Clinton sees Obama victory

Former President Clinton told a Las Vegas crowd on Sunday that Democrats will win the election as long as American voters are focused on what's important.

"We will have a great victory unless something happens, something is said or done, to make people forget what it is about," he said.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, Clinton said, is poised to put Nevada's electoral votes in the Democratic column for the first time since Clinton was on the Democratic ticket, in 1996.

Speaking in the courtyard of Chaparral High School, near the intersection of Viking and Sandhill roads, Clinton said the job the next president will have to do includes "bringing back the American dream of reward for hard work and being able to educate your kids," fixing health care and bringing American troops home from Iraq.

"That's the job, and you are the employers," he said. "Selecting the president is the greatest hiring decision in the world."

Police estimated the audience for Clinton's 25-minute speech at 2,500, according to the Obama campaign.

Clinton campaigned hard for his wife in the run-up to Nevada's January caucuses, which Hillary Clinton won.

"After this long, fascinating campaign, there were two people who showed up for the job interview," President Clinton said. "You all know one of them was my first choice. But you probably also know one reason I'm here tonight is Hillary sent me."

Clinton did not speak ill of Obama's opponent, Republican John McCain, and was applauded when he complimented McCain for his military service and history of standing up to his party.

But, he said, "If that's the job, I don't think it's close who we ought to hire. Once you define what the job is, who we ought to hire leaps out at you."

Clinton said Obama had proved himself on two crucial tests: his selection of running mate and his response to the financial crisis.

With so many domestic problems, he said, the next vice president will have to do much of the coming administration's outreach to the rest of the world, and Biden, with his vast foreign policy expertise, is perfectly suited to that task.

On the financial crisis, Clinton said Obama consulted as many people as he could and was criticized for not immediately taking a bold stand.

"But he did the right thing because this is highly complicated, and the first thing he wanted to do is to make sure he understood what was happening," Clinton said.

"I've been there when there were these mind-boggling, complicated problems. This is mind-boggling. You want a president who wants to understand and who can understand."

When Obama formulated his response, Clinton said, he was concerned chiefly with what was the right thing to do, not with what would poll well.

"This may be an impolitic thing to say this close to an election," Clinton said. "Way more than half the time, the right thing to do will not be popular in the moment. You have to say, 'I am willing to be judged in the long run,' and that's exactly what he did."

Clinton was introduced at Sunday night's rally by Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate majority leader.

As the two ascended to the podium, Clinton took off his blazer, under which he was wearing a brown polo shirt.

Reid followed his lead by taking off his tie and jacket.

Clinton joked that footage of that little striptease would become ammunition for an attack.

"We're getting close to the election, and the other side is looking for some Hail Mary pass to throw," he joked. "I'm taking off my coat; Harry's taking off his coat, taking off his tie. I can just see it. I'm terrified."

Lee Paguio, a 60-year-old casino food server, came out of Clinton's speech crying.

Paguio, a Hillary Clinton supporter in the primaries, said it wasn't until she heard Bill Clinton on Sunday that she made up her mind to vote for Obama.

"I was so disappointed when Obama beat Hillary, I could not make up my mind," she said. "But when (President) Clinton said what he did about Obama -- now I have hope about the future."

Paguio's husband Alfonso, 63, said the speech made him remember the good times when Clinton was in office.

"When he was president, we could buy a house," he said. "The economy was good, everybody was working. Now, everything's down."

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball @reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.