Bill Clinton Stumps Small Town Voters

Former President Bill Clinton made a stop in Ripley, West Virginia to campaign for his wife and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. Clinton told several hundred Hillary supporters gathered at the Ripley Fire and Rescue Station that his wife was heavily favored in key conservative swing states. Since 1916, no candidate has won the presidency without taking West Virginia. The No Child Left Behind Act, rising fuel prices, and outsourcing of jobs were the main issues local residents were concerned about. While voter registration favors Democrats at the state and local levels, West Virginia has shown a willingness to vote Republican at the federal level. It voted twice for Bill Clinton before twice voting for George W. Bush. While leaning “red” in 2008, West Virginia could become a swing state, depending on the eventual match-up.

One Hillary supporter stated that many West Virginians would be very hesitant to vote for an African American. Another supporter thought that she would be in favor of a Hillary/Obama or Obama/Hillary presidential ticket. In the crowd there were some West Virginians likely to vote for John McCain in the upcoming election. They respect that he has served in the military and gave up years of his life as a P.O.W. Former President Clinton agreed that McCain is a good, but disagreed on what needs to be done for our country now.

President Clinton's speech moved the crowd with his charisma alone. He was passionate on telling West Virginia that their Vote Counts and the race was not over. He touched on all the major issues and stated that America's prosperity in the future will be a Green solution. Clinton shared a story about a man who currently gets a hundred miles to the gallon by adding an extra battery to his hybrid. The problem is that lithium batteries are in limited supply. He stated that Hillary's energy policy would be to increase fuel efficiency standards to 55 miles per gallon by 2030, but would help automakers retool their production facilities through $20 billion in "Green Vehicle Bonds." Clinton also stated that if his wife is elected president she would radically change the "No Child Left Behind Act," which he described as an education disaster