TAMPA — Former President Bill Clinton arrived by motorcade to inject political nitrogen into Charlie Crist’s bid to become the next governor of Florida last Sunday afternoon at the Gary Sheffield’s Field Complex located in Cyrus Greene Park.
People from all walks of life greeted each other along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in East Tampa. Drivers showed their support by honking and waving at the people lined up along the boulevard. The gate to the Democratic Rally for Crist opened at approximately 3:45 p.m. and the staging area for the event filled up rapidly.
Democratic Candidate for Attorney General George Sheldon asked the anxious crowd of cheering supporters, “Are you ready for Bill Clinton?”
Congresswoman Kathy Castor candidly laid out the agenda for the late afternoon rally for Crist.
“ It is time to vote in the state of Florida if you believe in civil rights, and equal rights and equal pay because the guy that’s in the governor’s mansion right now has got to go away,” said Castor.
“Are you ready for a win,” asked Democratic Senator Bill Nelson who blamed the Republicans for creating political gridlock in Florida similar to what has been playing out in Washington during the Obama presidency.
“So I believe that the people of Florida are ready for some change and some common sense,” said Nelson as he urged the crowd to vote and support Crist in the upcoming gubernatorial election.
“When it comes down to it, this election is not about right versus left but about right verses wrong,” said Annette Taddeo, democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor in Florida.
Clinton and Crist slowly emerged from stage left as the cheers grew louder. As Crist approached the podium, Clinton drifted to the side and patrolled the stage like a methodic lion king.
“How you doing Tampa Bay,” said Crist as he greeted his supporters. He briefly re-affirmed his political agenda if he would be elected.
“If you want a governor who supports raising the minimum wage, we need your vote. If you want a governor who wants equal pay for women, we need your vote. If you want a governor who will expand Medicare for over a million Floridians, we need your vote. If you want a governor who will protect a woman’s right to choose, we need your vote and will fund education properly, we need your vote. Now guys, here’s a simple truth. When we vote, we win. So tell all your friends to vote.”
Crist then prepped the audience for the long awaited for political dynamo, former President Bill Clinton.
“We have a wonderful man with us today. This is one of the greatest men in the history of our country,” said Crist.
“We’re gonna’ start out on a New Deal,” said President Clinton.
“We get to make a new beginning with this economy. We get to make a new beginning with healthcare. We get to make a new beginning with training people for jobs that will actually be there, and making sure our kids won’t go broke if they have to borrow money to go to college,” President Clinton said.
He emphasized that people in this election have an important choice to make and it begins with understanding what each candidate wants to accomplish if elected.
“You have to decide whether you want to grow this economy from the middle class out — more jobs, higher wages — and make sure every single person has a chance to work his or her way into the middle class,” said President Clinton.
Former President Clinton pointed out the diametrically opposing views each candidate operated under politically while working as governor in Tallahassee.
“You have two people who have both been governor who have dramatically different visions. One has succeeded in dividing the state, one from the other, and promoting trickle-down economics. One wants to draw us together — I tell you what, this Medicaid expansion is a classic example.”
Like Taddeo stated earlier, Clinton highlighted Crist’s commitment to doing what’s right for the people as opposed to what’s good for the Republican Party when he signed the bill as governor to restore the rights of freed felons to vote. Clinton got resounding cheers and applause for citing Crist’s ability to base a decision on what could be good for humanity in the long run.
“Don’t tell me that he doesn’t have convictions,” hammered Clinton.
When Taddeo came back on stage, all three Democrats joined hands and raised them above their heads claiming future election victory at the polls next week.
