Poor Location Choice for Presidential Visit in New Bedford

I don't know who picked the spot for President Bill Clinton's visit to New Bedford, but what the heck were they thinking?!

President Clinton visited the Whaling City today, stumping for his wife, Hillary. The visit wasn't officially confirmed until Monday evening, with city officials saying the former president would be at the Buttonwood Park Warming House around noon on Super Tuesday.

Don't get me wrong, I think any presidential visit is a great thing for the city. You may not like Bill, but he's got charisma and plenty of New Bedfordites that love him and his wife.

But the Warming Center is a dual polling location. Residents from two precincts vote there. And on a day when a primary is crucial, especially to the Democratic candidates in Massachusetts, organizers would have been wise to choose another location for President Clinton's visit.

With an estimated 1,200 people turning out for the impromptu rally, parking was difficult for anybody looking to cast their vote on their lunch break or otherwise. I can't help but think that some election laws were broken as Clinton and Sanders supporters alike held signs and wore shirts and buttons bearing the name of their favored candidate within close proximity to the Warming Center.

In an era where we're supposed to make voting excessively convenient to the public (so there are no more excuses), this was a major inconvenience to anybody that wanted to vote between the hours of noon and 3pm. Next time, take it to Pier 3.