The line that formed outside of the Fox Theatre in Atlanta could have been mistaken for a Kamala Harris event because so many people arrived Sunday afternoon wearing Harris T-shirts and other campaign apparel.
They were there to hear from the only other woman in the world who knows exactly what Harris is going through. Hillary Rodham Clinton was in Atlanta to talk up her latest book, “Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty,” but the 90-minute conversation included plenty of reflections on modern politics and Harris’ presidential campaign.
“This election’s outcome is going to be very close,” Clinton told the crowd at one point. “It will matter greatly who shows up and votes.”
Before the conversation started, the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Clinton, who turned 77 on Saturday. She said she spent her birthday eating pizza with her grandchildren before traveling to Georgia as part of a multicity tour to discuss her latest collection of essays.
“I was struck with how vulnerable you are,” said U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, the Atlanta Democrat who joined Clinton on stage and served as moderator for the chat Sunday afternoon.
Clinton said time has allowed her to gain perspective on big disappointments and allowed some old political rivals, such as former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama, to become friends. The death of her parents, her brother and close friends also put things into perspective, she told the crowd.
And she also reflected on the women who had influenced her throughout her career, including her mother and other former first ladies, including Rosalynn Carter. Getting to know the Carters over the decades had been a “fun adventure” Clinton told Warnock.
She and her husband worked for Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign. Rosalynn Carter later traveled to Arkansas while Bill Clinton was governor to celebrate a milestone for child immunizations. Clinton and Warnock were both in Plains for the Carters’ 70th wedding anniversary celebration in 2016.
And then they both were in the Atlanta church where Rosalynn Carter was funeralized. Clinton drew laughs from the crowd when she described the moment she spotted Melania Trump, wife of political archrival Donald Trump. Their greeting was cordial but brief. However, Clinton said she respected Melania Trump for honoring Carter’s request that all former first ladies attend the service.
Clinton and Warnock touched often on modern politics, as she talked about the results of the 2016 election when she narrowly lost to Donald Trump and the threat she believes he poses if he returns to the White House. But she said she also understands the appeal that he has.
“Some voters are very attracted to strong male leaders,” she said. Later she added: “We are in a period where political performers are very attractive to voters.”
She said she wasn’t in Atlanta to tell people how to vote, but she was clear on where she stands and it is with Harris.
“I’m for her because she has the character, the temperament and the values to actually be president,” she said.
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