Last night was a little unusual in my quiet life. At a local college in NW Pennsylvania, a rally was planned for Hillary Clinton, with just a couple of days notice. As might have been expected, the plans were poorly made for the size of the crowd that arrived to see Hillary. Because you see, we haven't had a primary in Pennsylvania in many decades and practice is needed in what to expect. We have just had to go along with whatever the rest of the country decided for us. Not this time.
I object to poorly made plans at rallies like this because I usually end up being tortured by the results as I and so many others were made to do last night. We waited in 38 degree weather for over 2 hours to get into the rally. We waited in bitterly cold wind and snow , and because the weather had changed significantly during the day many of us had thin spring jackets on. My friends and some family members arrived an hour and forty-five minutes early, and waited in a line that wound all the way across campus before we were cleared by security and could go in. But in the end, after all the hassle and cold, people were roaring when Hillary walked into the room, and were ready to show her how much we appreciated the time she took to stop there.
But, that is not what I am writing to tell you about last night. Most of all, I want to explain how my heart unexpectedly swelled when I was walking onto the floor of the gym where the rally was held. I was so proud of the people of Pennsylvania and my small city for coming to show their support for Hillary Clinton, and for encouraging her to stay in the fight until the end. This despite announcements coming from all sides from Obama supporters, politicians, and media telling us that the campaign is all over, and we shouldn't claim a right to vote our hopes and dreams for the "sake of the party". Really, it seems their calls are for the sake of Obama, and themselves, without a thought to millions of others who participate in the same society as equals. In my city in my state, we have not even begun to fight and it is telling that there is such tremendous interest in a candidacy that supposedly is not alive, and barely limping along.
My thoughts were on a lot more than Hillary's words as I looked around the room during her great speech. There was such interest and participation from the students who were holding signs and taking in her words about education, "No Child Left Behind", and the cost of education, which in her young years was minimized by loans from the government at 2% interest. I looked at all the mothers, fathers, and children there seeing the strength, and capability of a woman who is a fighter and a hard worker and could be the best president in my lifetime if given the chance, and I was proud of being a woman with her as my representative. I was proud of her kindness and sincere warmth and friendliness when she talked with people afterwards, signed their signs, and posed with them for pictures after having already been to 2 other cities earlier in the day. I wondered how anyone could see anything but humanity in her, because I have never seen anything other than a reflection of a genuine person in her face.
Governor Rendell was an unnanounced guest at the rally. He dynamically introduced Hillary Clinton, calling on the crowd to say what we thought about Leahy, and others calling for Hillary to leave the race. The crowd was not kind in our reaction to the question. Once home again, I turned on the news, and a local newscaster remarked that some analysts are worried that forcing Hillary out of the campaign would damage the Democratic Party. It takes a newscaster in a small city in Pennsylvania to voice what I and many others know. The damage to the party will come with the attempts to force a candidate out and deprive people in our democracy of making a choice, not from letting Democracy go forward. If only those calling for her to leave would realize the extent of the damage they are already doing. Much of it cannot be undone.
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