002 vote on a resolution authorizing military action in Iraq.
“At the time, it was a sincere vote,” she said, although she has said repeatedly since that it was one she’s come to regret.
Earlier in her speech, Clinton said that “I think we have to rebuild the trust between our country and our president, which has been broken.” Then she repeated a sentiment that had gotten a big burst of applause the night before, and earned her another one Sunday:
“The whole world is going to breathe a sigh of relief when they fully leave the White House,” she said of President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
About 1,500 people attended Clinton’s speech, which capped several days of highest-ever-profile politicking in Montana. It started a week ago with former President Bill Clinton’s visit to four Montana cities, then kicked into high gear with a full-house Adams Center rally for Obama in Missoula Saturday morning, and the Mansfield-Metcalf event Saturday night. Hillary Clinton held a fundraising brunch in Missoula’s Hilton Garden Inn before the free public event at Neptune Aviation.
Except for the brunch, which was private, Sunday’s talk by Clinton was the most intimate setting of the weekend. The hangar was crowded, but not full, and a long line outside had disappeared a half-hour before she was supposed to speak. As people waited, campaign volunteers filled the time passing out homemade-looking laminated signs to those sitting behind the stage and thus in view of television cameras covering the event.
“Give ’Em Hill,” one sign said.
“Men for Hillary,” another read. “Montana is Clinton Country.” People reached for them eagerly, as well as for the mass-produced generic blue campaign signs that just say “Hillary” in large letters.
Finally, a half-hour after she was scheduled to speak, Clinton took the stage as her signature “Rocky” theme music played. She was accompanied by state Sen. Carol Williams of Missoula, Montana’s first female Senate majority leader, and Missoula County Commis-sioner Jean Curtiss.
Clinton reminded the audience that Montana also elected the nation’s first female state House majority leader and that Missoula County had the first all-female county commission.
And, of course, she mentioned the nation’s first female member of Congress, Jeannette Rankin of Missoula.
“Remember, Jeannette Rankin was elected before women could vote . . . so who says men won’t vote for a woman?” asked Clinton to whoops and cheers.
She already has the vote of Dean Leary, 58, a teacher from Sheridan.
“She’s a fighter. She’ll fight for the common people,” he said.
Leary said he believed Clinton will bring home the troops from Iraq. “Let’s get our soldiers home and start rebuilding this country,” he said.
Indeed, Clinton’s vow during Sunday’s speech that “we must end this war in Iraq. … It is time to bring our sons and daughters home,” drew a standing ovation. A similar pledge from Obama a day earlier also garnered cheers.
Clinton and Obama are locked in a close competition for Democratic delegates - even the 17 from Montana - ahead of the party’s national convention in Denver in August. Montana and South Dakota hold the last two Democratic primaries in the country, on June 3.
Several people who came to Clinton’s event Sunday said they were still trying to make up their mind between the two, and that the weekend’s events afforded them a heretofore-unimaginable opportunity to see both in person.
Brenda Finley, 48, of Evaro, and her two daughters, Stephanie and Sarah, stood in line for four hours Saturday to see Obama, then another two hours Sunday morning to see Clinton.
“I want to hear what she’s all about,” said Brenda Finley. No matter who she votes for, she said, she was thrilled with the opportunity to bring both of her daughters to see a female presidential candidate.
Likewise, Rachel Price of Stevensville came to the event with her mother. But unlike Finley’s daughters, Price, age 10, is too young to vote. But she wishes she could, and she wishes even more that she could vote for Clinton.
“If kids could vote, I would vote for her five million times,” Price said wistfully.
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