There is a divide between politicians and people. From the podium to the television screen, something seems unnatural and impersonable.
It could be the platitudes and the tired phrases repeated endlessly.
Hillary Clinton held a rally at the USF Campus Recreation Center in Tampa Tuesday, Sept. 6. Over 1,500 people waited outside in the hot sun to see the presidential nominee inside a cleared-out basketball court.
Clinton made sure to hit all the main points: green energy, national security and education. Donald Trump was mentioned with scorn, and the crowd cheered through it all.
Political rallies hold significance. They are a chance to see a candidate in person, congregate with like-minded people and measure the energy of the party. Undecided voters supposedly use these events to get a real feel for the candidate.
But there seems to be a glass wall in place, something that changes the cadence from personal to impersonal. Time was limited. Clinton didn’t even speak until over an hour after she was scheduled to.
Every single detail seemed measured, prepared for the cameras. Before the event, an official campaign organizer was handing out “Stronger Together” signs for people to hold high up.
The attendees held them and danced while the cameras rolled.
Outside the gymnasium the atmosphere changed. Instead of chants, boos and shouts, people conversed. With breathing room and less television crews, people had a chance to talk about their ideas.
Donning a cowboy hat with Hillary Clinton pins, Al Felman stood in the sun asking people to register to vote.
Felman is part of a group called the Senior Citizens for Clinton and is convinced that registering people is the only way to save the world. Since his single biggest concern is climate change, he really believes that if the United States doesn’t elect Clinton, then nothing will be done to curb the destruction of the environment.
Standing outside for over an hour, Felman is dedicated, and he said that his favorite thing about the job, which he does for 30-plus hours a week, is the conversation.
Students who arrived early to the rally were anticipating getting to see what could be the first female president.
Mark Noble is a senior biology major whose passion is molecular biology. He said that if he could sit with Clinton, he would want to speak with her about gay rights and research funding.
Noble has been a supported Clinton since childhood. He was smiling when he said that he’d heard she liked whiskey, because it could be something they shared.
Next to him was Alex Moore. Moore is a health science major and hasn’t decided who she would like to vote for yet. Her mother was a big Clinton fan, and she came out to the rally upon her insistence. She wished that her mother could have been there with her, but was still excited to see the nominee.
These people are real.
They have lives that will be affected by the people on the stage, even if they never get to meet them. We have more of a chance to run into these people and have a meaningful conversation than we would Clinton.
It’s important to keep our perspective tight, close to home. When we try to place too much emphasis on a prominent figure, we are really just projecting our hopes, dreams and fears.
Instead, we have to speak to people to understand how complex this life really is. No single figure can change the world; instead, it requires a little bit of help from everyone.
It’s been said that our generation is disillusioned with the political process. We should wear this as a badge of honor and understand that it’s our personal experience and how we relate to the world that determines progress.
Maybe we shouldn’t be looking for connection with our politicians, but rather amongst ourselves.
© Photos by Devin Rodriguez/TCN
