X-Envelope-to: politics@ohstvma.bitnet
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.politics
Date:         Mon, 5 Oct 1992 14:38:00 EST
From:         JCOCURUL@DREW.BITNET
Subject:      Bill Clinton at Drew University
Comments: To: politics@ohstvma.bitnet

    Someone said that the cosponsper of the tax plan set out by Sam
Nunn was Dennis Deconcini.  Jamie said the other guy was a Republican.
Dennis is a Democrat, so someone's wrong here.  A sizable post that
examines the plan in some detail would be helpful.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Last Wednesday, Bill Clinton came to my university (Drew) to give
a campaign speech on the way to a fundraiser he attended that night.
The occasion was somewhat ironical; he wanted to hold a rally at
Morristown Airport (NJ), but at the last minute found out that they
wouldn't allow him to do it.  So, since Drew University was on his
way, nearby, and since he was previously invited there, it would be a
good place to hold the rally.  In addition, Thomas Kean is our college
president, and they had amicable relations from the time when Kean was
governor of New Jersey.  Though Kean is the head of Bush's
election campaign in NJ, he has good words about Clinton (may be one of
the few people who said we have good choices), and didn't mind letting
him speak at Drew -- while he was at Newark at a Bush rally (who spent
much time ranting about Gov. Florio, who was at our rally too).  It's
nice to know there is honor in politics to some extent.

    Anyhow, since another list member spoke about a Gore rally, I felt
a quick look at a Clinton rally/speech would be of some use.  The
first thing to remember is that times aren't exact -- I stood for an
hour in cool weather waiting for Clinton, and others including some
local t.v. newspeople waited longer (we found out about the speech in
the morning of the day of it).  The Bush contingent was few in number,
the total numbers of all of us being 1000 according to one paper
(shots of Clinton at Drew was shown in most reports of the day
including the New York Times; our university is getting a lot of press
these days).  Clinton is also touchy about Republican heckling, and a
bit harshly imho criticized it.
     The speech was a twenty minute affair, after our college was
introduced/a welcome letter from Kean was read/and Florio introduced
him.  I don't recall all of the speech, but I wrote down some thoughts
that rose in my mind soon afterwards.  First, he mentioned the
debates, and said why don't he and Bush face off on Larry King Live
(Bush was on yesterday, Clinton-Gore today), and noted that Bush's
proposed 4 Sunday debate style conflicted with sporting events
(baseball esp.).  He commented on how Bush isn't saying much about the
future of this country but instead had far right views in the
convention and makes comments about "my wife".  He centered his speech
on his domestic views: to use the gov't to fix the country esp. in
education [audience member: how do we pay for this?] funded partly by
government service -- individuals help society [audience member
liked this].  He derided George Bush's sentiment that we can do worse
vs. his idea that we can do better.  He ended with a look at history
from the Revolution to the Depression in which many felt we wouldn't
change, but we did for the better.
     It was an uplifting speech and the response was generally
favorable though various people didn't believe he could pay for all
of this.  The idea that Republicans are talking about spending a lot
of money esp. by tax cuts should raise similar questions.  At any
rate, I think that Clinton had a clear message that aimed for our
hopes and dreams.  It was a nice experience to have Clinton here, and
I hope I can say that I was a at a speech for the 42nd president of
the United States.

    -Joe
















this].  He ended with a statement of faith in this country, and
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