The front lawn of Elon University’s oldest building saw a crowd never seen in the last decade, all gathering in anticipation of a special guest.
William Jefferson Clinton dropped by this small town with a population of 5000 to rally for the Clinton campaign.
The sight in front Alamance building was akin to a circus. The road was cordoned off, broadcasting vehicles were parked along the road, with satellite dishes all set up and ready to beam the glory of Elon to around the country.
The last time Elon saw such a crowd was in 1992, when Clinton came along with Al Gore to jostle for votes against George Bush Sr. Not many who has witnessed that sight were here today, less for faculty, staff members and nearby residents who affiliated with the college since long ago.
I was telling someone, that I almost forgot how a crowd looked like until today. It seemed like the whole town was here to hear this man talk, regardless of their party affiliations. Obama supporters were clearly on site, with a handful of “Vote for Obama” placards visible above the crowd.
A woman beside be was shocked when she spotted a student waving an Obama poster from a neighbouring building. “I don’t want any protest at all. It’s my chance of a lifetime to see the President, and no one is going to spoil it for me,” she said.
Back to the circus. With Clinton projected to arrive at 3.45pm, the crowd swelled since two hours before, with hopefuls gathering near the front of the podium to assure themselves of the best view of the charismatic ex-President, and a chance to shake his hand and speak a few words with him.
‘Guns’ of all sizes – compact cameras, DSLRs, video cameras, mobile phone cameras – were all whipped out to capture the rare opportunity that’s occurring on their home ground. Photographers and cameramen without media access were scampering all over the event site, scouting for the best vantage point for a clear view of where the man would speak from. The die-hard ones elbowed their way to the front.
3.45 arrived, and there was no sign of Mr Clinton. Instead, an unknown man walked out onto the stage and took the crowd in a bid to sooth the crowd and rouse the atmosphere. In a futile attempt to spur the people on, the organiser tried to lead a cheer of “H-I-L-L-A-R-Y”, that met with a lukewarm response from the crowd.
The organiser asked “Who will be your next president?”. To further embarrassment, a portion of the crowd, including the bunch of friends that was with me, screamed in reply: “OBAMA!”
Knowing that this inspiriting doesn’t work, the organizer took off from the stage and left the crowd to wait.
Finally, the charming man walked out of the building, much to the cheering of the masses. Shutters began working at full speed, tracking the man from the sidewalk all the way up to the podium. The moment he started talking, the crowd seemed to forget all that impatience and tiredness, and cheered endlessly.
Bill went on the elaborate on the experience of his wife, and demonstrating how sound her policies were and why they stood out amongst the other candidates. Believing in the personal touch, he recounted several anecdotes about his wife’s and his own encounters with the the man on the street, and how they affected their policies.
The Clinton machines just captured everyone’s attention for the full hour as he rattled on the economy, energy policies, employment, the war, education affordability, and health care. Every point that he made was met with a resounding applause from the crowd, even from those who was booting for the other teams.
When Clinton finally ended his hour-long endorsement, the crowd cheered on him for a last time as he made his way down from the podium. While most of the crowd start dispersing from the lawn, there were people who were gathered up front reaching out hands in hope of sharing a handshake with the former Chief, almost like asking for a priest to bless them with his touch. I left the action and headed back to my room, and missed out on the chance. A few of my friends got their handshake with him, after waiting by the side of the building where he headed back to.
The Clinton machine has worked its magic once again yesterday, and at least when I go home, i can say, “Hey, i saw Bill Clinton in person!”
