Closing out a highly political few weeks in the Valley ahead of the state primary on Tuesday, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton made an appearance in Fresno over the weekend.
Speaking to a crowded gymnasium on Saturday evening, Hillary Clinton packed high energy but few surprises into her campaign stop in Fresno. Her rally came just days after appearances from competitors Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
The former Secretary of State opened with messages about unity and solidarity then quickly moved on to rallying cries for affordable health care, immigration reform, and better living wages. Audience members, holding signs reading “Hill Yes” and “Fighting For Us,” erupted at mentions of gender equality and free community college.
Hoarse after two rallies in other parts of the state earlier that day, Clinton tailored very little of her speech to the Central Valley. She acknowledged the need to fix the state’s aging water infrastructure, and she trumpeted a vision for California energy she shares with Governor Jerry Brown—who just endorsed her a few days ago.
“California is leading the country; I want California to lead the world in clean renewable energy,” she said.
She also praised the DREAM Act and addressed declarations about deportations made by Donald Trump.
“I will make sure that right here in Fresno and the surrounding area, where the farmers and the farmworkers produce half of the food that we eat,” she said, “that 1.2 million farmworkers in California will not be rounded up and deported.”
Clinton took aim many times at her Republican rival, jabbing at his temperament and decrying his alleged support of torture methods and tyrannical dictators. She used a long defense of the 2011 raid that killed al-Qaida founder Osama Bin Laden to explain how to lead with "honor" and "valor."
She never once mentioned Democratic competitor Bernie Sanders, whom polls show to be nearly neck and neck with Clinton leading up to the California primary.
For recent Fresno State graduate AbhijitSuprem, the choice between Democratic candidates is easy. “I’ve admired Hillary Clinton for a long time,” said Suprem, whose family immigrated to the U.S. from India nine years ago. “It’s always been a dream of me to come see her.”
Julie Van Vlear, though, is not so sure. She, a Democrat, and her Republican husband, have spent the last few weeks shopping around at every political rally for the candidate that’s right for them.
“Hillary is more of a career politician; maybe bought and sold a little more,” she says. “I think [Sanders] is more pure. Growing up in that 60s era, there are many things he says that appeal to me.”
But should he lose the primary to Clinton, she says, “for sure I’ll vote Hillary over any Republican.”
