Clinton holds campaign rally: 'We have 100 days to make our case to America'

Mazin Sidahmed

While Hillary Clinton cracked the glass ceiling last night as she accepted the historic presidential nomination from her party, the tsunami of balloons unleashed on stage at the Democratic convention also delighted.

Her husband and former US president Bill Clinton could not contain his glee as 100,000 balloons flooded the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The former leader of the free world looked continuously in awe as he scurried around the stage batting balloons away or grabbing and throwing them. Hillary Clinton and vice-presidential nominee Tim Kaine also got in on the fun.

Twitter was quick to latch on to the sight of usually stiff politicians overcome with joy at the sight of balloons and gifs and memes flooded the internet throughout the night. Bill Clinton largely stole the show.

3.07pm EDT15:07

Daaaaad.

— Liz Kreutz (@ABCLiz)
July 29, 2016

Fun fact: @timkaine brought SIX harmonicas on this bus tour. (He told CNN today, per @jesshop23)

2.42pm EDT14:42

Here’s a photo of the Clinton-Kaine bus, tweeted by Clinton campaign communications director Jenn Palmieri:

2.23pm EDT14:23

Lauren Gambino

Still glowing from Clinton’s historic ascent on Thursday night, the thousands of people who came to see the Democratic ticket at a gymnasium at Temple University McGonigle Hall roared with excitement when the candidate walked onto the stage with running mate Tim Kaine.

“I was tired after last night, but I’m awake now,” Kaine said taking the stage to thunderous applause.

Hillary Clinton. Photograph: Matt Slocum/AP

Before she walked on stage, the audience, several who sported freshly minted Clinton-Kaine buttons, reprised the chant: “Madame President”. Often criticized constantly for her wooden delivery, Clinton seemed buoyed by her positively received performance last night. In an enduring image from the night, the Clintons smile like children as they play with the falling balloons on stage.

On Friday, much of the crowd shared that same gaiety.

“Oh, we’re feeling wonderful!” gushed Linda Pauline, who came to Temple University with her sisters, Rose Lee and Linda. The three sisters gathered at Rose Lee’s house in Philadelphia last night to watch Clinton win the nomination.

“You know when it really hit me?” said Rose Lee Pauline.

“When President Barack Obama said that no one has ever been more qualified to be president, not him, not Bill, not anyone,” Linda said. “I have been waiting a long time to hear that – since 2006 when Hillary was just thinking of running.”

She added: “Girls today don’t understand. They think that a woman can be president … but I guess that’s thanks to my generation. We fought to make it so easy to them.”

After the rally in Philadelphia, Clinton and Kaine will set off on their inaugural bus through cities in Pennsylvania and Ohio. There in the economically depressed Rust belt cities, they will pitch their economic vision at a factory in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, a farmer’s market in Harrisburg, and high school in Youngstown, among other stop.

Former president Bill Clinton and Kaine’s wife, Anne Holton, will also join for segments of the tour.

2.19pm EDT14:19

In a radio interview with Milwaukee County sheriff David Clarke, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump declared that if he is elected president, he will allow police to have access to military-assault gear that was banned from use by local law enforcement after civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, drew attention to the militarization of American police departments.

Referring to the 1033 program, Clarke described the service that transferred billions in military hardware to local law enforcement and “allows police agencies to obtain military surplus protective gear – things like ballistic shields, ballistic helmets, equipment to keep them and their communities safe.”

President Barack Obama signed an executive order in May 2015 limiting and prohibiting certain types of equipment from being used in the program, including tracked tanks and firearms that shoot .50-caliber ammunition – the executive order does not prohibit the distribution of protective gear.

“Can we anticipate… in the first 100 [days] that you’ll rescind that Obama order?” Clarke asked.

“I would do that in a heartbeat,” Trump responded. “I thought it was ridiculous and I think the whole concept is ridiculous of what they did. And I mean, all of a sudden, people are gonna start saying, ‘Oh, now we feel much better, because they don’t have protection’ because that; basically what you’re saying, in a form, but absolutely, 100% yes.”

1.45pm EDT13:45

After a relatively short program – only a little more than half an hour – Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine have concluded their rally in Philadelphia, walking off stage to the looping chorus of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

1.41pm EDT13:41

Hillary Clinton on making America great again:

I think it’s interesting that Donald Trump wants to ‘Make America Great Again’ – he doesn’t make a thing in America except bankruptcies!

1.39pm EDT13:39

“I don’t know any founder, no matter how strong they were, how smart they were, who believed that only they could solve our problems,” HIllary Clinton says, comparing Donald Trump’s assertion during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention last week that “I alone” can fix the problems that the country faces.

“I’m not satisfied with the status quo – I’m not just telling you that everything is peachy-keen,” Clinton continues. “I’m telling you that we’ve done a lot of work, but we’ve got a lot of work to do and we’re gonna make sure that everyone is included!”

“Donald Trump talked for 75 minutes and did not offer one solution. In fact, his speech – his whole convention – seemed more about insulting me than about helping the American people.”

1.34pm EDT13:34

Hillary Clinton, after encouraging the 5,200 people in attendance to vote for Democratic candidates up and down the ticket in Pennsylvania this year, goes over the week-long convention that just concluded last night with her history-making acceptance speech.

“This has been such an invigorating and exciting week,” Clinton says. “I don’t know about you, but I stayed up really late last night. It was just so hard to go to sleep!”

