President Clinton visits Rutgers

If one happened to saunter down to the Rutgers Student Center on College Avenue, there would be the unmistakable sight of atrociously long lines, backed-up traffic, and political eagerness. This, if you were unaware, greeted the likes of former President Bill Clinton, speaking on behalf of Jon Corzine for his gubernatorial re-election campaign. Droves of people attended the event, with more tickets likely given out than there were seats available.

Former President Clinton headlines the event as Governer Jon Corzine seeks a victory over his Republican rival, Chris Christie. Corzine needs all the support that he can garner, as recent poll numbers indicate that Corzine only has a 1-point lead over Christie, at 41% to 40%. Christie led the poll numbers earlier in the campaign with as much as a 6 point lead in July. He has seen his lead vanish as the Corzine campaign has begun to run more acerbic commercials and advertisements against Christie, mainly attacking his “Bush-era policies.”

Both political parties were in attendance at the event, as a group of Rutgers Republicans protested outside the Gymnasium. One man, dressed as a giant, rubber, yellow chicken held a sign stating “Cluck-U Corzine” in objection to Corzine’s current tax policy.

However, with help from former President Bill Clinton, Corzine is hoping to keep his poll numbers up, especially among those aged 18-25. Clinton boasts one of the highest approval ratings of any president in the last several decades, and continues to be popular today.

Recently, the former president traveled to North Korea in a move not sanctioned by the Obama Administration, meeting with North Korean Premier Kim-Jong Il to negotiate the release of two American journalists that were being held. The trip was a successful one, though it has been both lauded and belittled by both sides of the political isle.

A rather surprising welcoming speaker, Rutgers President Richard McCormick, was greeted to a flurry of boos and cheers upon taking the stage. McCormick has come under fire for his allocation of state funds given to Rutgers, as well as the many problems facing Rutgers, such as lack of housing for undergraduates and a budget deficit. At mention of the new Rutgers football stadium, the crowd erupted into a sea of anger and booing, as many detest the fact that so much money (more than $100 million) was spent on non-academia.

There was much berating of Corzine’s opponent Chris Christie, as Middlesex Country Freeholder Christopher Rafano stated “Christie is bad for Middlesex County, bad for New Jersey, and bad for education.” Freeholder James Polos, continuing the theme of his compatriot, extolled the benefits of Corzine: “There is only one candidate that can help New Jersey, and that is Jon Corzine.” He berated the Republican party, stating that they “did not care about health care, public education, the environment, and cut programs across the board” while he worked under a Republican administration.

A former Rutgers student that works closely with the campaign continued to speak on behalf of the Democratic party of New Jersey until cries of “R! U!” and the Obama campaign slogan “Yes We Can!” reverberated throughout the gymnasium.

After a perpetual line of current local Democratic candidates and an extraordinarily numb butt from sitting for so long, Corzine entered with emphatic applause, but Clinton was the aim for the crowd’s glee. The decibel level struck deafening each time that Clinton was mentioned. Applause and cries of “We love you Bill!” poured from every corner of the gymnasium. Corzine continually extolled Clinton’s present initiatives, such as global warming, as well as his past achievements, such as the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs during his presidency. He also announced the ostensible results from the Bush Administration, such as the war and the failing global climate. It was obvious that the crowd was waiting for Clinton; Corzine stated rather correctly “I won’t talk very long because I know that you didn’t come to hear me.”

I nearly lost my hearing when Clinton spoke his first word; the screams of joy were deafening. He had to pause several times to allow the crowd to settle down; at the announcement that his wife was nearby, the cheers were only slightly less emphatic.

The former President spoke to the students about making a difference in the world by taking action and “being winners.” He then did what was expected of him, speaking on behalf of Corzine by reading a list of his accomplishments, mainly in the area pertaining to education. This was an obvious move, as the student vote is a decent plurality of the overall vote in New Jersey.

Continuing on the theme of the night, Clinton then belittled Christie’s policies much to the approval of the crowd. He then highlighted some of his accomplishments in relation to Corzine, thus giving Corzine the image that he will be as “cool” as Clinton was regarded during his presidency.

Clinton also touched upon the current policies of the Obama administration, commending Obama’s current efforts regarding education, the environment, and his overseas efforts as well. At the end of the night, it was not Corzine, but Clinton who had won. He was showered in appreciation and eager hysterics. One message that he gave was clear and heard by all: “It is your future that is on the line.”

Perhaps some people in the gymnasium heard him.