Clinton’s reputation in Arkansas (Little Rock, Conway: attorney, home, neighborhood)

[ndindy]

A few years ago, before the ‘16 election, I was at a neighborhood party, not in Arkansas. The hosts had family visiting from Little Rock, and I made small talk by commenting Arkansas had a presidential library. The woman from Arkansas scoffed, telling me not to bring that up. She said the Clintons were a bad word and no one in Arkansas liked them. I was stunned, I think more by her poor manners, but she said something else bad about the clintons, and I responded, “Well maybe you should tell me what people in Arkansas enjoy discussing at a summer party.” She went on to talk about WalMart. She said Walmart had played such a positive role in the state.

My question, do most residents from Arkansas have these feelings?

[Hollynla]

You brought up politics at a "neighborhood party" and it didn't go well? Shocked!

AR is a red state, but some will like the Clintons, some won't.

[jim9251]

Everyone I knew when I lived there liked Bill. Hillary not so much.

[CraigCreek]

My Arkansas relatives are a mixed bunch. Some like both Clintons very much, think Bill Clinton is brilliant and Hillary also highly intelligent, if not as smooth as Bill, and strongly supported their efforts to improve public education and health care during Bill Clinton's gubernatorial years. They also favored the prison reform Bill worked for as Arkansas's attorney general. Some actively worked for all the Clinton campaigns.

Others have no use for either and make some rather outlandish claims about both Clintons' supposed involvement in a variety of illegal activities while they lived in Arkansas. These same relatives claim to be very devout Christians, but give Donald Trump a break on all of his questionable activities (three marriages, child born out of wedlock, infidelity, lying, Russian involvement, and so on) and claim he's making America great again and is being unfairly judged by all who question some of his behaviors.

Lots of cognitive dissonance going on with the last bunch, I think, but I'm not gonna tell 'em that.

I try to avoid talking about politics when I visit.

[hitpausebutton2]

When he was our governor, he did some great and not so great things. But his personally before he become president was easy going and able to talk too. My parents graduated with him in Hope, and me and chelsie was born on same day at differ hospital.. weird aint it..

As a president, just like others have come and gone, they have their greats and weakness. His wife on the other hand, even as the states first lady, hated her. Snobby attitude, self righteous B.. that can fall of the planet..

His library is a joke to the state as a oversize trailer designed. honestly it really is and will remain the joke of our state.

[CraigCreek]

I thought the Clinton Presidential Library's rather boxy architecture was partly inspired by the old railroad bridge that crosses the Arkansas River at that point. It is supposed to represent a bridge to the future, a phrase often used by Bill Clinton on his campaigns.

The old Choctaw Train Station is still there and has been restored as part of the library complex. It's nice to be able to walk out above the river from the library proper.

I remember riding the train across that old bridge and into that little station with my mother, just before Christmas when I was a child ( we spent the night in LR, with my aunt and uncle, then took the bus to Conway to stay with my grandparents the next morning).

We usually came into Union Station, which was and is much larger, but the Memphis connection was better via the smaller station. It was a cold, rainy night - and the shabby old passenger car leaked onto our seat. It must have been full, as we didn't move to a dry seat.

Anyone remember what line it was?

Later: it was the Rock Island Line, I learned with a little research.

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by hitpausebutton2

When he was our governor, he did some great and not so great things. But his personally before he become president was easy going and able to talk too. My parents graduated with him in Hope, and me and chelsie was born on same day at differ hospital.. weird aint it..

As a president, just like others have come and gone, they have their greats and weakness. His wife on the other hand, even as the states first lady, hated her. Snobby attitude, self righteous B.. that can fall of the planet..

His library is a joke to the state as a oversize trailer designed. honestly it really is and will remain the joke of our state.

You were a small child when Bill Clinton was governor and Hillary Clinton was the First Lady of Arkansas, then.

Are you sure your memory and impression of her character at that time is accurate and yours alone?

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by hitpausebutton2

When he was our governor, he did some great and not so great things. But his personally before he become president was easy going and able to talk too. My parents graduated with him in Hope, and me and chelsie was born on same day at differ hospital.. weird aint it..

As a president, just like others have come and gone, they have their greats and weakness. His wife on the other hand, even as the states first lady, hated her. Snobby attitude, self righteous B.. that can fall of the planet..

His library is a joke to the state as a oversize trailer designed. honestly it really is and will remain the joke of our state.

Your parents graduated with Biil in Hope from what?

First year of pre school?

Bill moved from Hope to Hot Springs the year he turned four years old, and Hope and Hot Springs are eighty miles apart.

[bawac34618]

In Little Rock, the Clinton's are liked and admired. In the rest of the state, not so much. Little Rock is a surprisingly progressive city. Of course my experience in Little Rock was last decade (I lived there in 2008 and 2009) and the state is trending more red so I am not sure if opinion on the Clintons has soured even in Little Rock. Back then though, they were still pretty well liked. Get out of Pulaski County though and they were hated.

[sheena12]

I have family and friends in AR.

Some don't like Hillary Clinton because they see her as a "war hawk". Others do like her. I really don't know anyone in AR who absolutely hates HRC, but I know a few who find her to be annoying and often point out that she is NOT from Arkansas.

With Bill Clinton it is less complicated. Most Arkansas who I know are proud of his presidency and support him.

I have never, ever heard of the Clinton Library being called a "trailer park" or a "joke". The Arkansans who I know, are in general, proud of the whole Clinton family. Chelsea has to be one of, if not THE most accomplished "First Daughters" we have ever had.

Most of the Arkansans who I know, are moderate to the left of me. All are professionals, professors, social workers, public servants, school teachers and the like.
Only one is a transplant.

In the future, my DH and I have thought of having a second home - or relocating to AR.

We LOVE the name of the LR airport, and we know many Arkansans who share that feeling.

Our daughter visited Hendrix College and was accepted there. However, much to my dismay, she decided to attend elsewhere.
Dang! Her God mother was only 40 miles away!