On the eve of the election, President Barack Obama made what may be his last trip to New Hampshire as a sitting President. Over 7,000 people crowded into the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore Center Arena to hear President Obama stump for the person he hopes will take his place in the oval office: Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.
UNH student, Nicole Charron waited six hours to get in. Nearby her at the back of the arena, Dan Purnell says he and his wife drove up this morning from Quincy MA, concerned that Obama “might not be back for a while after the presidential spotlight has shifted to somebody else.”
The President took the stage around 5pm, he began by looking back. He asked the crowd to remember eight years ago. “You had iCarly, although in our household, Spongebob ruled.”
The president recalled two long wars, the worst economic crisis in 80 years, fewer Americans had health insurance, and Osama Bin Laden was still alive: Obama’s challenges and achievements. Soon – he had the crowd chanting for the person he hopes will pick up where he leaves off, come January. “Hillary! Hillary!” he led the crowd.
The president also urged New Hampshire voters to stay with the ticket down ballot, too.
“You cannot just stick her with Republicans in Congress who are already promising more dysfunction in Washington. More shutdowns, more obstruction”
Many times, the president deployed a new refrain –well-honed by now
“Don’t boo,” he’d say. “Vote!” the audience responds.
To drive home the point, Obama took things down a notch.
“The most important office in a Democracy is not President, or Senator, or Governor, or Mayor. It’s Citizen. That’s the most important office.” He said.
That’s an office Obama will return to in a few months. He told the crowd: he’s already voted, in Illinois.
