Zebulon — Former U.S. President Bill Clinton kept a friendly crowd waiting for just over 30 minutes Monday afternoon.

But when he jumped into the back of an old pickup truck, he gave the hundreds of people gathered a good dose of what they came to hear.

Clinton was stumping here on behalf of his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was working to overcome a deficit in the polls to front-runner Barack Obama in Tuesday’s primary.

The former president spoke for just over an hour, ticking off a litany of reasons voters should cast their ballot for his wife.

Zebulon was one of several stops the former president made in towns throughout eastern North Carolina on Monday, just a day before the primary in the state with the largest number of delegates remaining to be decided.

Bill Clinton touted his wife’s efforts as a U.S. senator from New York on efforts ranging from health care to the war in Iraq.

He said his wife was the only candidate in the race who would be ready to take office from the moment she takes the oath of office.

He also encouraged voters not to believe political pundits who have written off her campaign.

“She won 230 out of 254 counties in Texas because of people like you, in places like this,” Clinton said.

Clinton’s remarks were well-received by those in attendance.

Shirley Hinton of Zebulon is a mother who said she came to Monday’s rally already planning to vote for Hillary Clinton.

“I think she’s got some good ideas. I like what I’ve heard from her,” Hinton said.

Joe Eddins, a Zebulon real estate agent, said he voted for Bill Clinton twice and planned to cast his ballot in the primary for Hillary Clinton.

“She has the qualities and the capabilities we should be looking for," he said. "There is absolutely no comparison between her and any other candidate who is running."

Eddins said the former president’s visit didn’t raise any new campaign issues, but he said Bill Clinton’s grasp of the issues helped him make the case for his wife’s candidacy.

“There is no question that he is the best politician this country has ever seen. He spoke for a solid hour and didn’t use any notes whatsoever,” Eddins said.

The stop in Zebulon marks the second time Bill Clinton has appeared locally.

He visited Five County Stadium in 1992 when he was a presidential candidate.

In the late 1950s, President Harry S. Truman also visited the town.

After Clinton’s remarks, he worked the crowd, shaking hands and posing for pictures with those who turned out to hear the former two-term president.

Clinton is working the campaign trail right up until the end. His visit to Zebulon was sandwiched between stops in Smithfield and Louisburg.