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Appearing in her first campaign rally in the Bronx, Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton blasted Republican presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump, whose eponymous golf course rests in the same borough.
“He wants to build walls; I want to build bridges,” said Mrs. Clinton, speaking at a gymnasium-style community center in Co-Op City. It was Mrs. Clinton’s second visit to the Bronx this month, ahead of the April 19 presidential primary in New York. She had surprised the press when her first visit to the borough was an adlibbed tour of the South Bronx.
Setting the stage for her rally in Co-Op City served as a strategic venue for the Clinton camp, given the 25,000 residents that live in the sprawling complex. Mrs. Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, had campaigned in Co-Op City in 1992 during his first run for the White House.
“The majority of us our Democrats,” said Michelle Tapper, a 22-year Co-Op City resident, speaking of her neighbors. “I’m just glad that she came hear to see us.”
But since the campaign begun in New York, Mrs. Clinton has barely made any visits in the Bronx, unlike the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan, where he presence is strongly felt. Mr. Sanders, who jumpstarted his campaign in the Bronx, made two official stops to the borough.
Mr. Sanders held his rally in St. Mary’s Park on March 31 with several thousand in attendance. Mrs. Clinton’s rally produced some 400 people, with some waiting in line for hours to get in.
Those who entered grumbled, with several older residents in walkers pleading for an available seat and offered none. Co-Op City is ranked the country’s largest naturally occurring retirement community (NORC), with a large chunk of its residents considered senior citizens.
“You gotta tell people who are standing on line, ‘there’s a chance you might not get in,’” said Claudia Sampson, a Co-Op City resident for 22 years who waited in line three hours to see Mrs. Clinton speak.
Sampson walked in to the center with her neighbor, Naomi Weston, who griped of waiting three hours in a long line that snaked along the mall on Dreiser Loop and out to Deb Place.
Others were there to simply listen.
“I’ll probably vote for her because she’s a woman,” said Patrice Weston. “Her husband (Bill Clinton) has done it already and who better than someone who was there eight years already to finish off the work he started?”
Still, the Bronx has long been considered Clinton territory, with the borough’s political establishment praising Mrs. Clinton for climbing the political ladder in Washington D.C. as First Lady, U.S. Senator from New York, and Secretary of State under President Barack Obama.
Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, whose district covers Co-Op City, ratcheted up the crowd, calling Mrs. Clinton’s opponent, Bernie Sanders, an elected official who “has done virtually nothing except complain.”
City Councilman Andy King, also representing Co-Op City, cunningly called Mr. Sanders, “BS,” saying he’s mainly “part of the problem.”
In a familiar play on words, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., standing alongside Mrs. Clinton on stage, told the crowd that the Bronx will “not feel the Bern on Tuesday.” Taking his punning abilities a step further, Diaz said “the Bronx has not been feeling the Bern in decades.”
Editor’s Note: Photos by Daniela Beasley.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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I believe the people of co-op city was very insulted by Mrs Clinton’s visiting co-op city. The event was not well taught people stand out side for hours and still didn’t get to enter the event room. I believe some monitors should set up outside for people to watch what going on inside. Or keep outside, so everyone who leave there house could get a satisfaction The whole event was a joke.
400 people in a community of 25,000 is a “large turnout”? Really?
Thank you Michael Benedetto for demonstrating that the best way to support Hillary… is by lying about Bernie. So inspiring.
Damn straight!
We love you here Hillary Bernie no promise that you cannot keep Mr Independent 40 years and did nothing but complaints
400 people? That’s laughable. Clinton is no leader and no front runner if she fails to energize her supporters. Bernie is the real leader and the only serious candidate in this primaries.
I notice the areas these candidates go to. None have stepped foot in any white areas of the Bronx. As usual, the middle class white voters are left out. Guess I’ll just have to vote for Trump.
Because Trump has gone to Pelham? You sound as idiotic as he does w his 8th grade vocabulary and Kindergarten political logic.
Hillary is fighting for the all Americans including Hispanic Americans, Black American, Whites Ame. Hillary is fighting for the poor, the disabled and immigrants yes I said it immigrants. Because she understands that this country was built on the backs of immigrants.
Hillary is reaching out to the people of the Bronx where the poorest New Yorkers live while Bernie was in the village where the wealthiest New Yorkers live. Very interesting!
What do some people in NYC think Hillary as president is going to do for them. She’s been there (3) times in twenty years. Once when Bill was running and now this is her second time for her run at the presidency. This woman got (4) americans killed in Libya, no, she left four americans in Libya to die on their own. On one hand as Secretary of State she says she was responsible for what happened. But on the other she first says she did nothing wrong in her actions to do nothing, but then changed it, to it wasn’t her fault cause things were out of her control. Nor has she ever once made an attempt to apologize to the familes of those who died there in Libya, under her watch. And lets no forget only two presidents in the history of the US have ever been impeached, and one of them was good old Bill. And both of those presidents that were impeached were democrats. And the jury is still out on that whole e-mail/server thing. But one thing is for sure. She knows what she did was wrong. Cause when she tried to get permission to use her own personal e-mail server at home from the NSA and other agencies. Her request was flatly turned down. And Obama knew all along what she was doing but turned a blind side to the whole thing, until the shit hit the fan that is, And this is who some people want in office running this country. They say she has the experience as a senator. But WWE ex champ pro wrestler Jesse Ventura was a senator, would you vote for him for president. They say she has the experience and knowledge cause she was a lawyer. We,,, we all better get Saul……….and elect him then as president. Bottom line is this country is all messed up due to the politicians. What we need is a non politician in office, to clean house, and make this government work for the people and by the people…………………….
If Bernie is not the candidate in November, Then I am not voting.