I can’t do any of this without you,” Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said as she addressed 1,500 people gathered at the Zembo Shrine in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016.
Clinton said she is running for president to keep America safe and “lead America with strength and steadiness.” She said she wants to represent children and their families, to ensure their prospects and equality and to make sure that “every family has the tools they need.”
“Diversity is one of our strongest assets,” she said, clarifying that her goal is for all American citizens to come together as a nation.
Clinton said she wants to “get the economy working for everybody” and create more professions and increase pay for all citizens, not solely the “privileged few.” She encouraged companies to engage in profit-sharing with employees.
Clinton promised to tackle company manipulation, citing the recent news that Wells Fargo employees were unknowingly establishing new bank accounts for their customers and transferring customer monies to these phony accounts.
In opposition, Clinton said she wants to “empower the companies that take the high road.” She said more jobs should remain in the U.S. and that if she was elected president she would force companies to pay an exit tax for shipping American jobs overseas.
Bob Casey, Pennsylvania’s Democratic senator, spoke prior to Clinton’s address. He said that “her economic plan would create 3.2 million jobs,” according to Moody’s Analytics, which is a company that specializes in examining risk and reward in relation to business and financials.
Clinton’s visit to central Pennsylvania was to encourage potential voters to register on or before the Oct. 11 deadline.
“If you care what happens and what happens to your country, you can do it to make a difference,” an attendee said regarding why it is so important to actively vote in elections.
“We want everyone off the sidelines,” Clinton said. She also addressed individuals leaning toward voting for Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump. “Friends don’t let friends vote for Trump,” Clinton said.
An attendee wearing a t-shirt that read “Shut the Trump Up!” was among the crowd listening as Clinton invoked her opponent’s name.
“If you want to make America great again, don’t you think you should have jobs in America?” she asked, referencing Trump’s campaign slogan and the fact that many of his organization’s products are manufactured in other countries. She said that Trump “stiffed small businesses” by refusing to pay those businesses for services they provided in conjunction with the apartment complexes, resorts or other establishments his company built.
Clinton’s commitment to encourage small business growth was illustrated by the connection she made with the local drapery business her father ran when she was young.
“I am so grateful he didn’t get a contract from Donald Trump,” she said.
She stated that Trump wishes that the U.S. withdraw from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and he called the U.S. military a catastrophe.
She said that Trump is “unqualified to be commander-in-chief” and that she wants to “stage an intervention before it’s too late.”
A supporter speaking prior to Clinton said that she hopes “Harrisburg goes blue in November.”
“She’s the only candidate for president,” a couple in attendance at the event.
An attendee that surveyed Clinton’s political career since the 1970s said Clinton has “been a light.”
Another attendee said she thought that Clinton performed well, finding it impressive that she didn’t “Trump bash,” . In her opinion, Clinton related very well to people living in central Pennsylvania.
This attendee identified herself as a registered Republican.