It was a politics-heavy weekend in the state as presidential candidates swept through in the days leading up to Super Tuesday. The Clintons, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, and Donald Trump all held events throughout Alabama.
Democratic Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton told a packed gym at Miles College people deserve a living wage, and praised Birmingham Mayor William Bell for his recent efforts.
“So I want to thank the mayor for doing what he tried to do to raise the minimum wage in Birmingham,” Clinton said.
Last week, the state blocked Birmingham’s wage increase. Clinton challenged Alabama’s governor and lawmakers to live on the minimum wage as an experiment. A little later that day, Senator Marco Rubio was at Samford University tearing Clinton apart.
“Hillary Clinton is unqualified,” Rubio said to applause.
Rubio also attacked his Republican opponent, Donald Trump, saying his proposals are a con job.
“I believe that there are Americans today that are being fooled by this guy,” he said. “I really do.”
Samford pharmacy student Patrick Cashman was impressed with Rubio. He says for conservative millenials like himself, Rubio is the obvious choice. Certainly not Ted Cruz, he said, “and God forbid that Donald Trump become the GOP candidate. I don’t know if we’d go into a world war or the apocalypse would happen.”
Not all of his friends agree, but he’s not giving up on Rubio. Neither is Lizette Zuniga, of Birmingham. She likes Rubio’s intelligence and his plans for a strong national defense. But will Alabamians nominate him?
“I don’t know,” Zuniga said. “I mean there’s so many Trump fans around but I would like to think we could push it more towards Rubio.”
At a rally on Sunday near Huntsville, Donald Trump picked up an endorsement from Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions.