Clinton Library's universal appeal seen in its 365,000 visitors (almost every Bubba voter)

Newsday.com ^ | 7/15/05 | DAVID HAMMER

[Libloather]

Clinton Library's universal appeal seen in its 365,000 visitors
By DAVID HAMMER
Associated Press Writer
July 15, 2005, 7:07 PM EDT

LITTLE ROCK -- The everyman appeal that Bill Clinton peddled in his political campaigns lives on at his presidential library. Among the more than 365,000 visitors who have passed through the library since November, no single demographic stands out.

"I just think he is the only president I'll ever see who will really understand me as a person, and that's why I wanted to see more," said Ava Carter, 48, a black Democrat traveling with James D. Stearns, 55, a white Republican.

**SNIP**

The more popular features of Clinton's library are his gifts from foreign dignitaries, a replica of the Oval Office, touch-screen links to key policies and a continually rolling videotape of his more light-hearted moments.

**SNIP**

Carter, who described herself and Stearns as "the Mary Matalin and James Carville of our apartment complex" in Dallas, said her trip to the Clinton Library was months in the making.

"I'd never even been to Arkansas, but last year we planned to go to Clinton's birth home in Hope, up to Hot Springs (where Clinton grew up) and here," Carter said. "James said, 'Sure, let's go."'

**SNIP**

"Of the 41 million vehicles that pass by this stretch of interstate a year, 4 to 5 million are first-time passersby; that's a big plus when the newness wears off," Rutherford said.

Rutherford says the continuing popularity of Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., should sustain the library's buzz longer than the others. Yesawich says it would be a mistake to count on that because other ex-presidents have been in the public eye without adding to their museums' attendance figures.

[Bogolyubski]

She greets visitors who walk through double-wide rooms with plush shag carpets, lined with a superb collection of black-velvet portraits of the Great Stainmaker and his legion of paramours, interns, and lackeys. On the way to the outhouse, one can see Lord Hee-Haw's fully restored El Camino!

[Howlin]

Did you notice how long it took me to reply? (I hate to find the calculator on Windows XP......LOL)

[kcvl]

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[Captain Peter Blood]

What a joke. I live here in Little Rock and I have to admit the first year attendance figures are more than I would have thought.
I will have to question whether 41 million vehicles pass by that Library on I-30 every year. Sounds like way too many.
I do feel after the first year things will cool down very quickly.

[writer33]

Sheesh. One little slip up and you never let 'em forget it, L. :)

[writer33]

One little slip up, kcvl and you never let 'em forget it. How do you live with yourself? :) Hehe!

[Libloather]

Did you notice how long it took me to reply?

Oh, HECK yes. If I mention that I'm runnin' '98, will you still hate me in the morning?

[Howlin]

No, because the calculator is easier to find on '98!

[Cobra64]

The library should have been built in a shape of phallic symbol.

It's so ugly already that I'd never let it on my property. Besides, it's probably riddled with so many diseases that we'd have to call the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA.

[Go Gordon]

"Of the 41 million vehicles that pass by this stretch of interstate a year, 4 to 5 million are first-time passersby; that's a big plus when the newness wears off," Rutherford said.

And only 365,000 People have bothered to visit the Liebury. Bwwwwwaaahahahahaha

[Cobra64]

Every day, in every way, I see more and more morons!!!

Yup. 99.99% of the World's population cannot spell the first name of our President. And... we feed, clothe, and heal these people. (sigh)

[Cobra64]

Does the gift shop sell condoms and cigars?

Sounds like a great place for me if I were 40 years younger.

Bill should hire a K-Mart marketing team to work the "Blue Light Special" theme. Of course, there would be pushback from the anti-seman dropping society; of coarse reported by the New York Tymes.

Hey Doug, I'm certain you can play this better than I.

Cheers

[Libloather]

I will have to question whether 41 million vehicles pass by that Library on I-30 every year.

Back In '84, I broke down with a dead Volkswagon alternator just prior leaving Texas. I got towed to some town that was designed to help. The repair in Texarkana got me as far as Ohio.

Anything else in Little Rock would've cost me more - probably in more ways than one...

[middie]

I visited the Clinton Center in April and May and found it to be the most interesting and best organized presidential library/center I've visited. I've been to all except the Reagan Center and I'm planning a visit there in August. The wildly unthinking mob on this site would savage the Clinton Center: (1) even though never having seen it, (2)if they secretly were impressed with the technology and historic value of the exhibits and artifacts (which any reasonable person would be) but their bravado and unrelenting hatred would rather have them die of a coronary occlusion than admit the curator and staff did a good job, or (3) are too mentally impaired to appreciate the well portrayed aspects of eight years of, on balance, a successful American presidency.

Being eaten up and all consumed by such misplaced ideologically fervency must be a full time occupation preventing one from enjoying a real life.

[endthematrix]

HA! That's a great pic!

[Max Flatow]

I visited the Clinton Center in April and May and found it to be the most interesting and best organized presidential library/center I've visited. I've been to all except the Reagan Center and I'm planning a visit there in August. The wildly unthinking mob on this site would savage the Clinton Center: (1) even though never having seen it, (2)if they secretly were impressed with the technology and historic value of the exhibits and artifacts (which any reasonable person would be) but their bravado and unrelenting hatred would rather have them die of a coronary occlusion than admit the curator and staff did a good job, or (3) are too mentally impaired to appreciate the well portrayed aspects of eight years of, on balance, a successful American presidency. Being eaten up and all consumed by such misplaced ideologically fervency must be a full time occupation preventing one from enjoying a real life.

Are you sure your at the right board?

[pepsionice]

I can understand 100,000 locals going the first week...just see the thing. But after that...no one goes to Little Rock for anything. So the remaining 265k people...if there were that many...are probably school kids from the whole state who were forced to go...because it is the one and only presidential library in their state. I can see alot of history teachers signing up for such a field trip, just to get our of that classroom. And consider this...probably half of the 365k...left at lunch and got a bucket of southern fried chicken...and returned after lunch, to be counted a second time.

[digger48]

I wouldn't walk across the street to see anything about the Clintons.

I damn sure don't need the Clintons or you telling me about the quality of MY life.

[CivilWarguy]

Isn't Newsday, the newspaper that published this, the newspaper that got caught falsifying its circulation numbers?

[Fresh Wind]

365,000? Does that include the homeless people that are living underneath the library? They were chased out of the area for the gala opening. They must be back by now.