Obama an Empty Suit

by Rick Pearson

WESTERVILLE, Ohio--The central Ohio community of Westerville is the center of the presidential campaign universe today, hosting visits by Democratic contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in two of its high schools.

Clinton was first to get to the city today, speaking to supporters at the Westerville North High Schools gymnasium at a voter canvass kickoff event, where she continued to make her pitch to middle-class voters while ridiculing rival Obama’s speaking skills as empty rhetoric. Obama makes an appearance this afternoon at Westerville Central High School, a scant two miles away from Clinton's event.

Clinton said she has been “very specific” in speaking to audiences in the critical March 4 states, that include Ohio and Texas.

“I’ve given a lot of speeches in my life—probably hundreds of thousands,” she said. “You know, sometimes I finish a speech and people will come up to me and say, ‘That was so inspiring, so wonderful and making people feel so good.’ I said, ‘That’s great. But that’s just words.’ Our job is to make a difference.”