Bill Clinton wields populist approach in Louisville

President Bill Clinton in Louisville on Thursday: Politicker photo

LOUISVILLE -- While stumping for the campaign of his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York), former President Bill Clinton told a crowd of about 300 supporters in Louisville to ignore those who were saying the Democratic nomination was in the hands of Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois).

"All the media experts were telling you this thing is over, you don't count, stay at home, or follow the line - that's what they are telling you," said Clinton.

"Everybody who has been telling you that has got a good job, a college education, [is] absolutely content with healthcare, and they don't have a stake in this election," Clinton continued. "You do."

It was the first of several bits of populist rhetoric infused into Clinton's stump speech this afternoon. During the beginning of his thirty-six minute address, the former President insinuated that his wife's candidacy had been written off before by interests not aligned with those of the audience.

"They tried to bury her more times than a cat's got lives," said Clinton. "All these big names were against her in California, how would she survive? There were people like you that needed a president, that's how."

President Clinton provided a brief run-through of Senator Clinton's 2008 electoral history in an attempt to show the campaign's resiliency.

When referencing Clinton's February losses, he said it was "people like you" who saved her campaign.

"People like you figured out it was because she didn't have any money," said Clinton. "For the first time ever, 300,000 people with modest incomes.... got together $30 million so she can go on."

The President also again tried to connect his wife's candidacy to working families.

"This is not a complicated issue. The people who are voting on whether they need a president are voting overwhelmingly for Hillary for President," said Clinton.

The core of the former President's stump speech was much the same as it has been on previous visits to Kentucky. He focused on alternative energy, health care, and economic issues the most extensively during his speech, making sure to touch on aspects of energy policy specific to Kentucky.

"[Senator Clinton] thinks it's worth it to liberate America from foreign oil and I'll bet you agree," said the former President.

"We have no choice but to produce clean coal in America," argued Clinton. " America needs to invest to figure out how to burn coal cleanly."

Clinton also said the Senator's energy policy included the creation of "ten demonstration projects" throughout the nation's "coal country" that would be used to research clean coal technology.

The differences between the two Democratic candidates' health care plans were also referenced by Clinton, who said "you cannot control the cost problem unless you cover everyone."

The Clinton campaign has targeted Senator Obama's health plan for not requiring all Americans to participate.

The former President ended his speech with a rallying cry for Clinton supporters, who need to turn out in heavy numbers on May 20, given the Clinton campaign's hope to carry the national popular vote.

"The same people who are telling you ‘Kentucky doesn't matter, fold up tent, get in line'...[they] told people in West Virginia the same thing. The people in West Virginia gave them the answer they deserved," said Clinton.

Clinton won West Virginia by over 40 points. She holds a lead in Kentucky of 27 points, according to the most recent polls.

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