Fresh off the DNC, Hillary Clinton kicked off her 2016 campaign for president with a rally on July 29 at Temple University.
Temple University’s McGonigle Hall hadn’t been that packed since the days when Mark Macon, Eddie Jones and Aaron McKie were playing for John Chaney.
The Owls’ old gym, which gave way to the Liacouras Center in 2000, was the surprise home July 29 for the kickoff of Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the White House. Originally scheduled for Center City, the rally was moved up North Broad Street because of the threat of inclement weather, which never materialized.
That enabled a wide array of college students, teens and others to show their support for the first woman to receive a major party presidential nomination. But they had to wait a while for her to come out, accompanied by her husband and former president Bill Clinton, along with vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine and his wife, Anne.
No one seemed to mind, though, when the former secretary of state and New York senator emerged from a tunnel at 1:13 p.m., nearly 15 minutes after the event was supposed to conclude.
“This has been such an invigorating, exciting week,” she began. “When we woke up this morning, Bill and I looked at each other and realized, as of tomorrow, we have 100 days to make this happen.
“So what better place to kick off this campaign than right here in Philadelphia where it all started? I believe with all my heart that our founders came together to create one nation because they understood what we understand. We are stronger together.
“I take deeply and with great humility the responsibility this campaign imposes on us. There is no doubt in my mind that every election in a democracy is important in its own way, but I can’t think of an election that is more important in my lifetime.
“And it’s not so much that I’m on the ticket. It’s because of the stark choice posed to America in this election.”
That led to mention of Republican candidate Donald Trump, whose name led to immediately booing.
Clinton detailed many of her fears and insights into Trump, though not as extensively as in her acceptance speech the night before. She also spoke about her plans to institute programs like free tuition for college students, along with higher wages for everyday workers and more job opportunities across the board.
“We’ve made progress, but we have work to do,” she added. “We’ve got to tackle inequality. We’ve got to make this economy work for everyone, not just those at the top.
“Within the first 100 days of our administration, we’re going to break through the gridlock in Washington, [D.C.] and make the biggest investment in new jobs since World War II.”
“We’ve made progress but we have work to do,” she added. “We’ve got to tackle inequality. We’ve got to make this economy work for everyone, not just those at the top.
“Within the first 100 days of our administration we’re going to break through the gridlock in Washington and make the biggest investment in new jobs since World War II.”
Besides thanking those who turned out, along with Philadelphia mayor James Kenney, former Pennsylvania governor and Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell and prospective senator and attorney general Katie McGinty and Josh Shapiro respectively.
Earlier Shapiro had talked about Trump’s “ripoff economy,” vowing to do whatever he could as Attorney General to change that “We all know that our unity and that strength Hillary Clinton speaks about is undermined by an economy that isn’t working for each and every American,” said Shapiro. . “And at the top of that ripoff economy sits Donald Trump, who has gotten rich by defrauding workers, students, seniors and small businesses all across America, including Pennsylvania.
“She’s gonna stand up to the powerful interests and all those bad actors and as attorney general I look forward to partnering with her in those efforts.”
McGinty asked the boisterous crowd inside McGonigle to help her break another “glass ceiling,” electing her Pennsylvania’s first woman senator “This is the birthplace of America and this week we just made history by breaking that glass ceiling and nominating a woman,” said McGinty. “but I think two glass ceilings need to be broken.
“So would you help me send Pat Toomey packing?”
It was left to Hillary, then to reiterate her message during her acceptance speech that she’ll undoubtedly take on the road with her on their three day bus tour that will travel through Pennsyslvania, into Ohio and Iowa. “Nobody who looks like me was thought possible to be president was thought possible when this country was founded 240 years ago. “Nobody who looks like Barack Obama could be president.
“But contrary to Donald Trump I believe every time we knock down a barrier in America it liberates everyone. After the end of our convention I knew that every parent could look at their son and daughter and say the very same thing: ‘You too could be President.’”
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