Clinton visits Crenshaw, rallies support for Gore
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 2, 2000 9:00 p.m.
 DAVE HILL/Daily Bruin Senior Staff President
Clinton speaks to residents of L.A.’s Crenshaw district,
Thursday, to rally support for Al Gore’s campaign.
By Michael Falcone
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Though Vice President Al Gore has proclaimed he is his own man,
in the last days of the election he may be hoping his boss’
shadow still extends far enough to win him some votes.
President Clinton cast his presidential shadow over Los Angeles
Thursday, when he stopped in the Crenshaw district to speak to
voters there about why they should cast their ballots for Al Gore
Nov. 7.
Calling him a good decision maker, Clinton said Gore “has
accomplished more as vice president than any other person who held
that job before.”
 DAVE HILL/Daily Bruin Senior Staff The crowd at the
Baldwin Hills mall in Crenshaw chanted "Four more years!" when
President Clinton got on stage. Clinton regaled
the mostly African American crowd that gathered at the Baldwin
Hills Plaza Mall with a laundry list of his administration’s
accomplishments and spoke of inclusiveness.
“One of the things I’ve tried to do is to make sure
people in Watts have just as much say in what happens in the White
House as my friends in Beverly Hills,” Clinton said.
Assemblyman Herb Wesson, D-Culver City, whose district boundary
is near Watts spoke at the rally about making sure the opinions of
the African American community are heeded by Washington
politicians.
“They say those of us from this community are losing our
voice, well let’s show them on Tuesday,” Wesson said.
“Let’s open up a can of whup-ass on the
Republicans.”
Clinton, who received widespread support among African American
voters in both the 1992 and 1996 elections, was sent to Crenshaw
Thursday to help the Gore campaign attract minority voters.
A Gallup poll released Thursday reported 87 percent of African
Americans support Gore while 4 percent are voting for Bush.
But possibly fearing a backlash from the president’s
tarnished reputation, the Gore campaign has taken steps to curtail
the president’s campaign appearances. The Los Angeles Times
reported Thursday that Gore campaign officials turned down White
House offers to send the president to battleground states trying to
sway undecided voters toward the vice president.
Before Clinton took the podium, the rally was dominated by
speeches from a number of southland Democrats and state labor
leaders. Kenneth “Baby Face” Edmunds, who introduced
the president, made a brief statement and singer Wyclef Jean
performed a short song rhythmically detailing his likely choice for
president on Election Day.
Gov. Gray Davis said he called Clinton two weeks ago and asked
him to come to California.
“Mr. President, we need you in California to rally the
faithful and remind the people what the Clinton/Gore administration
has meant for all of us,” said Davis recounting his
conversation with the President.
Though Gore/Lieberman signs were plentiful in the audience and
an enormous sign that read “California Adores Gore”
flanked the stage, at times the rally seemed more like a Clinton
love fest than a Gore campaign event.
The crowd repeatedly broke into spontaneous chanting: “We
want Bill” and “Four more years” were among the
phrases in the crowd’s arsenal of pro-Clinton sayings.
After his appearance in Crenshaw Tuesday Clinton attended
receptions for three Democratic candidates for Congress. Today,
Clinton was to travel to the Bay Area and attend rallies in
Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose.
Criticizing the Congressional Republican leadership that led the
move to impeach him, Clinton referred to the vice president as a
check on the GOP.
“You know all the troubles I’ve been in these last
six years,” Clinton said. “One reason Al Gore needs to
be in the White House is to stop their more extremist actions and
he will.”
Giséle Biamby, a doctor at Crenshaw area community HIV/AIDS
clinic who was at the rally said a healthy dose of Clinton was just
what Gore needs to win the election.
“I think he’s going to win because he represents
what Clinton represents,” she said. “In the little time
that is left, he’s going to do a lot of good for
Gore.”
