Hillary Fever Grips East Hampton
Though Hillary Clinton was not expected at BookHampton until 5 p.m. on Saturday, the line to see her began to form that morning. Edna Lanieri-Dewitt, who was first in line, arrived at 10 a.m.
"I'm excited about just meeting her," Ms. Lanieri-Dewitt said. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm thrilled that she's in this world."
By 5 p.m., the line stretched all the way from BookHampton to the west end of the business district by Intermix, and wrapped around to John Papa's Café on Park Place. The book signing was sold out, with all 1,000 tickets purchased in advance.
Aubrey Peterson, who is 11, said that he was willing to wait all day to see Mrs. Clinton. "Meeting Hillary Clinton in like meeting the Queen of England," he said.
Mrs. Clinton began signing books a little after 5. Though she reportedly signs 400 books per hour, she still took the time to greet each person, even pausing to have conversations with some. She spoke to one woman about her injured leg saying, "I broke my elbow a few years back and did physical therapy for it. Have you started physical therapy yet? I hope it goes well for you." She also shared a moment with a friend, Patti Kenner, and the two posed for a photo.
Ruth Vered, the owner of the Vered Gallery, who prefers to go by Vered, was not pleased with Mrs. Clinton's presence. Dressed in all black, she stood in front of Starbucks during the event, holding a hand made sign that read "The Worst Sec of State."
"Every move she made was bad. . . . She is not someone I would want as a role model for my daughters," Vered said.
Vered was the only protester that day. Many people in line were wearing "Ready for Hillary" stickers, in reference to her presumed 2016 presidential campaign. Howard Dean, a 2004 candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination and a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, was spotted at the event, too. (His mother has a house in East Hampton, and he's a frequent visitor.)
"I'll wait forever for her to be president," said Linda Fuller, a former English teacher at the East Hampton Middle School. "We need American women in power."