Bill Clinton got a rousing sendoff when he left Salt Lake City Tuesday afternoon as a coalition of Democrats lauded his campaign for change, many of them touting themes the GOP has traditionally used against its opposition.
"Real family values!" chanted a crowd of about 400 at the Salt Lake International Airport as Clinton picked up a child and held her in his arms. Among the placards on display was one that said, "The Stay-at-Home Mom Believes in Clinton."Clinton talked for almost 10 minutes atop a makeshift platform, delivering his standard stump speech.
"A country not strong at home cannot be strong abroad," he said, arguing that this year's presidential election poses the question of "whether we will have four more years of failed economic theory."
He said his proposals are rooted in the potential for "a high-wage, high-growth, high-opportunity economy in America again" and said diverse interests can be reconciled to create a climate that is "pro-business, pro-labor, pro-growth, pro-environment, pro-family, pro-choice."
In a nod to women, he noted the presence in Utah state races of women such as attorney general candidate Jan Graham and congressional candidate Karen Shepherd.
"I'm glad to see the Democratic Party here running a ticket of qualified women and men," he said.
Clinton garnered cheers at the rally from unexpected quarters, as a handful of college students from one of the country's most conservative campuses waved a sign that said, "BYU Students for Clinton."
"We're the dissenting voice, but we're loud," said Becca Wahnquist, a BYU graduate student in English studies.
"I like his social ideas. I think that having him in office will be beneficial to the middle class and the less well-off too," added William S. Davis, a BYU German-language professor.
Ed Mayne, president of the Utah AFL-CIO, which claims 65,000 members, said Clinton's drive has been fueled by the lackluster economy: "The country needs Bill Clinton. We need a change . . . We're going to get back on line economically with decent jobs, health care, educational opportunities."
Janet Camaam of Utahns for Choice said she likes Clinton because of his stand on "women's issues in general," but said he has a better blueprint for the future than the Bush administration.
Clinton's entourage traveled to California, where a Los Angeles Times poll shows him with a 21-point lead over President Bush in a state with 54 electoral votes, one of the biggest electoral college prizes.