Clinton rallies for Obama at Commons

Former President Bill Clinton spoke at the University Student Commons Plaza Sunday night at a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. His support for Obama elicited cheers from the large crowd and drew several protesters.

Clinton received enthusiastic reactions to topics such as college tuition, energy and foreign policy.

“We simply can’t expect to have a successful country unless we open the doors of college to everybody who wants to go,”

Clinton said. “We can’t do it if we keep raising the price 75 percent every eight years.”

Clinton said he supports Obama’s college aid plan.

“One of the things I like about (Obama’s) college aid plan is he wants people who get it to do community service and that’s what I believe in,” Clinton said.

Cassandra Ransome, a religious studies major who introduced Clinton, said she sympathizes with students struggling to afford college tuition. She said student votes are more important than ever in this election.

“In 1992, it was the youth vote that helped elect Bill Clinton,” Ransome said. “This November, it will be the young voters who will put Barack Obama in the White House.”

Clinton said it is the youth vote that will make this election historic.

“I believe for the first time in more than 40 years, thanks to you, Virginia will be in the Democratic column, and part of the reason lies in the picture I see before me,” Clinton said. “Richmond, the capital of the old Confederacy, has an African-American mayor who was an African-American governor and it’s going to elect America’s first African-American president.”

Jami Hinton, a clinical exercise science major, said she was planning to volunteer on Election Day, and she is excited to see what will happen in this election. She said it was an opportunity of a lifetime to see Clinton speak.

“It’s my only chance to probably ever see a former president of the United States ever in my life,” Hinton said. “I’m here in full support of the Democratic Party and Barack Obama.”

Not everyone present came to the rally for the same reason. Several supporters of Republican candidate Sen. John McCain protested across the street from the Commons.

“A real big reason for us to come out and protest tonight, especially at this Clinton rally, is that Republicans, even at universities and this general area of Virginia, we’re kind of a minority right around here,” said Justin Criner, a political science major. “I’m out here to express my views and to show that we’re here and we do exist. We are voting for John McCain, and most of us here are students.”

Criner said there about 20 protesters steadily present at the rally.

Eben Kuhns, a theatre performance major, said he was amused by the number of McCain supporters protesting.

“Truthfully, I think it’s funny. There’s so few of them,” Kuhns said. “It shows you how liberal and involved everyone is on campus.”

Kuhns agreed with Clinton and Ransome about the significance of the youth vote in this election.

“This is really exciting, because I think that this is a really good year for America, and just for the young voter.”