Bill Clinton at Grinnell College

GRINNELL -- The first caucus ward here in Poweshiek County is the most potent political precinct in the state. About one fifth of one percent of the statewide delegates are allocated in the ward, which is a lot, considering that there are about 1,800 precincts. John Edwards has appeared at Grinnell, drawing 1,500. When Barack Obama spoke, a fire marshal shut the doors before all those who wanted in, got in.

Hillary Clinton hasn't been to Grinnell; it's not her crowd. Last night, Bill Clinton showed up, a mite too late for the tastes of some Clinton supporters. The audience was of a respectful size -- about 1,100 - and they were clearly eager to see him. Him. A very few audience members waved Clinton signs, despite the dozens that were passed out by campaign volunteers.

For the first fifteen minutes, Mr. Clinton lectured:

For the second fifteen, he wrapped a sustained argument for his wife's nomination in a passel of
stories that usually ended with Hillary changing policy for the better.

Untitled from marc ambinder on Vimeo.

Comments

Actually, Edwards drew about 500.

Posted by Jordan | December 11, 2007 3:02 PM

Good God! If Edwards drew 1,500, 2/3 of them got turned away, because he had the Harris Center Concert Hall filled to capacity with his seating arrangement which allowed for, as Jordan said, about 500. Obama had a rally also at Harris and the fire marshal closed the doors after about 900, withe the other 300 or so listening to an audio feed in the auditorium.

Now, you are absolutely right about how Bill was received here. Very strong applause. But whenever he went after applause lines in favor of his wife, they fell flat, with only a small portion of the audience clapping. I don't think Hillary's going to do well here.

Posted by Meng Bomin | December 11, 2007 3:43 PM

The Clintons actually founded their own state college. And guess what? Bill was late for its dedication too. Being late is actually a security measure. The thinking, in part, is that prospective evil doers will become antsy, thus giving him, or herself away. It's also a good opportunity to surreptitiously film the crowd. Anyway, I saw how the Clintons operate firsthand. And I'm here to help set the record straight: http://theseedsof9-11.com

Posted by Peggy McGilligan | December 11, 2007 3:45 PM

Another error in crowd numbers: the stands at Darby Gym hold about 2,000. They were nearly full, plus another 250 people in chairs on the floor. If you're going to make a post like this, get your facts straight.

Posted by Jordan | December 11, 2007 5:46 PM

Jordan, I assume that you are Jordan Levine. Did the campaign give you a head count? They were making everyone sign in, so they should have a good head count. Do you have the campaign numbers. I know that Darby has a high capacity, but we weren't exactly cramped in there.

Posted by Meng Bomin | December 12, 2007 3:30 AM