Obama: If Clinton wins Florida, she will win the election

KISSIMMEE – With Election Day looming Tuesday, President Barack Obama urged Hillary Clinton’s supporters in this critical battleground state to cast votes and “help finish what we started eight years ago.”

“Now here’s the thing though, Florida: All the progress we’ve made goes out the window if we don’t win this election. And we win this election if we win Florida,” Obama said during a rally Sunday in Kissimmee.

“If we win Florida, it’s a wrap. We win Florida, it’s over. So we’ve got to work our hearts out this week – these next two days – as if our future depends on it,” he said.

An estimated 11,000 people attended the afternoon event, braving occasional rainfall to pack the stands and infield area of Osceola County Stadium, the former spring training home of the Houston Astros.

Obama spoke from a podium near the third-base line alongside a large U.S. flag. Rows of letters posted inside the ballpark displayed the pro-Clinton messages “Stronger Together” and “I’m With Her,” and he led the crowd in chants of “Hillary!” and “USA!”

During his roughly 30-minute speech, Obama cited his economic accomplishments in office; praised Clinton’s work ethic by calling her “the Energizer bunny;” and urged attendees to vote for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Murphy. “you can’t stick her with a Republican Congress that behaves the way they’ve been behaving with me.”

Obama also denounced Republican candidate Donald Trump on multiple fronts, saying “our democracy is on the ballot” and Trump’s character makes him uniquely unqualified to serve as commander-in-chief.

“If somebody can’t handle a Twitter account, they can’t handle the nuclear codes. If somebody starts tweeting at 3 in the morning because ‘SNL’ made fun of him, then you can’t handle the nuclear codes,” Obama said, drawing laughs from the crowd.

Before Obama’s remarks, Motown legend Stevie Wonder performed a handful of hits from a musical stage set up just beyond the infield. A Puerto Rican festival and parade outside the ballpark at surrounding Osceola Heritage Park added to the diverse flavor of the event.

Rally attendee Caitlin Burns, 25, of Orlando is working on her master’s degree in business administration at Webster University – and she described her college expenses as “insane.” She volunteered with Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, back when she lived in Canton, Michigan.

“I remember being on a conference call with him during that, and hearing his inspirational words. He’s been a great proponent for equality, and he’s worked very hard to make change while he’s in office,” Burns said.

“And Hillary has to win so she can continue with that change,” she said.

Melbourne resident Kristen Warren, 30, works as a waitress. She also teaches acting and voice to children.

“Hillary’s probably the best candidate to carry on Obama’s legacy. I believe diversity is our strength, and we are a country that is a beautiful melting pot of all types. And we need to embrace that,” Warren said, standing in the entry line.

Price Cordle, 56, of Rome, Georgia, is an ophthalmologist who is volunteering for Clinton’s campaign by knocking on doors in Orlando and Kissimmee. He owns 400 acres in northwest Georgia, and he said his drought-stricken land has not received meaningful rainfall since May.

“I am a former biology teacher. I see the effects of climate change all around me all the time, and I think it’s the biggest problem of this generation,” Cordle said outside the ballpark.

Contact Neale at 321-242-3638, rneale@floridatoday.com or follow @RickNeale1 on Twitter