After campaigning in Central Florida on his own behalf in previous years, President Barack Obama came back to visit The University of Central Florida on Oct. 28, 2016, to show his support for Patrick Murphy, Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Tim Kaine.
“I was so excited that he was coming to town,” Lilly Nin, parent of Yael Caballero, said. “It was very emotional seeing him in person. He has always inspired me. As an immigrant, he really embodies the American dream. I trust his opinion on Hillary Clinton and how he says she will continue his legacy of all the great things he has done for America.”
Over 7,000 lined up outside the UCF CFE Arena, hoping for the possibility to get in and join the other 9,000 people waiting inside to hear the president speak. The line to get into the arena was about a mile long.
“As you would guess, the security was very tight,” freshman Yael Caballero said. “There was not one minute where I didn’t see a secret service agent making sure everything was safe for the president.”
Alongside the president, Florida congressional representative Patrick Murphy (democrat) spoke and U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (democrat) spoke. The Ocoee High School marching band played the outro music for Obama’s speech.
Obama used his 40-minute long speech to appeal to a large crowd of college students. Not only did he use his speech to show why Clinton and Murphy are the stronger candidates for their respective races, but he also commented on how their opponents, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, respectively, paled in comparison to them.
“I think the president’s visit will definitely affect Hillary Clinton’s campaign in a very positive way,” Caballero said. “Everyone was so excited about her campaign. If, before the president’s visit, her campaign wasn’t strong, it sure is now.”
Election Day is Nov. 8, with early voting until Nov. 6.