Former President Bill Clinton stumps for Kendrick Meek at Delray Beach rally

And Clinton didn’t disappoint.

Though he arrived at the “Meek for U.S. Senate” rally in Delray Beach an hour late because of an Interstate 95 accident, the 42nd president showed that 10 years out of office and major heart surgery hadn’t thrown him off his world-class speaking game.

“I love Kendrick Meek,” Clinton told the adoring crowd. “… I believe with all my heart that he should be the next U.S. senator from Florida.”

So did those attending the rally.

Asked why Meek rather than billionaire Jeff Greene is his candidate, local resident Thomas Tomsky replied, “He’s got credentials as a public servant. He didn’t make money off of people’s misfortunes like Greene did.”

Meek was on a roll. Earlier in the day the congressman discovered his poll numbers had soared a clear 15 points above his primary opponent's.

But it was Clinton’s charisma – his ability to energize the Democratic base and bring voters to the polls in a low-turnout primary – that Meek and other Democrats most were counting on.

The once-disgraced Clinton, whom party leaders discouraged from campaigning every election cycle since 2000, had an agenda of his own Monday. He issued a plea to give the government more time to solve the country’s deep economic problems. He said a bright future is closer than it looks right now.

“The big companies in this country have $1.6 trillion in the bank they haven’t invested yet,” Clinton said. “I talked to a guy who … said if he has clarity on about three things, he’d put about 10,000 more people to work.”

Greene, meanwhile, spent the day campaigning in Meek’s Miami district.

Reach Lane Wright at lane@sunshinestatenews.com, or at (561) 247-1063.

Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com, or at (850) 727-0859.