JASPER — For Gina Nicholson and her two young children, Caleb and Olivia Barley, President Bill Clinton’s speech in Jasper on Thursday was more than seeing a former president.

For the three, it was telling him thanks.

Nicholson, a teacher at Barr-Reeve, and her children missed their afternoon classes to sit at Jasper Middle School since noon waiting for the president to speak. They were among the first of about 2,000 at Jasper to hear Clinton speak on the merits of his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, a candidate seeking the Democratic nomination for President.

Nicholson and her children carried with them a sign, “President Clinton, Thank You for your adoption law.” Olivia, a first-grader at Barr-Reeve Elementary, was adopted by Nicholson from Vietnam. Without Clinton signing a law that made her an American citizen when the plane landed in the U.S., Olivia may not have been an American.

“The law went into effect one month before we adopted her,” Nicholson said. “So, that’s why we have our sign. I don’t know if they’ll let us have it but we’ll see.”

Unfortunately, security did not let them show the sign. Clinton’s speech, repeated earlier in Boonville and later in Vincennes, was mostly the same speech in all three sites, but it didn’t matter to the crowd at Jasper. The 42nd President said there were three large reasons why local Democrats should vote in the May 6 primary for his wife instead of the other Democrat candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

“It is clear to me that Indiana can have a decisive impact on this election,” Clinton said. “And that for the first time in 40 years you are in the position to do it.”

Those three reasons: understanding economics, being the best commander-in-chief and being a difference maker in Washington D.C., made up the bulk of Clinton’s speech for his wife, who is vying to become the first female president.

“It’s not about the history we will make, it’s about the future ahead,” Clinton said. “Who will make the best impact for America?”

On economic policy, Clinton said rising costs of living, including health care, education, energy and gasoline costs with stagnant incomes has forced the middle class into welfare.

“Incomes are flat because we are not producing enough jobs in America,” Clinton said. “Good jobs.”

Creating those jobs will come from “creating an efficient (energy) and conservation of American energy.” That starts with the creation of “home-grown” energy, he said, rather than relying on foreign oil.

Clinton’s health-care plan would allow all Americans who cannot get quality health-care to buy into plans that federal employees and members of Congress can buy.

“Every time you write a check for health care, you are donating into a $50 billion fund that insurance companies use to keep you off health insurance,” Clinton said. “If everyone was covered, that $50 billion would go to health care.”

Probably the largest applause came when Clinton said his wife would end the war in Iraq. The president gave the example of a neighbor who was spending time on your couch after their house burned down as a metaphor for the U.S. occupation of the country.

“If you’re neighbor is still on your couch after five years, what do you do?” Clinton joked. “It’s not about the fire anymore, it’s about getting off that couch and that’s where we are in Iraq.”

Hillary Clinton’s plan is to bring back a brigade a month and let the Iraqi government find its own way to independence.

“We’ve been (in Iraq) longer than we were in World War II,” Clinton said.

Difference making, which Clinton said he is the only one talking about, is the ability to take promises from the campaign and make real and lasting differences in the lives of others.

“She is the best person at that I have ever known,” Clinton said.

The former president gave the example of farmers from rural and mostly Republican areas of New York state. He said a group of farmers have campaigned for her throughout the country. The reason, Clinton said, was Sen. Clinton was the only one who ever did anything for them.

“She got 60 percent of the vote in Republican counties in New York because they know she changed their lives for the better,” Clinton said.

In his conclusion, Clinton said there was one question that any undecided voter should ask themselves.

“If you’re fortunate enough to get elected, how well will you know if that President did a good job?” Clinton said.

The answer, he said, would lead to Hillary.

“She said, ‘If I’m lucky enough to get elected, I think I would have done a good job if I can say three things,’” Clinton said. “‘Number one, the American people are better off when I quit than when I started. Number two, our children and grandchildren have a much brighter future than they did before and number three, our country and this fascinating and troubled world is coming together rather than being torn apart.’

“I don’t think I could have thought of a better answer,” Clinton added.

State Rep. Dennie Oxley, D-English, introduced Clinton in Jasper. In Vincennes, former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg had the honors.

According to radio reports, about 3,000 were on hand at the P.E. Complex at Vincennes University to listen to Clinton.

As for Nicholson and the Barleys in Jasper, they had a chance to shake Clinton’s hand and thank him for coming to southern Indiana. Nicholson said the president shook their hands twice.

“I thought it was wonderful,” Nicholson said. “He looked at (Olivia) and said ‘Thank you so much for coming,’”