In the not-so-distant past, Ohio was more of a swing state, and we seemed to get visited more frequently by presidents and people trying to become presidents. It’s been a little while now since anyone with a Secret Service detail has stopped by the area.

One particular power couple passed through the area multiple times on their way up and down the political ladder.

Former Democratic nominee, Secretary of State, Senator, and First Lady Hillary Clinton was the first of the Clintons to visit the area when she came here on Nov. 12, 1993, to promote the Clintons’ version of the National Health Plan. As first lady, she had been asked by her husband, President Bill Clinton, to work on the initiative. The Times ran an editorial inviting her to come to town and explain it. A few weeks later she did exactly that. It might have been a coincidence, then again it might not have been.

She spoke to a packed fieldhouse at Marietta College. Complete with a mockup of a national health card, she spoke at length about what the plan would include. Her visit carried with it all the security and preparation of a presidential visit, and also all the work required by a newspaper to do the type of coverage a visit by a first lady deserves.

We ran a double page color photo page that required the slow process at the time of preparing each photo for printing. It took longer than we (I) thought it would and two hours after the press should have been running, we were still processing the images. I remember an angry newspaper carrier walking by and commenting under his breath that he just wanted to see the guy that made the paper late. I assumed that he was talking about the publisher who was sitting next to me, I was probably wrong.

Somehow, I seem to bump into the Clintons a lot during a relatively short amount of time, covering Bill Clinton at three different events within 100 miles of Marietta. Covering a president is not the choice assignment that you think it is. You arrive early, stay in one spot for a very long time, you are not allowed to move around so your shots become fairly limited. You then begin the long process of getting everything ready to print.

The first time I covered Bill Clinton was when he spoke at Chillicothe High School on Feb. 19, 1993, the day after his State of the Union speech. We were in the second level of the gym and could not move until he was gone from the arena.

The next time was less than a year later from the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol on Aug. 9, 1993, just a few months before Hillary would come to Marietta. I covered Bill Clinton a third time when he decided to go to the Democratic Convention via a train. We arrived at a Chillicothe corn field well before sunset and waited, and waited, for his train to arrive. The first train through was for his car, it got plenty of cheers. The second train was his and got even more. It was dark by the time he spoke and when he finished, he shook hands along a long rope line and posed for photos with Sen. John Glenn before reboarding the train.

I recall we did a single page of photos that still took all night to prepare.

Bill Clinton would make the first of two stops in Marietta when he spoke in the Marietta College Fieldhouse about a half a court away from where Hillary spoke 15 years before. She was at the time, trying to gain the nomination that in the end went to Barrack Obama. I did not cover it but sat in the stands with my family.

Clinton would come again for an unofficial visit on Oct. 4, 2016, when he was passing through town while on a campaign swing for Hillary Clinton who was then the Democratic nominee for President. His bus stopped at the Third Street Deli where from all accounts he had a great time talking to the customers.

It’s been a while now since anyone in the office, or running for the office, or married to someone in the office has stopped by Marietta to say hello. Ohio hasn’t been a swing state in the past few elections so feeling the need to stop by is likely less than it was in the past.

Regardless of which party is in office, it’s always nice if they just drop in to say hello every once in a while. Monday is Presidents’ Day, a day we honor all presidents, whether they stopped by Marietta or not.

Just a reminder. Monday is a federal holiday so there is no mail. No mail means no printed Marietta Times. Remember to turn to our website, MariettaTimes.com for any breaking news.

It is doubtful, but perhaps a past, present or future president will stop by to say hello.

If they do, we will be sure to let you know.

Art Smith is online manager of The Marietta Times, he can be reached at asmith@mariettatimes.com