“I take deeply and with great humility the responsibility that this campaign imposes on us,” Clinton says. “There is no doubt in my mind that every election in our democracy is so important, in its own way, but I certainly can’t think of an election that’s as important as this one in my lifetime,” Clinton continues, noting the “stark contrast” between the tickets.

“As of tomorrow, we have 100 days to make our case to America!” Clinton says. “So what better place to kick it off than in Philadelphia?”

1.31pm EDT13:31

Hillary Clinton takes the stage in Philadelphia

In the first general-election event of her campaign, Hillary Clinton has taken the stage at Temple University here in Philadelphia.

“You know a little something about history – and about making history – and I am so grateful to everyone in this city who pulled such a great convention together, who were so gracious, welcoming and hospitable,” Clinton says, thanking the people of the City of Brotherly Love for their hospitality.

Updated
at 1.36pm EDT

1.27pm EDT13:27

Tom Kaine, on the Republican National Convention:

The Republican convention was like a twisted and negative tour. It wasn’t a tour of this country – it was like a tour of Donald Trump’s mind.

1.21pm EDT13:21

Tim Kaine speaks at Clinton campaign rally in Philadelphia

Virginia senator Tim Kaine has made his first official campaign stop as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, appearing with Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia more than an hour behind schedule.

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1.18pm EDT13:18

Donald Trump has said that his first general-election television advertisement would go up immediately following the conventions – is this it?

“Behind the glitter lies this stark truth: in Hillary Clinton’s America, things get worse,” a sever voiceover intones.

“Under her dishonest plan, taxes keep rising, terrorism spreads, Washington insiders remain in control. Americans losing their jobs, homes and hope.”

But “in Donald Trump’s America, people are put back to work. Our families are safe, the America Dream achievable again. Change that makes America great again.”

The message ends with the standard campaign disclosure: “I’m Donald Trump, and I approve this message.”

12.53pm EDT12:53

Kaine accused of flip-flopping on abortion

Molly Redden

Virginia senator Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, is facing accusations that he flipped his position on federal abortion coverage since joining Hillary Clinton’s ticket.

Tim Kaine and Hillary Clinton. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

Asked in an interview on CNN this morning for his position on the Hyde amendment, which bans federal Medicaid dollars for abortion, Kaine said, “I have been for the Hyde amendment and I haven’t changed my position on that.”

But that appeared to conflict with claims the Clinton campaign made this week that Kaine would support Clinton’s efforts to repeal Hyde. On Sunday, Robby Mook, Clinton’s campaign manager, told CNN, “He has said that he will stand with Secretary Clinton to defend a woman’s right to choose, to repeal the Hyde amendment. Voters can be 100% confident that Tim Kaine is going to fight to protect a woman’s right to choose.”

— Edward Mejia Davis (@TeddyDavisCNN)
July 26, 2016

Clinton spokesman @JesseFFerguson tells me @TimKaine‘s commitment to stand w/ Hillary on repealing the Hyde amendment “was made privately.”

Clinton has called for ending Hyde more forcefully than any presidential candidate in memory. She has made a repeal effort the centerpiece of her stance on abortion rights. Her team has said that Kaine is not flip-flopping, but distinguishing between his privately held beliefs and his role as Clinton’s running mate.

A practicing Catholic, Kaine has found himself in this position before. He opposes the death penalty, but declined many times as governor of Virginia to commute capital sentences to life without parole. Kaine has also said he personally opposes abortion, but he supports a woman’s right to make her own decision. His voting record in the senate has an approval rating of 100% from Planned Parenthood.

“The senator is not personally for repeal of the Hyde Amendment,” a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal. “But as he’s made clear, he is committed to carrying out Secretary Clinton’s agenda.”

Anti-abortion groups, though, are having none of it.

“The attempt at deception continues,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B Anthony List, an anti-abortion political action committee, said. “Kaine’s charade on abortion is getting old and he’s only been on the ticket for a few days.”

12.47pm EDT12:47

Federal court strikes down North Carolina voter ID law

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a North Carolina law that required voters have photo identification in order to vote, finding that the law was “passed with racially discriminatory intent.”

The three-judge panel also unanimously rolled back changes to North Carolina law that made it either more difficult or impossible for voters to vote early, register to vote on Election Day, vote outside of their assigned precinct or to preregister to vote.

“We can only conclude that the North Carolina General Assembly enacted the challenged provisions of the law with discriminatory intent,” Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote for the majority.

12.40pm EDT12:40

As we wait for Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine to begin their rally in Philadelphia this afternoon, here’s a classified post from a New Yorker who is attempting to sell their vote on Craiglist. The price? An air conditioner.

“It’s hot out and I’m undecided so I’m selling my 2016 presidential vote for an air conditioner!! Vote will be awarded for newest unit with highest BTUs,” the poster wrote. Calling the sale “a chance to change my undecided, independently registered, mind without linking to any long articles I probably wouldn’t read,” the poster calls the sale a “great opportunity” for supporters of Clinton, Donald Trump, Green party candidate Jill Stein or even “these other weirdos.”

“Excited about my entrepreneurial spirit? I can vote libertarian!!” the person continued. “Sad that in the richest country in the world working people can’t afford basic freon? I’ll write in Sanders!!! Oppose Haiti’s minimum wage reaching an unreasonable $0.64 an hour// $5 a day? I’m with her!!!”

An 10,000 BTU Frigidaire air conditioner costs $313.59 on Amazon.