ROCHESTER — More than 1,500 people turned out for the first ever visit to Rochester by a current or former president, as Bill Clinton stumped for his wife at a "Solutions For America" campaign rally at Rochester Community High School.
By 1:30 p.m., the anticipation was building almost as quickly as the line!
"I don't care how long it takes," said Diana Stafford, who traveled from Warsaw for the event. "This is so exciting!"
By the time doors finally opened at 3 p.m., chants and cheers were in full swing, as the crowd waited for a glimpse of America's 42nd president.
But none had been waiting quite as long as 91-year-old Native American Chief White Eagle.
He's been through this before. Sixty years ago, nearly to the day, then President Harry S. Truman presented him with a medal of honor.
"He said, 'My old friend,' and put his arms around my neck," said Chief White Eagle. "I couldn't believe it!"
But he says just meeting former President Clinton would be even better.
"I'm practically awe stricken," he said, smiling from ear to ear at the front of the line.
So when former Indiana Governor and South Bend Mayor Joe Kernan came out with the former president close behind, Chief White Eagle made sure he had a front row seat.
"Over the next 6 weeks, everyone in America is going to be looking at Indiana," said Kernan. "For the first time since 1968, Indiana matters in a primary."
And former President Clinton made sure he stressed just how much Hoosiers matter to his wife.
His speech focused on many of the same issues he touched on in his earlier campaign stops in South Bend, but this message was tailored to those who haven't made up their minds yet.
His first topic: America's struggling economy.
"Trickle down economics is a failure," he told the crowd. "It doesn't work. We must address the staggering amount of evictions and foreclosures, and Hillary is the only candidate with a clear solution. I think beyond question, she is the best person to handle the extreme financial emergencies our country is facing today, and to turn this country around, rebuild the middle class, and create sensible jobs."
Senator Clinton's plan, he said, would give $30 billion in federal funding back to states to help stem the tide of foreclosures, and ease the burden of subsidized jobs lost overseas.
Mr. Clinton also spoke of the need for America to invest in renewable energies, including various forms of bio-fuels. He promised that if Hillary Clinton is elected, she will work to encourage development and mass production of a hybrid vehicle that gets 100 miles to a single gallon of gasoline by harnessing the power of lithium ion batteries.
He also spoke about the need for expanded oversight by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to make sure imported products are safe, and said the national deficit must be reduced.
"Vote for Hillary, and she will take you back to a balanced budget," he said, as the crowd cheered.
Other topics included Senator Clinton's record on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and her stance on education funding.
"No Child Left Behind is an unfunded mandate that does not work," said President Clinton, again evoking cheers from the crowd.
But by far, her most important platform, he said, is health care.
"America should provide affordable health care to all its people," he said. "And Hillary will do exactly that. She would have a new jobs policy, a new energy policy, and new trade policy, and new health care policy, and a new education policy. I think it's important if you want to turn this thing around, to do it all."
And each topic rang with the now familiar theme of the Clinton campaign: experience.
And for many, it was familiar message. Especially for those self- described 'Hoosiers for Hillary.'
"I think it sounds good," said Jane Leland, who traveled from Plymouth to attend the rally. "There were a couple of ideas there I hadn't thought of that I thought would work. [She has my support] 100 percent. 110 percent!"
But not everyone at the rally was 100 percent convinced.
"I'm still undecided at this time," said Rochester teacher Scott Kistler, who brought his two sons and a half dozen of their friends to see the speech. "But it's helped quite a bit learning more about what she has to offer."
Even so, he says the experience was invaluable to the next generation of voters standing beside him.
"They'll learn how important all this is, and hopefully when they're able to vote, they can help make a difference," he said.
And while not everyone agreed on which candidate to back, there was one thing everyone seemed to see eye to eye on.
"It's been 40 years since Bobby Kennedy was here," said Fulton County Democratic Party Chairwoman Sandra Taylor. "We've never had a contest here before. So this is very exciting for us!"
The question now for the Clinton campaign: Will that excitement translate into votes?
Chief White Eagle says, it will for him. This time, with a new picture of he and President Clinton in hand.
Chelsea Clinton will be back in the area on Wednesday. She'll hold a campus discussion there with Actor Sean Astin.
Hillary Clinton plans to campaign in Indiana on Friday. No details have been released on that visit yet.
