Hillary Clinton brings her campaign back to Tampa Bay

With one week left until Election Day, Hillary Clinton spent the majority of her Tuesday afternoon visit to Tampa Bay contrasting herself with Donald Trump.

“No matter what you care about, there couldn’t be a bigger difference between me and Donald Trump,” the Democratic presidential nominee said to almost 1,600 supporters on the lawn outside the Charles E. Conger Library on the Pasco-Hernando State College East Campus. “We are a big-hearted, generous people, not a small-minded people. We know that if everybody works together, we will get farther together than if we separate people.”

Referring to the Republican presidential nominee’s comments about women, Clinton, who would be the first woman president if elected, said Trump “thinks belittling women makes him a bigger man.”

“He doesn’t see us as full human beings with our own dreams,” she said. “He has shown that clearly throughout the campaign. Well, he is very wrong. He is wrong about the women and men. ... Let us on Tuesday show him who we are.”

Former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who introduced Clinton on Tuesday in Dade City, said it couldn’t be any clearer that Trump doesn’t respect women. Machado said Trump verbally abused and body-shamed her when he owned the Miss Universe pageant.

“He just judges us on our looks,” she said. “He thinks he can do whatever he wants and get away with it. ... Together we are going to say loudly and clearly, ‘No Trump.’”

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said this election is the ugliest he’s ever seen a political campaign.

“We can’t take anything for granted,” he said. “I’m telling you, what you see in public is also the private Hillary. What you see is what you get.”

Less than a week after her last campaign stop in Tampa Bay, Clinton stressed the importance of Florida to the outcome of the election.

“Florida can decide who our next president is, which will affect the nation and the world,” Clinton said Tuesday. “And I want to make sure that every voter in Florida spends these next seven days thinking about what’s at stake in this election because honestly I believe this may be the most important election of our lifetimes.”

This election is now in the hands of the voters, Clinton said.

“Are we going forward together or are we going to be pulled backward by someone who wants to bully us?”Clinton said. “I want to be your partner, as well as your president. Prove once and for all that love trumps hate.”

Hundreds of supporters came out to Dade City to see Clinton one last time before Election Day.

For Zephyrhills resident Ruth Phelps, Tuesday afternoon in Dade City was the fourth time she heard Clinton speak.

“We’ve been to every rally within driving distance,” the 73-year-old said, adding she’s driven to Sarasota and Orlando to see the former secretary of State speak. “I love her. I want her to know I’m with her. The more faces she sees in crowd the better.”

Port Richey resident Shari Silk said she came to the Dade City rally to support Clinton, who is “the only qualified candidate.”

“I believe in her,” the 58-year-old said.

For Rene Wertheimer, who lives in Dade City and is a Daughter of the American Revolution, Tuesday was her third time seeing Clinton.

“She has the experience that is needed for the job and I believe in her views,” the 58-year-old said.

Tuesday was the first time Melinda Covel, a Dade City resident, heard Clinton speak. As a registered Republican, Covel said she is still undecided who to vote for.

“I’m not happy with what I’m hearing,” she said. “I figured come to hear what she had to say instead of just hearing sound bites. I was in hopes of coming today would sway me one way or another.”

Dade City resident Michel Louis Jacques, who was born in Haiti, said Clinton is “his lady.”

“I vote for her,” he said. “She’s a Democrat. Any Democrat I vote for them.”

Jacques said he likes everything about Clinton.

“She’s for the people,” he said.

This story was originally published November 1, 2016 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Hillary Clinton brings her campaign back to Tampa Bay."