President Bill Clinton listens to his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during a conference in Montreal on Wednesday, November 28, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
Montreal Gazette: U.S. should follow Canada's model of diversity, Clintons say in Montreal
Bill and Hillary Clinton held up Canada as a kind of antidote to the "authoritarian" and divisive politics of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The United States is making a mistake by moving in the opposite direction of Canada on cultural diversity, immigration and social harmony, former U.S. president Bill Clinton told a receptive audience in Montreal on Wednesday night.
“Canada has done such a good job of both managing its contemporary diversity and it has a very interesting immigration system,” he said at the Bell Centre, where he and his wife, former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton, made their second stop on a paid speaking tour of North America.
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Update #1: Clintons say America should be more like Canada: Bill and Hillary are presented with personalized Montreal Canadiens jerseys and urge Trump to follow northern neighbor’s economic and immigration model (Daily Mail)
Update #2: Clintons call on Canada to be a role model for U.S. during Bell Centre event (CTV)
WNU Editor: Here is a summary on my night with the Clintons.
* Security was tight when I entered the Bell Centre.. And I was told no pictures.
* I had expected an older crowd, but with the exception of those in front who were older (I guess they were the ones who could afford the higher priced tickets), most of the audience was middle aged, and the proportion was equal in men and women. It was also an audience that was overwhelming white, and it was well attended. A better showing than what had happened the previous day in Toronto, but there were still many empty seats.
* The crowd was not hostile .... everyone was receptive (a Canadian altitude that I always enjoy seeing).
* When the Clintons came on stage the applause was genuine and supportive.
* Bill Clinton looked good and relaxed. Hillary Clinton looked "frumpy" in her clothes, but she was sharp and eager to get the show on. She did not get into a coughing spasm.
* Bill Clinton started the "conversation", but it was Hillary Clinton that did most of the talking. In many ways I found that Bill Clinton was being deferential to his wife. He definitely did not want to eclipse here.
* Their conversation was focused on their political history, and they shared some stories that I have heard before.
* All the questions from the moderator were "soft-ball" to the extreme .... which to me was a disappointment, and an opinion that I think was shared by almost everyone in the audience. There was no Q&A with the audience.
* The Clintons praised the Canadian social/immigration/economic model, but I felt that it was not sincere. They were doing it to ingratiate themselves with the audience .... and it worked. It is also the story that the local news outlets are carrying today.
* Nothing controversial was mentioned. And while the press are saying that the Clintons did not mention President Trump by name, they did once, and they did not use his title of President.
* The conversation was very short. It lasted only an hour, and I felt that the reason why it ended so quickly was that the Clintons started to look bored. Again .... if the moderator was more aggressive this could have been more interesting (and longer). But the moderator choose to be polite, happy that she was with the Clintons.
* At the end of the "show" many felt disappointed that it ended so quickly. They expected more. My friend who gave me the ticket to see this show .... and who loves the Clintons .... was happy to see them, but was also disappointed on how quickly it ended.
* Everyone liked former President Bill Clinton and how he presented himself. Not the same type of energy for Hillary Clinton. The overwhelming opinion among everyone was that she should not run again.
* Was it worth watching the Clintons last night? Yes and no. As a political junkie I enjoy these things, and I did enjoy myself last night. But I would not pay over $400 to see them together.
