Today, Hillary Clinton came to the Good Will Fire Company (the same place where I stumbled on the Robot Squad yesterday.) I overheard the CNN camera operators talking to each other: “How many firehouses have we been to?” “I dunno; this makes six or seven.” Hillary is obviously going for a blue-collar crowd, which seemed fairly ironic because the Good Will Fire Company serves the seat of one of the highest-income counties in the USA. That’s not meant to be all TELLINGLY IRONIC or anything; it’s just that the audience was filled with polished, affluent suburbanites, and so the country music over the PA system seemed a little out of place.

Barb got us past the secret service, and we got to meet Ed Rendell, who is just an awesome old-school name-remembering, flattering-story-telling politician “do you have a gym here?” he asked Good Will’s president. “Because volunteer firefighters have jobs; they move around. They don’t get fat like professional firefighters. You have to keep those guys busy!”

Then the back door opened and in came the secret service, and I was RIGHT UP AGAINST those guys, and they throw off a really intense, scary vibe, and then we shook hands with Senator Clinton, who gives off a very presidential, powerful aura. And then we all went out front and heard her speak.

So at this point, all the standard snarky-blogger stuff goes out the window. Hillary gave a REALLY great speech, mentioning a lot of things that I’m worried about (national debt, energy policy, disastrous foreign affairs, use of the military), and she seemed extremely competent and managerial. I didn’t get the Magical Kennedy Vibe from Obama that I was wondering if I’d get. I didn’t get it from senator Clinton, either: what I got was a feeling that she was experienced, focused, and capable. Regardless of her electability, I’m persuaded that she’d to an excellent job at the job of being president.

Kate and I have been really lucky about the amount of access we’ve had to the candidates to make a decision. In about twenty minutes, we’re leaving for Downingtown, where Obama’s gonna make a whistle-stop. That’ll give us a chance to hear a speech in person by both candidates. Right now, I have to say that I’m leaning towards Hillary, which I didn’t expect.