Sen. Obama unites crowd at Kaine rally

In an attempt to garner support from undecided voters with nine days left before Election Day, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Kaine appeared at VCU with Barrack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois.

Roughly 1,800 students, faculty and citizens of all ages gathered Oct. 30 in the University Student Commons Courtyard to hear Kaine and Obama speak.

The speakers had an overarching message of progress, positivity and the urgency of participation in their individual speeches.

Obama and Kaine’s speeches were preceded by brief remarks from Kaine’s running mates, Creigh Deeds, candidate for attorney general, and Leslie Byrne, candidate for lieutenant governor. Afterward Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, of the 3rd District, spoke of Obama as a man who, as keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic Convention, “made us all proud to be Democrats.”

Obama said during his first campaign people often told him: “You seem like a nice young man. Why would you want to go into something dirty and nasty like politics?

“That question is understandable,” Obama said, “because at some level we all feel a certain cynicism about the political process today. It seems as if so many of our leaders are long on rhetoric but short on substance.”

Obama went on to say he will continue to protect senior citizens by working to keep prescription drug costs low and he discussed the necessity of a living wage. He also said every child should have the opportunity to go to college.

“America is great because we have these ideals that all of us seek to uphold,” he said. “And that we may be in different circumstances, grow up in different faiths and different ethnicities but at some core level we all believe that we can do better. And that great optimism and positive feeling should be part of our politics.”

On the other hand, Kaine’s speech focused on the headway he and his running mates had made through the last year. He spoke optimistically about the priorities for his administration should Virginians choose him to be their 70th governor.

In his conclusion, he reiterated the urgency of the campaign in the last days before the Nov. 8 election, asking people to volunteer to make phone calls or to take voters to the polls.

When asked after the speech about apathy among younger voters, Obama said they might appear apathetic because they often are not invited to get involved.

“When you speak about issues that make a difference in their lives, they can draw direct connections to what’s happening around them,” he said.

Janna Harris, a graduate student of the Medical Center Campus, said she was surprised by the rally’s turnout.

“It was great,” Harris said. “There were old people, young people, families, little children sitting on shoulders, people with their dogs – It was really diverse.”

Medical Center Campus student Ron Thomas was also impressed.

“I thought Obama’s speech was full of substance and very short and to the point and very progressive,” Thomas said.