He's Back

Last week I attended a weekday rally for congressman Heath Shuler, who is up for re-election in Western North Carolina. The "racehorse" flown in to stir the masses in favor of Heath Shuler, who is in a surprisingly tight race, was none other than former president Bill Clinton. Kade and I decided to get passes for the event, simply so she could see Clinton, arguably the best political orator of my lifetime. I had seen him during the '08 Democratic Primary when he was stumping for Hillary. I had even got to talk with him and shake his hand. Click on Clinton in categories to see photos from that particular event. Now, at last week's event, we didn't get close enough to "get personal" with the former president. Also, the set-up was not conducive for getting too close, unless you were a VIP. Nonetheless, we did get within 30 yards or so. I took the images above, and I made the YouTube video. Unfortunately, when I used the zoom while videoing, there was a lot of shaking.

My impression of the overall event was that the wait to hear the president's speech was way too long, and the local Democratic party did a poor job in organizing what we expected to be a superb day. Still, when Bill Clinton walked onto the stage, there was an electricity in the air and we were grateful to have the chance to see him. I can't say the same about Shuler! Here are some nice photos of Pack Square Park, where the event was held.

Although the tide, predictably, has turned in favor of the Republicans this time around, Asheville and Western North Carolina are still "in play" for the Democrats. Let's see what happens. I still am amazed at the ability of this charming, diverse mountain town to attract people of all stripes. Politically and socially, it's a liberal town, which happily welcomes the likes of Obama and the Clintons. However, due to the fact the city is surrounded by more traditionally conservative communities, Asheville has hosted rallies that welcomed Palin, McCain and other conservative figures. The Rev. Billy Graham also lives up in the mountains overlooking Asheville. This unique ability to attract a wide range of people is one reason I enjoy calling Asheville home. Kade likes it as well.