Hillary Clinton Rallies at UCSB

You touched on this, but I think you overlooked the importance of the frustrated students and local people who waited for hours and did not get in to hear Clinton. Though I was told there was a line, by the time I arrived at five PM there was no line, just chaos and no enforcement. Even some of those given 'tickets' didn't make it in. The lack of organization and coordination from her campaign staff disappointed many young voters. For me personally it was the last nail in the coffin.

One word that would have prevented the chaos outside:

Storke Plaza

I VOTE √ HILLARY! Yes, I saw Obama speak - great speaker, so what? Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country… don’t you remember – or do you not know, like our history – such as the facts of MLK and our presidents at the time many seem to forget. If your going to complain, fine – but you better look in the mirror and educate yourself while you do it. I don’t know how many times since I can remember, UCSB campus, though a great university, is predominantly known as a party town – it was an honor to have Hillary – and the world will never forget it. Let’s be honest people! It’s such a party town that some people refer to IV as Disneyland with free beer – laugh it you want but it’s no longer very funny when more people go to IV, not to get an education and change the world, but to get loaded and waste the great opportunity this university truly provides for everyone! Every week the hangout has less productive students and more freeloaders not ready to grow up! Look, I love IV but let’s be real, we love IV because of the best of UCSB – the real students, the ones who are there for the right reasons, the ones who use most of their time to better themselves and the world. It doesn’t matter if you got in, if you are for or against… be responsible and stop blaming. Unlike Al Gore, we are not going to ignore who is best for the job for whatever reason just to survive worse than before… we are moving forward, aren’t we? I think HILLARY at UCSB made WOMAN and MEN realize that the event of Hillary winning has touched a special nerve and cord in all of us – not because of a race Vs sexist issue, it’s because of any kind of discrimination against any human being best for the position of AMERICAN PRESIDENT... that is why woman and men of every heritage and age are voting for Hillary! Not for every woman who has ever earned less than a man in the workplace, who has ever been denied a promotion or who has failed to receive credit for her work, or because the IV campus id different than the city college, it’s because this election is striking an important human issue in the world we live in now and our future! The human vote – is for human rights. Before 1920, only criminals, the insane, Native Americans, and women were denied the vote. Imagine that it’s the 1920’s today… now that for me personally would be the last nail in the coffin. Not cool! "Principle not policy; Justice, not favors. Men, their rights, and nothing more; Women, their rights and nothing less." HU-MANS: VOTE! IMAGINE… WE CAN MAKE CHANGE A REALITY! I imagine in twenty years peace on earth will be possible in the international community. Thank you Hillary! Please come back again as the first MRS. PRESIDENT!

Sincerely,
An American Voter

I think those blaming Clinton's campaign for the total disarray and disorganized crowd control are misplacing their anger -- but it's true that there was an absolute lack of leadership or organization on the part of whomever should have been in charge of the crowd at UCSB.

There was someone going up and down the line with a counter by 5pm, and if it was more than clear that there were many more than the 1000 capacity at that time, any newcomers should have been turned away and they weren't. People were just allowed to keep filtering toward the open area at the end of the "line". Either UCPD or the campus CSO should have taken charge of the situation (though I do understand this was probably dropped on them with short notice). Or maybe it's true, someone from SBforHillary should have been more on the ball in terms of sending someone out with a bullhorn to tell people that anyone without a ticket wouldn't get in. It's amazing what happens when no one is willing to TAKE CHARGE, and you had a lot of irritated and uninformed people out there shivering in the dirt, including this commenter!! No way to run an event! It's exceedingly rude to just let people wait and wait if they have no hope of getting in and someone KNEW that there was no hope of them getting in. Many have said that it was a calculated move so that the large crowd outside would make a good photo/video-opportunity.

FYI to 1stDistrict Streetfighter:

Two words.

Apparently this is too long and I will post in two sections.

