John Hay Created the Open Door Policy, Senator Clinton Could Have Used the Help; or On Hillary Clinton's First Campaign Stop in my Hometown

Senator HIllary Clinton made her first official stop in Cleveland during her run for the White House on Saturday afternoon. She rolled into town following events in Baton Rouge and a speech at Wilberforce College in Dayton.

The junior Senator was here to speak about the state of education in America today. She stressed its importance, saying that "there isn't anything more important than education." Hillary was invited by Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), the representative of Ohio's 11th Congressional District and the co-chair of Clinton's national campaign. Also in attendance was first-year Cleveland Municipal School District CEO Dr. Eugene Sanders, who spoke of the challenges that we face here in the America's poorest city and stated that the "Cleveland schools are at a crossroads." (quotes courtesy of The Plain Dealer; read article here).

Clinton appeared at John Hay High School, an 80-year old school on Cleveland's East side which re-opened this year following a years-long $2 million renovation. The event took place in the school's auditorium, where the Senator gave a 17-minute speech in front of a seated crowd. The venue could hold around 750 people; there were about 350 in attendance.

Now, granted, I take this worth a grain of salt. It was a relatively low-key event at a high school auditorium. It was focused around one theme, rather than being a high-energy campaign rally . However, Bill Clinton won 60.8% of the vote in Cuyahoga County in 1996, the second-largest percentage of any county in Ohio, and beat George H. Bush 52.7% to 29.2% in 1992, in a margin that far outpaced his 43% showing nationwide. Shouldn't Hillary be able to fill more than half of the seats on a Saturday afternoon, especially in a city that has an African-American majority and whose Congressional rep helps run her national campaign?

When Barack Obama came to Cleveland on February 26, he brought people out of the woodwork. I showed up at 4:00, more than two hours before the doors opened; I was far from the first person there. Obama brought out over 4,000 people to his first rally here, filling the gym at Cuyahoga County Community College East Campus. They even had to create two overflow rooms to acquiesce the throng of people. Cuyahoga County Commissioners Tim Hagan (a long-time Clinton friend and supporter), Jimmy Dimora (also the county party chairman), and Peter Lawson Jones have all given Obama their endorsements.

I can appreciate the fact that Ohio will hardly play the role it used to in this primary season, given the number of large states moving into February. But we are considered the swing voters in essentially every election. Perhaps this is indicitive of the two different campaigns that Clinton and Obama are waging - Clinton with her established, experienced setup and Obama with his grassroots groundswell? I just feel like Hillary's stream of support is beginning to run dry, while Obama appears to have nearly unlimited reserves which he can tap. He has already garnered the endorsement of a Harlem-area politician.

Maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion. Maybe this whole thing is just a fluke. But last time I checked, 4,000 > 350. Do the math.