Clintons Prove Most Popular Attraction at N.Y. State Fair
Even as a citizen, Bill Clinton’s popularity remained presidential as he toured the 2001 New York State Fair, followed by thousands of fans, Saturday.
The former president listened to a speech on agriculture by his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), then the couple took in exhibits on a 90-minute walk.
It was Bill Clinton’s third consecutive visit to the fair--a trip he said he intends to make a tradition.
The Clintons first visited in 1999, making Clinton the first sitting president to attend the state fair since Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. They returned last year to campaign for Hillary Clinton’s U.S. Senate race.
“The crowds seem about the same, but it’s a little easier for me to become invisible,” Bill Clinton said.
But with people standing five and six deep on both sides, the Clintons’ stroll was more like a crawl. They covered about 500 yards as both shook hand after hand and exchanged greetings.
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