Oh, where to begin. This was chaos, plain and simple, yet so very PREVENTABLE. I have never been so embarrassed and shocked by our community nor so frustrated by the lack of regard for safety and order, not to mention fairness. If this was part of the greater plan by the organizers, as some have suggested, in order to have video footage of huge crowds waiting to see their hero, I feel it was esight and sensible ticket distribution/crowd control management practices.
From the time I lined up at 4 p.m. it was obvious that this was a very disorganized effort. There were NEVER any actual tickets distributed. As I walked around looking for those in charge to voice my concerns - this was around 5 p.m. when things were clearly disorganized buut still calm - there were few people to be found. And those that I did speak with were all passing the buck, claiming that they were not in charge of crowd control, they didn't know anything about tickets, etc.
Several members of the SB for Hillary team were passing out what they said were tickets and were to guarantee admission to the gymnasium, but they were just sheets requesting contact info for future mailings from the team. We were in the 700 range when the person with the counter walked by and we did not get in. Nor did a student we know who had been waiting peacefully since 2:30 p.m. and was approximately 100th in line! Instead of attending what we hoped would be an informative and inspiring event, we were almost trampled.
Sadly, aside from the VIPs the gym was filled MOSTLY with ruffians who stormed the gates. There were no tickets required, nor was there anyone trying to collect the so-called tickets that had been haphazardly passed out.
We found ourselves in a crush of people with students around us panicking because they could barely breathe. Without a bit of exaggeration, I feared that someone would be trampled and killed. I don't know what happened to the mom with two young children I had seen in line hours earlier or some of the elderly folks. I assume that when things got ugly they left. I had female students around me crying, literally terrified for their lives as they were being pushed from all directions and towards a stucco wall. We were all trying to push back and screaming, "STOP PUSHING!" Thankfully no one was killed or seriously injured, but that could easily have been the case.

continued...

The handful of campus security officers and police officers were very ineffectual. Once the situation became horrible they made a half-hearted attempt to restore order, but as it grew worse and more dangerous, they abandoned their efforts and watched from the sidelines. Disgusting.
I do not blame Hillary for the events that transpired. She and all of us were let down in a very big way by the organizers. I hope that those who gained admission into the gym because of their lack of regard for the rules of our society, for common courtesy, feel at least a shred of remorse, but I doubt it. Again, Hillary deserved better.

I was out in the chaos too, it was awful.

The Clinton campaign simply refused to pay for enough security to do a good job on the event. UCSB gets very strictly audited on the costs for political rallies like this, and that is entirely appropriate.... the Republicans (or the Democrats if/when there is a Huckabee, McCain, or Giuliani rally) are quite cutthroat about exposing possible financial support of a public institution like UCSB for the other side.

That the Clinton campaign played hardball over a few thousand dollars seriously lowered their status in my eyes. I'd love to have the first female president of the US elected this year. But they repelled me with their terrible organization and tight-fistedness in providing organization and security for this event.

Have those of you posting here contacted Chancellor Yang, Susan Rose, or any other officials? How about straightening out the media which has NOT covered the happenings of the evening accurately?

Those of us who were there know the truth and just how dangerous this situation was. This must not happen again. Please encourage your friends who were in attendance to make their voices heard.

When I read that Hillary Clinton would be giving a town hall meeting for 1,000 people ONLY, it was clear to me that I needed to be there very early indeed. I arrived at 2:00. I was about the 150th in line and got in with no problem. It was worth the wait, and very clear and organized. You can't arrive at 5:00 and expect to get in when it was slated for 1,000 people!

Ali you must have gotten in before the gates were stormed, but how the scene outside was horrible, dangerous and very, very wrong and preventable! Good for you for getting in, I'm glad you did so safely. But don't forget that a large number of people were shocked and frightened for their lives at some points, and just plain stunned by what happened.

I do not blame Hillary, i would have loved to have heard her speak.

We arrived at 4pm, and a clear message that we could not get in would have been helpful. But it was a mess.

The Clinton campaign should have done more organization and hired more security.

This brings to mind the Who concert back in the late 70's where eleven people were trampled to death. Obviously, those who put this together didn't think of that.

I remember seeing Jesse Jackson in I.V. back in 1984. The event was held outside and everything went without a hitch.

Idol worship+bad crowd control=dangerous situtation.