Oregonians have been patient. CNN has ignored them and the candidates haven’t acknowledged them. But thanks to the intense contest over the Democratic presidential nomination, Oregon’s late-May primaries may make a difference after all. Thus, today, the wait is over.
Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential hopeful, will be at McArthur Court tonight for a “Stand for Change” rally and has already begun to draw a crowd.
Students and community members were arriving at Mac Court as early as 5 a.m. – the event doesn’t begin until 9 p.m. – and by Friday afternoon the line extending from one entrance stretched almost down to 18th street, while the line at the other entrance was no shorter. Secret Service agents are also on hand to make sure nothing gets out of hand.
Mac Court seats about 9,000 people, and seating is first-come, first-served. Doors open at 7 p.m. Personal items are discouraged, and signs and banners are prohibited. Eugene police expect heavy traffic this evening.
This morning at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico gave his official endorsement for Obama at a rally that drew thousands. Richardson, the nation’s only Hispanic governor, dropped out of the presidential race in January, and at the rally today encouraged voters to join Obama in his effort to move beyond racial divides.
In Eugene, many who arrived early to ensure their admittance into the rally wore clothing and brought books and music reinforcing Obama’s campaign message of hope and unity.
Bettie Chestnut-Allen and her daughter are attending the rally together. Chestnut-Allen is politically active, and she said this rally is a way for her to pass that activism on to her daughter. She also has a 25-year-old nephew about to depart on his fifth tour in Iraq, which is one reason she supports Obama over Democratic rival Sen. Hilary Clinton: Obama has opposed the war from the beginning, whereas Clinton is trying to go back on her initial vote to support it, Chestnut-Allen said.
“I think he’s a great presidential candidate and he has my vote,” said Chestnut-Allen. “I feel he will bring change to America.”
Her daughter, South Eugene High School junior Mercedes King, said even though she isn’t old enough to vote, Obama has made a difference in her perception of United States politics.
“For a kid like me, he made it interesting,” King said.
Some students who are of age, such as University sophomore Mary Lesiuk, find Obama’s “new face” and “new ideas” appealing. Lesiuk, who called Obama a “free thinker,” said he and young people are primarily concerned with the same types of issues, such as the war in Iraq.
“I think that this election is really crucial to our future as a country, and I think it’s going to be up to our generation to shape our country’s future,” said Lesiuk.
Oregon Daily Emerald reporter Jobetta Hedelman contributed to the story.