The former U.S. President reflected on his relationship with his wife, and praised the Democratic nominee for her dedication, drive and intellect.
Bill Clinton took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, where he shared a touching story about his meet-cute with wife Hillary Clinton while attending Yale Law School together.
"In the spring of 1971, I met a girl. The first time I saw her, we were appropriately enough in a class about civil rights," Clinton recounted. "She had thick blonde hair, big glasses, wore no makeup. She exuded this sense of strength and self-possession that I found magnetic."
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According to the 69-year-old former President, he couldn't bring himself to talk with this mysterious woman, but she caught him gazing at her one night, and she approached him.
"Then one night in the law library… I saw that girl again. And she was staring back at me. She closed her book, looked down, and started walking toward me," Clinton said. "She walked the whole length of the library and said, 'Look, if you’re going to keep staring me, and now I'm staring back. We might as well know each other’s name. I’m Hillary Rodham, who are you?'"
"I was so impressed and surprised that, whether you believe it or not, momentarily, I was speechless," he continued. "Finally I sort of blurted out my name and we exchanged a few words and then she went away."
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A few days after meeting, Clinton recalled that he saw her again, waiting in line to register for classes, and he joined her. "We stood in line and talked… and I thought I was doing pretty well. Then we got to the front of the line and the registrar looked up and said, 'Bill what are you doing here, you registered this morning!'"
"I turned red, and she laughed that big laugh of hers. And I thought, 'Well heck, since my cover’s been blown,' I just went ahead and asked her to take a walk down to the art museum," Clinton continued. "We’ve been walking, talking, and laughing together ever since."
He went on to explain how it took three marriage proposals for her to finally accept his hand, adding, "the third time was the charm."
"I married my best friend," Clinton shared. "I was still in awe, after more than four years of being around her, at how smart and strong and loving and caring she was."
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After detailing his burgeoning relationship with Hillary, as they stayed close "in good times and bad, through joy and heartbreak," the former president painted a picture of someone who was dedicated, thoughtful and determined.
He also described his wife, now officially the Democratic presidential nominee, as "the best darn change-maker I've ever met in my whole darn life," which is exactly why he thinks she's the right choice to be the first female president of the United States.
"This is a really important point for you to take out of your convention," Clinton said, "if you believe in making change from the bottom up, if you believe the measure of change is how many people lives are bettered."
The DNC kicked off on Monday with a powerful performance by Demi Lovato, as well as a speech where the singer addressed her struggles with mental illness and addiction, and advocated for reformed and improved mental health services in America. Check out the "Confident" singer's impassioned oration in the video below.
