[ot-caption title=”Former President Bill Clinton speaking in the backyard of a private home in Boca Raton, Florida. (via Lisa Zheutlin, junior)”]

On Monday, February 15^th, former President Bill Clinton attended multiple rallies in South Florida. It seems a coincidence that Clinton appeared at these events on Presidents’ Day, but it was actually Mrs. Clinton that was supposed to be in attendance. Originally scheduled for one public rally at the Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach and three private events in Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Miami, Hillary Clinton declared she could not be in attendance two days beforehand. After her loss in New Hampshire to rival Bernie Sanders, Mrs. Clinton decided to spend more time campaigning in Nevada, which seems to have paid off, considering her six-point win on Saturday, February 20^th. This turn of events caused her to send her husband, Bill Clinton, instead.

After his packed public event in Palm Beach, where Clinton was actually heckled by a Trump supporter, the former president headed to a private home in Boca Raton, Florida to speak to Hillary supporters. After about an hour of mingling and snacking, some guests got to take photos with the former President while others waited for his much-anticipated speech. Taking place in the backyard of a home, the poolside speech was a relatively causal setting for what, upon retrospection, was a momentous occasion.

Clinton began his speech by graciously thanking the hosts, and then briefly mentioned the Clinton Foundation, an organization that “tackles the world’s greatest challenges,” such as climate change, health and women’s rights. After this discussion, Clinton moved into an in-depth conversation about economics. Clinton said that the economy improved during his 1993 to 2001 presidency, and he claimed, “[this] didn’t just happen, it was a result of policy.” He also gave a statistic that, taking into account inflation, ninety percent of people in the United States have not had their wages improve since his presidency. These comments were made as a statement of what needs to progress during the next presidency.

As this was a Hillary Clinton campaign event, Clinton began discussing his wife’s opponent in the election, Bernie Sanders. Though never referenced by name, Sanders was referred to as “the opposition.” Mr. Clinton claimed that “the opposition” gets support because millennials cannot move out of their parents’ home due to college debt and unemployment. He used this point as a way to highlight the difference between Hillary and Bernie. Hillary, unlike Sanders, does not believe in free college. Instead, she believes in debt-free college. The Clintons believe that this can be achieved, in part, by not allowing the government to make money off of student loans, and that loans should be refinanced, so they can be paid off like a home mortgage.

In addition to mentioning the opposition within the Democratic Party, Clinton also discussed the Republican Party, which he worked with during his presidency. Giving personal anecdotes, Clinton discussed his relations with Republicans who told him, in private, about Hillary’s positive attributes during their time working together in the Senate. In regards to the stark party divisions, Clinton said the country must work together to solve problems such as the rise of ISIS. Making a brief digression about the Supreme Court, the former president said, “If I was still a Constitution teacher and I gave my students the same question as the Supreme Court got in the Bush versus Gore case, I would flunk them if they [my students] gave me that answer.” After applause, hand shaking, and selfies, Clinton left Boca Raton for his next event in Miami.

Bill Clinton is in a unique position, as no former President has ever had his wife then run for the presidency. This allows the former President to remain involved in politics, as he has the potential of returning to the White House as the first-ever First Gentleman. Until then, Clinton will continue travelling the United States promoting his family’s values and campaigning for Hillary.

Sources: ABC News, Miami Herald, NBC News, Clinton Foundation, PolitiFact.org