When I first heard that Hillary was coming to Columbus for a rally, I knew right away I’d have Grant, 7 ½, and Madeline, 5 with me. My husband had to work that evening, so I called a friend who had actually attended OSU and knew her way around to meet me there. We saw Bill Clinton speak at the OSU Oval back in the fall of 1995 in the rain… so I thought she’d be up for this…even with my whining kids.

We arrived at 4:30 when doors to the French Field House were to open. There were a decent amount of people in front of us... maybe 100? Doors finally opened at 5pm and we shuffled through ticket takers and security. We looked around... bleachers to the left. To the right, there was an area for a chosen few folks near the round stage in the center. I spied a stool with a glass on it. That’s where she’ll be, we figured. There was a fenced off walkway leading from the back to the stage. My thinking was… stand next to the walkway and maybe we’ll see her come in. And, we had a pretty good vantage point of the stage. Now for the hard part… the waiting.

Some guy came up and sang a rap song at around 6:00. We thought... soon, we’ll see her. Not so... 6:30 someone came up and tried to revive the bored crowd. While all this was going on, we struck up conversations with our neighbors. I got lots of compliments for my t-shirt... my own Wes Clark Democrats for Hillary creation. A couple of people asked me where they could get one. I should have passed out cards! A woman next to us said her husband was a Clarkie back in ’04… she was for Dean, but admires Clark as well.

My kids were just about reaching their limit and the crowd was getting restless. We had been standing there since shortly after 5:00. Now, it’s going on 7:00. The crowd had grown considerably since we arrived. I'm terrible at judging crowd numbers... plus, I'm on the floor so it's hard to see everyone. All I know is, the bleachers are full and there are tons of people behind me.

The woman next to me asked one of the official looking folks where Hillary was. He said she was in the building... great! Not too much longer now. Madeline’s about ready to have a meltdown. Please Hillary... come out come out wherever you are!!

Finally, they are announced... Hillary, John Glenn, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and Governor Strickland come down the walkway right in front of us. And, they all stop and shake hands along the way. Okay... note to self... if this sort of situation ever arises again, I was NOT have my camera in my hand. Because of this, Hillary and I shook elbows LOL. She looked at my t-shirt... I do believe her smile got even bigger!

Okay... you know how you see these folks campaigning on TV, and they are all smiles and shaking hands with supporters? I always wonder if they are putting on a show for the cameras. I wouldn’t blame them as campaigning has got to be grueling. You shake a lot of hands, sign a lot of things. Let me tell you... Hillary exudes enthusiasm. Her happiness is not fake. She is genuinely happy to see you and all the people that have come to hear her speak. That really comes through when you meet her.

They get to the stage, and an African American gentleman whose name escapes me, speaks first. Stephanie Tubbs Jones speaks next. She gets the crowd pumped up. Then, Governor Strickland speaks. He uses a lot of stuff from the speech I heard a month ago at the organizational rally. He’s funny and gets lots of laughs and cheers. Then, it’s John Glenn’s turn. He talks about how Hillary wanted to be an astronaut when she was younger, but those types of opportunities didn’t exist for women back then. He ends his speech by saying she didn’t get to be an astronaut, but she’ll be the next POTUS. Lots of cheers for that!

Now, it’s Hillary’s turn. She is losing her voice a bit. But she’s still plugging away at the issues. That’s what this crowd came for... solutions. They are eating it up. She talks about college tuition and predatory college loan officers. She says that she’s been traveling across the country talking to students and 29% is the highest student loan rate she’s heard. She talks about making loans more affordable, at a 2% fixed rate. Lots of applause and cheering.

A stark comparison of her healthcare plan to Obama’s is what ends up being the sound byte on the 11:00 news.

We have a Democratic nominee who does not even have a plan for Universal Healthcare. You know... we’re never gonna get there if we don’t even fight for it and try!

The crowd erupts in cheers. I wish I had brought a tape recorder like ms in la. She talked about so much. I recall her saying that she is from the Midwest and that it’s home to some of the most hardworking people in the country. She said “...They refer to this area as the rust belt... I don’t like that term”. She said this area “needs a President that will go to bat for them” to keep jobs from being outsourced.

Her final remarks were about how she can’t talk to everyone in the state herself, and she needs us to help her. She says she wants to work hard for us. Her last statement is:

Hire me!

Doesn’t that just about say it all? Again with the “it’s about you, not me" theme that I find so endearing.

After it was over, she went round the other way and she was still signing things and talking to people ½ hour after she finished speaking. I had to get the kids home, though...they were so done.

Although it was tough bringing the kids and all, I needed to go last night. My sense of commitment to her campaign is renewed. I truly feel she is the best qualified person for the job. We have a unique opportunity to help mend foreign relations and put the country on a better path. I really think she’s the one that can do it best!