Former President Bill Clinton campaigning for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris at Nashua Community College on Nov. 1. Telegraph photo by Christopher Roberson

NASHUA – During his Nov. 1 rally at Nashua Community College, former President Bill Clinton spoke about how the national political arena has been marred by division and conflict.

“Our culture has been transported and that’s not a good thing,” he said. “We need to have an open hand, not a clenched fist.”

He remembered an instance in June 1997 when then-U.S. Republican Sen. Trent Lott went on ABC News and called Clinton a “spoiled brat” referring to a dispute over the proposed distribution of an $85 million tax reduction.

Clinton said he later spoke to Lott on the phone and they were able to work through their disagreement.

However, Clinton said, political civility is now a rarity, particularly in the case of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

“If he’s not bragging about himself, he’s bashing someone else,” said Clinton, adding that his mother always told him to never be friends with someone like Trump. “Donald Trump is closing his campaign the way he started it, with personal grievances and bizarre conspiracy theories.”

Debunking Trump’s claims about inflation, Clinton said it was not a problem until the U.S. supply lines were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No breathing human being could’ve stopped inflation,” he said.

Clinton also addressed Trump’s claims about record job growth and creating the strongest economy in the nation’s history. He said the real success was achieved through aggressive economic reform under President Barack Obama.

According to the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, “By the time (Trump) became president, the economy largely had recovered from the Great Recession and was nearing full strength.”

In addition, Clinton said Trump’s tariffs would drive up the cost of living by $4,000 for American families.

“All these tax promises he’s been making won’t amount to a hill of beans,” said Clinton. “He never tells you the whole story.”

He said that unlike Trump, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has remained focused on issues such as reproductive rights, prescription drug coverage, affordable housing and small business assistance.

“It’s nice to be in a place where men are not afraid to vote for a woman,” said Clinton. “I love New Hampshire, this is a place that rekindled my belief that dedicated people can make a difference. Everything you want for America is on the ballot.”

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) called attention to Trump’s recent comment about former Republican Congresswoman Elizabeth Cheney.

During his Oct. 31 interview on Fox News, Trump called Cheney “a radical war hawk” and said: “Let’s put her with the rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK, let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face.”

“He sows division and hate,” said Shaheen. “Kamala wants to give those who disagree with her a seat at the table. Donald Trump wants to put those who disagree with him in jail.”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joyce Craig said Clinton “defied expectations” when he unseated incumbent President George H.W. Bush in the 1992 election.

She said that for the next eight years, Clinton went on to grow the economy and education system.

Should she win the day on Nov. 5, Craig vowed to lead New Hampshire to its goal of 60,000 housing units, eliminate the state’s education “voucher scheme” and ask for the resignation of state Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut.

As of Oct. 31, the national poll from Atlas Intel showed Trump with 50 percent of the vote and Harris with 48 percent.

However, history does not favor a second Trump victory. According to the Pew Research Center, six former presidents have run for nonconsecutive terms. Only one of them was successful, New York Democrat Grover Cleveland.

In the governor’s race, the Oct. 31 state poll from the University of Massachusetts Lowell showed Republican Kelly Ayotte with 45 percent of the vote and Craig with 43 percent.