MANCHESTER, N.H. – Hillary Clinton traded in the negative focus she’s kept on her Republican opponent for much of the past week for an uplifting message Sunday night in her final pitch to voters in New Hampshire, the smallest of 13 battleground states but one that could determine the fate of her presidential bid come Tuesday.
“This election is a moment of reckoning. It is a choice between division or unity, between strong steady leadership or a loose cannon who can put everything at risk. This is one of these elections that really is a crossroads election in our country,” the Democratic presidential hopeful told thousands of supporters, many of whom arrived at the venue hours before Clinton had even taken the stage in Cleveland for her first rally of the day.
“We’ve got to get everyone to believe that this election is about you,” she continued. “Your dreams, your hopes, your aspirations, your community. I am confident and I am optimistic about the future we can create together.”
Clinton was introduced by Khizr Khan, the father of a fallen Muslim-American soldier who has become a powerful surrogate for the former secretary of state since he delivered an impassioned speech at the Democratic National Convention in July.
“She is the strongest most qualified representation of the fundamental values which have made this country a symbol of hope and equality for all,” Khan said, inviting resounding applause. “In Hillary Clinton, we see a leader who is fighting for the true values of this country which are under attack by Donald Trump in this election.”
Before Clinton and Khan took the stage, James Taylor serenaded the packed crowd with ballads he dedicated to the former secretary of state and Maggie Hassan, the Democratic governor of New Hampshire who is running to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte. Clinton was joined earlier in the day by NBA star Lebron James, just one of several high-profile surrogates and celebrities who have joined the former secretary of state on the campaign trail in the waning days of the election.
“It is so great to be here with so many fired up Granite Staters… who are ready to elect Hillary Clinton and Democrats up and down the ticket on Tuesday,” Hassan told the audience. “Hillary is fighting for our priorities and, as president, she’ll work to build an economy that works for everybody not just those at the top.”
Clinton and Trump are running neck-and-neck in New Hampshire, with some polls released before the weekend showing the GOP nominee in the lead. The Manchester rally was a last-minute addition to Clinton’s schedule and she admitted to those gathered inside the brick auditorium that she isn’t taking anything for granted in the Granite State.
If Clinton is worried about New Hampshire, she didn’t show it. The former first lady took the stage with a bounce in her step and an aura of confidence that was absent from her rallies just days ago. The event also happened to come hours after FBI Director James Comey declined to recommend charges against her for a second time, following his decision to reopen the investigation into her private email server late last month.
“It’s important that we believe in a hopeful, inclusive, big-hearted, united America where everyone has a place, where everyone is included [and] where people who are willing to work hard get ahead and stay ahead,” Clinton said as members of the audience cheered and held their hands up in the shape of hearts.
But she also warned supporters of the road that lies ahead if she defeats Trump on Tuesday, emphasizing the uphill battle either candidate is sure to face when it comes to uniting the country.
“We will have some work to do to bring about healing and reconciliation after this election,” she said. “We have to begin listening to one another and respecting one another because our core values are being tested in this election.”
Clinton will spend her final day on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, two states she is favored to win but where polls have tightened in the waning days of the election. The Democratic nominee leads Trump by less than 2 percentage points overall heading into the final 24 hour before Election Day, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
