Vice presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards depicted President Bush as out-of-touch with the average citizen before a crowd of thousands on Wednesday afternoon, offering assurance that the Kerry ticket will help an ailing America.
“Hope is on the way,” he told the crowd repeatedly.
A smiling, casually dressed Edwards gave the boisterous crowd a confident thumbs-up as he took the stage and dove into a 20-minute speech on how Kerry’s ideas on education, the economy and health care will get the nation back on the right track after four years of mismanagement by the Bush administration.
An estimated 5,700 people packed into the EMU’s East Lawn for the rally amid tight security that included police dogs and barricades. Before the event, many people waited for hours in a line that stretched around the south and west sides of the EMU and spilled down 13th Avenue.
Edwards rolled up his sleeves, strategically displaying a modest watch and a yellow “Live Strong” bracelet on his left hand as he praised voter registration efforts at the University.
He criticized Bush for failing to acknowledge any mistakes he has made while in office when he was asked to do so at a press conference and later during Friday’s presidential debate.
“You can’t fix a problem ’til you see a problem and George Bush can’t see what’s happening,” he said. “After Nov. 2, we’re going to give him all the time in the world to think about the mistakes he’s made.”
Edwards stressed the Kerry campaign’s plan to allow young people to exchange two years of civic service for four years of public higher education, saying thousands of students can’t afford higher education.
He also criticized Bush for cutting the number of Federal Pell Grant recipients and for being the first president in 70 years to not create jobs. The economy has also suffered because the Bush administration has been soft on job outsourcing, he said.
“What would be good for our economy would be to outsource George Bush,” Edwards said.
Edwards said he and Kerry will help the economy by giving tax cuts to businesses that keep jobs at home and by enforcing trade agreements, calling outsourcing to child labor a “moral issue.”
He also emphasized the need to reduce U.S. dependence on oil and increase investment in renewable sources of energy.
Edwards said his ticket will also make the health care plan offered to senators available to all Americans and will use the bargaining power of the government to pressure drug companies into reducing prescription drug prices. He said he and Kerry will target exorbitant spending on prescription drug ads as well, criticizing Bush for siding with drug companies and other corporations.
“Over and over and over, this president has made it clear who he stands with,” Edwards said.
Edwards said he and Kerry will “immediately” put into place recommendations from the 9/11 committee and will win the war on terror without using scare tactics.
“We’re going to end the politics of fear we’ve seen under this administration,” he said.
He also charged the crowd to watch the last debate and carry the country for Kerry.
“There is so much at stake in this election and the choices are absolutely clear,” he said.
People at the rally drew different conclusions from Edwards’ speech.
Many students noted Edwards’ energetic style, including senior Gregory Heaton, who said the vice presidential candidate seemed practical and less reactionary than most politicians.
“He wasn’t filled with anger like so many of the Republicans I’ve seen,” Heaton said.
Although most of what Edwards discussed
is “the same stuff they’ve been saying the whole time,” Heaton said Edwards “said it more
cohesively.”
Eugene resident Jeff DeFranco, a recent University graduate, said his favorite part of Edwards’ speech was the talk of Bush’s refusal at last Friday’s debate to admit any mistakes.
DeFranco said it’s crucial for elected officials to recognize mistakes and learn from them.
“That’s a key to good leadership,” he said.
Senior Ray Gragg said he turned out to see Edwards because he has been a Kerry supporter but did not know much about the vice presidential candidate. Gragg said Edwards speaks to the middle class demographic.
“He really seemed to support America and American ideas in a way I think will better the middle class,” he said.
Gragg said Edwards covered domestic issues that are often neglected.
“I think one thing lot of people got from this speech is how important domestic issues are to this party,” he said.
Gragg added that Edwards’ visit was vital for raising support for the Kerry campaign.
“At the very least, he just strengthened his supporters,” he said.
Wednesday’s rally did draw some undecided voters, including sophomore Mike Maloney. He said seeing Edwards first hand was necessary to help him determine the candidate’s character.
“Personally, I don’t stand for what Edwards did to make his money,” Maloney said.
Maloney said he hoped to hear Edwards discuss clear plans for how his ticket will accomplish its goals but Edwards did not deliver.
“It was kind of a disappointment on my part today,” he said.
Bush supporters also attended the rally to express their views.
Michelle Marini of the College Republicans National Committee was one of the president’s supporters gathered near the entrance to the rally and said she was not impressed with what she heard of Edwards’ speech.
“It’s just the same old rhetoric you hear on TV everyday,” Marini said.
She and about 25 other Bush supporters came to the rally to support other conservative students by showing them that “they’re not a minority on campus,” she said.
Michelle Dixon, student outreach director for the Carry Oregon campaign, said the rally was a tremendous success.
“UO students really got to hear that Kerry has a plan for our future,” she said. “The real key is going to be
what this does to get the vote out
on campus.”
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