President Clinton to visit UNH Wednesday

This Wednesday, Oct. 3, the UNH campus will be visited by former president Bill Clinton as part of his campaign tour stumping for President Barack Obama.


The grassroots event, which will be held in the Lundholm Gymnasium in the UNH Field House, was put on by the Obama For America – New Hampshire campaign. Doors will open for the event at noon, and attendees will be admitted on a first -come, first-served basis.


Although the event is free to attend and is open to the public, tickets are required to gain entrance into the Field House. UNH Students for Obama members were not at liberty to discuss exactly how many tickets had been handed out so far, but as of Monday, the organization distributed "a lot of tickets … a great deal of tickets,” said Laura Gilbert, a senior sociology major.


“Student interest is great,” she said, noting that she plans to skip her classes Wednesday afternoon and encouraged potential attendees to do the same.


The group had been handing out tickets since Sunday at a booth in the MUB. Interested students are required to fill out a form with their basic information for security reasons, before they can receive a ticket.


Clinton’s visit Wednesday coincides with the first presidential debate, scheduled for 9 p.m.  This debate, held at the University of Denver in Colorado, will pit GOP candidate Mitt Romney against President Barack Obama on the issue of domestic policy.


UNH Students for Obama members were unsure what exactly Clinton will be speaking about during his appearance, but according to the Portsmouth Herald, it is expected that he will elaborate on themes he presented in his Democratic National Convention speech.


New Hampshire is regarded as a swing state in this election, and has been and will continue to be frequented by politicians as the presidential election draws closer. The WMUR Granite State Poll, released Monday, shows Obama leads Romney in the state by 15 points, 52 to 37 percent.