An open book: Hillary lets her guard down
Former candidate speaks to fans at Broward Center
Hillary Clinton professed optimism, urged civic action, mourned the missteps of her 2016 campaign — and both mocked and lambasted President Donald Trump on Tuesday before thousands of South Florida fans.
The crowd soaked up every word, constantly applauding and cheering, staying silent when she made serious points, and erupting in laughter when she was funny.
Clinton began her appearance at the Broward Center for Performing Arts, part of the “Hillary Clinton Live” tour, by lamenting the Sunday night massacre in Las Vegas — and pressing for gun control to prevent more such tragedies.
“I’m devastated by what happened in Las Vegas,” she said, adding that people should be heartened by the courage and compassion of people who came to the aid of the dying and injured.
She ridiculed the view expressed by Republicans every time there is a mass shooting that it’s “too soon to talk about” gun control. “I have to tell you, what better time is there,” Clinton said. The audience cheered. “It’s not too soon for us to say with one voice we are overdue for real, meaningful action.”
She criticized Trump for signing a law early in his presidency that made it harder to keep guns out of the hands of people with serious mental illnesses and she ripped Republican congressional leaders for supporting legislation that would make it easier to buy weapons for silencers. She said Americans must stand up to the National Rifle Association.
Clinton said she’s had lots of time to get over the election loss from a personal standpoint, but made it clear she has not gotten over what she regards as the horror of the Trump presidency. She mostly referred to him as “this president” or “my opponent,” when referring to the election campaign. But when she mentioned him by name the crowd booed.
Until the inauguration, Clinton said, she held out hope that Trump would govern differently from the way he campaigned, and would bring the country together. When she heard the words of his inaugural address, she realized he would be as bad as she feared.
For much of the 79 minutes Clinton was on stage in Fort Lauderdale, she was different from the candidate who blitzed South Florida in the months leading up to the 2016 election. A teleprompter was set up, but Clinton didn’t use it or even go near, speaking without notes.
Until now, she said, “I have always felt I have had to be somewhat careful in public. Kind of keep my guard up a little bit. But now I’m going to get down.” And she did. She said people wondered how she could even get out of bed after the
election loss. “I don’t want to get too personal, but there were times when it seemed the best thing would have been to pull the covers over my head and stay there.”
Clinton said her therapy included spending time with friends and family, walking in the woods, watching Home and Garden television, organizing “every closet and drawer, playing with the dogs, and doing yoga.
“I also had my fair share of chardonnay,” she said. When white wine wasn’t enough, Clinton said she’d turn to “a really, really, really cold vodka martini with olives.”
Clinton said she still sometimes yells at the TV — then reminds herself that it’s critical to stay constructive and focused on positive action for the future.