Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Clinton talks job growth, healing the nation at Las Vegas campaign stop

1012HillaryTacos12

Steve Marcus

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton poses with patrons at Tacos El Gordo on East Charleston Boulevard before her rally in Las Vegas Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016.

Updated Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016 | 10 p.m.

Click to enlarge photo

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves during a campaign rally at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016.

Hands, signs and American flags waved outside the Smith Center Wednesday evening as over 3,000 attendees filled the downtown Las Vegas venue's front lawn for a 30-minute stump speech by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Following brief speeches from Rep. Dina Titus and Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Catherine Cortez Masto, Clinton outlined plans for job growth and education reform while discrediting her opponent in front of the Las Vegas crowd.

"We're going to make our greatest investment in jobs since World War II," Clinton said as attendees cheered.

The former secretary of state took aim at her Republican opponent Donald Trump, criticizing him for his derogatory remarks about women in a leaked 2005 video.

Clinton called Trump an "equal opportunity insulter," also citing previous insults of U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, Gold Star father Khizr Khan and disabled journalist Serge Kovaleski.

"I want to heal those divides that are being set forth by my opposition," she said.

Clinton took aim at Trump's tax record, arguing that by calling himself "smart" for not paying federal taxes, Trump insinuated taxpaying Americans are "dumb."

"It takes a lot of gall to criticize a country you won't lift a finger to support," Clinton said.

The Democrat urged attendees not to vote for her solely in spite of Trump, but because of her plans to make "an already great country even greater."

"We're going to have jobs in advanced manufacturing, in technology and innovation. We're going to have renewable energy jobs, something that Nevada is leading the way in," Clinton said.

Clinton said as president she'd also bring back vocational education to U.S. high schools, providing more jobs for middle-class Americans.

"A lot of those jobs are going to require skilled trade people," she said.

Outside the rally, a statue of a naked man resembling Trump stood tall from the bed of a Jeep utility vehicle in the Smith Center parking lot.

While Clinton supporters waited by the hundreds to enter the fenced-off area where she would speak, 10 demonstrators held signs protesting her candidacy, accusing Clinton of calling women "liars."

"Don't believe the mainstream media — everything (Clinton) says is a lie," bellowed Trump supporter Mike Morrow, 55, from a loudspeaker.

Less than an hour before Wednesday's evening's speech, Clinton surprised just over a dozen staffers and patrons at Tacos El Gordo, 1724 E. Charleston Ave., a Mexican restaurant in the central valley. Upon seeing the Democratic nominee's motorcade appear, dozens more rushed to the area, waving and cheering at Clinton from the outside the restaurant.

Restaurant patron Mike Berube said he was looking for an off-the-beaten-path Mexican eatery during this week's Las Vegas visit from his hometown of Kailua, Hawaii. Berube, 51, said he had no idea he'd be having a one-on-one conversation with the presidential nominee.

Berube stayed an extra 15 minutes at the restaurant Wednesday when he saw Secret Service members and campaign employees walk up to the door.

"I grabbed my phone and saw she was going to be here in Vegas," Berube said. "I just let her know I'm voting for her."

Three Hispanic children in the restaurant stood quietly in awe as Clinton approached them, said a few words, and took pictures. Remaining patrons and staff also snapped a collection of selfies and portraits with Clinton.

Clinton soared to an 11-point lead following Sunday's debate, according to a Monday NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. The same poll saw Clinton's lead decrease to 9 points, 46 percent to 37 percent, on Tuesday. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson tallied 9 percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein polled at 2 percent.

Clinton is next scheduled to campaign Thursday in San Francisco. Vice President Joe Biden will campaign for Clinton in Las Vegas Thursday morning at Culinary Union Local 226 headquarters.