Sen. Hillary Clinton faced some hard questions about the tone of the Democratic primary campaign and her experience making tough decisions during a campaign stop at South Eugene High School Saturday.
A young man who identified himself as a Barack Obama supporter told Clinton it had been “hard to be a Democrat” recently. He said he worried about the future of the party and asked if she regretted any comments she or her surrogates had made about Obama.
Clinton thanked the man for coming and told him, “I obviously see it differently.” She said the campaign has been civil.
“I have to tell you that there have even been some things said about me. I don’t take any of it personally, and I don’t take most of it seriously,” she said. “If you can’t take the heat, don’t run for president, because it’s a very hot kitchen in the White House.”
Another man asked Clinton about her “3 a.m.” ads that portray her as the only candidate ready to deal with a crisis in the middle of the night. The man mentioned her votes to authorize force against Iraq and in support of No Child Left Behind and asked Clinton to list times she made politically unpopular decisions.
Clinton said the votes of legislators were different from the decisions of presidents. She also said that her 2002 vote was not a vote for war, and blamed President George Bush for not sending weapons inspectors into Iraq. Saddam Hussein’s regime would have collapsed when no weapons were found, Clinton said.
“I didn’t make a speech. I made a decision,” Clinton said in reference to Obama’s now-famous speech against the war as an Illinois legislator.
The high school gymnasium, which seats roughly 2,500 people, was near capacity. Most of those in attendance were either much older or younger than the 10,000 college students who filled McArthur Court to see Obama two weeks ago.
At Mac Court, hip hop music blasted and students danced while awaiting the candidate. At South Eugene High, silver-haired attendees and small children sat on folding chairs while easy listening and country songs played. A “South Cheerleaders for Hillary” banner hung from the bleachers.
The event had a town hall feeling, with Clinton taking questions from the audience, some without the aid of a microphone.
Many high school students attended the event, though not all of them will be old enough to vote in the Oregon’s May 20 primary or in the November general election.
South Eugene senior Joe Connolly said he likes Clinton, but isn’t sure if he will vote for her. He said he was looking to see if Clinton “has that same kind of inspiration” Obama had when Connolly and his friends saw him at Mac Court.
Max Gordon, also a senior at South Eugene, said he was unimpressed by the substance of Obama’s speech. “He didn’t say anything about the issues. It was just him talking. He was like, ‘I like schools.’”
That’s a hard sentiment to disagree with, Gordon said, and Hillary’s appearance at a public high school shows she cares about schools too.
Clinton was joined on stage by Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Rep. Darlene Hooley, two prominent Oregon Democrats who have endorsed her. Secretary of State Bill Bradbury and Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy were also in attendance.
“There is no doubt among any of any of us,” Kulongoski said, “that she is the smartest and most experienced candidate in either party.” He said Clinton’s experience was not only from her public life, but also “life experience that serves the working people in this state and in this country.”
Hooley said Clinton would change the direction of the country, after “the disaster of the Bush administration.”
Most of Clinton’s speech dealt with bread and butter issues of interest to lower-income voters who have been among her most reliable supporters in earlier primaries. Clinton spoke about improving access to health care and making it more affordable, as well as creating jobs by improving the nation’s infrastructure.
“The people who built America should be asked to rebuild America,” she said.
Clinton also spoke about fighting global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, raising vehicle fuel efficiency and creating alternative sources of energy.
“Yes, even Oregon can do solar power. I’m convinced of that,” she said to laughs.
She also spoke about parity of health coverage for mental illness and lowering interest rates on federal loans for higher education. Clinton said she would increase Pell grants and scrap Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms.
“She actually talked about stuff,” Gordon said after the speech. He said he liked that Clinton answered questions on a variety of topics, and “wasn’t just repeating a speech over and over.”
Loreina Depompeo, 36, said Clinton was “very impressive.” Though she is leaning toward Obama, she said she liked Clinton’s answer about her Iraq war vote.
“She really educated me on how she made a decision when times were uncertain,” Depompeo said. “It changed my outlook on her voting ‘for the war.’”
The next Democratic primary will be in Pennsylvania April 22. April 29 is the last day to register for the Oregon primary.
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