Sunday, October 28, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Obama and Patrick Galvanize Supporters on Boston Common
BOSTON__The Barack Obama rally on Boston Common Tuesday seemed more like a rock concert than a political rally as supporters arrived nearly two hours early to vie with each other for a spot near the stage.
The event highlighted Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's endorsement for Obama's presidency that he gave last week and sought to galvanize a massive grassroots organization to help campaign for the Illinois senator throughout New England.
In his speech, Patrick discredited many of the criticisms Obama has heard during his campaign such as his lack of experience both in Washington and as a foreign diplomat.
“You know this man is book smart and street smart.” Patrick said. “He has learned to live with and learned from people all over the world, he has studied with the elite and worked for the vulnerable.”
Patrick’s endorsement choice was under a watchful eye because of the ability he showed last fall to mobilize a powerful grassroots movement to secure his seat on Beacon Hill. This ability will be a valuable asset for Obama’s campaign in neighboring New Hampshire, which holds the first primary in the country. Patrick also has close ties to both top presidential frontrunners Clinton and Obama.
He called on the supporters, hundreds of whom were young adults and college students that came to cheer on the candidate, to rile up the troops and start campaigning immediately.
“We’re going to have to work the phones and walk the neighborhoods and take down the names and the numbers and do the follow ups and make the case for each person,” Patrick said. “We’re going to have to ask our friends to take a chance not on another kid from Chicago with a funny name but on our own aspirations and hopes for a better America.”
After congratulating the Red Sox Nation for the team’s recent victory and entry into the World Series against the Colorado Rockies, Obama encouraged his supporters to help him get elected and to help create “a new kind of politics that represents each and everyone.”
Obama called for numerous ideals that he would enact if elected, including creating universal healthcare reform, lessening the country’s dependence on foreign oil and ending the war in Iraq.
“This election is about character, this election is about values, this election is about judgment and experience that comes not just from sitting in a committee room but from working along side the American people,” Obama said.
He also promised to change the way higher education is paid for in America by taking the banks and private interest out of the college finances and providing government aide for students who go to college to become teachers, social workers, nurses and other high demand professions.
“I’m angry that we are not providing an education for every man and woman in America,” he said. “We’re going to make college affordable and accessible to every young person in America.”
Young supporters from across the state came out to hear the presidential hopeful speak and vowed to get involved in the campaign effort in Boston and New Hampshire, which has the first primary in the nation and holds a great influence in the outcome of the primary elections.
Boston University freshmen Lauren Dobbs and Lauren Snyder—with “Barack the Vote” and “Obama in ‘08” painted on their faces—jumped at the opportunity to get involved in the campaign. The pair is planning to campaign for Obama in Manchester, New Hampshire this weekend.
“We just shook hands with him (Obama), I can’t believe it,” Snyder said as Dobbs squealed with excitement to her friend on the phone. “And he said he liked our face paint.”
Hundreds of young adults roamed the Common after the rally, thriving off the energy from Obama’s speech, waving signs and reveling in excitement as if they had just met their favorite rock star.
Derek Ortner, a student from Brandies University, first saw Obama’s speech four years ago at the Democratic National Convention in Boston and said his enthusiasm grew ever since.
“I was so psyched that he decided to run that I just had to start campaigning,” said Ortner, who has been making trips to New Hampshire to knock on people’s doors and tell them about Obama. “He’s just such an intelligent man and a dynamic candidate I have to try everything I can to get him elected.”
The event highlighted Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's endorsement for Obama's presidency that he gave last week and sought to galvanize a massive grassroots organization to help campaign for the Illinois senator throughout New England.
In his speech, Patrick discredited many of the criticisms Obama has heard during his campaign such as his lack of experience both in Washington and as a foreign diplomat.
“You know this man is book smart and street smart.” Patrick said. “He has learned to live with and learned from people all over the world, he has studied with the elite and worked for the vulnerable.”
Patrick’s endorsement choice was under a watchful eye because of the ability he showed last fall to mobilize a powerful grassroots movement to secure his seat on Beacon Hill. This ability will be a valuable asset for Obama’s campaign in neighboring New Hampshire, which holds the first primary in the country. Patrick also has close ties to both top presidential frontrunners Clinton and Obama.
He called on the supporters, hundreds of whom were young adults and college students that came to cheer on the candidate, to rile up the troops and start campaigning immediately.
“We’re going to have to work the phones and walk the neighborhoods and take down the names and the numbers and do the follow ups and make the case for each person,” Patrick said. “We’re going to have to ask our friends to take a chance not on another kid from Chicago with a funny name but on our own aspirations and hopes for a better America.”
After congratulating the Red Sox Nation for the team’s recent victory and entry into the World Series against the Colorado Rockies, Obama encouraged his supporters to help him get elected and to help create “a new kind of politics that represents each and everyone.”
Obama called for numerous ideals that he would enact if elected, including creating universal healthcare reform, lessening the country’s dependence on foreign oil and ending the war in Iraq.
“This election is about character, this election is about values, this election is about judgment and experience that comes not just from sitting in a committee room but from working along side the American people,” Obama said.
He also promised to change the way higher education is paid for in America by taking the banks and private interest out of the college finances and providing government aide for students who go to college to become teachers, social workers, nurses and other high demand professions.
“I’m angry that we are not providing an education for every man and woman in America,” he said. “We’re going to make college affordable and accessible to every young person in America.”
Young supporters from across the state came out to hear the presidential hopeful speak and vowed to get involved in the campaign effort in Boston and New Hampshire, which has the first primary in the nation and holds a great influence in the outcome of the primary elections.
Boston University freshmen Lauren Dobbs and Lauren Snyder—with “Barack the Vote” and “Obama in ‘08” painted on their faces—jumped at the opportunity to get involved in the campaign. The pair is planning to campaign for Obama in Manchester, New Hampshire this weekend.
“We just shook hands with him (Obama), I can’t believe it,” Snyder said as Dobbs squealed with excitement to her friend on the phone. “And he said he liked our face paint.”
Hundreds of young adults roamed the Common after the rally, thriving off the energy from Obama’s speech, waving signs and reveling in excitement as if they had just met their favorite rock star.
Derek Ortner, a student from Brandies University, first saw Obama’s speech four years ago at the Democratic National Convention in Boston and said his enthusiasm grew ever since.
“I was so psyched that he decided to run that I just had to start campaigning,” said Ortner, who has been making trips to New Hampshire to knock on people’s doors and tell them about Obama. “He’s just such an intelligent man and a dynamic candidate I have to try everything I can to get him elected.”
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
BU Students Give Brownback Mixed Review
In a break from the typical campaign trail, Republican presidential candidate Sen. Sam Brownback, spoke at Boston University Monday, where he encouraged students to get involved in policy work for African nations and to take impact trips to continent that he says is often forgotten about.
Brownback, the republican senator from Kansas, kept campaign rhetoric to a minimum at the African Presidential Archives and Research Center 2007 lecture series. In fact, he only uttered the words, “If I were president” once throughout the hour-long speech.
The crowd of roughly 150 students, professors and members of the ARACP listened attentively while Brownback said his most important point was that the U.S. should engage diplomatic relations with African countries.
“There’s a lot going on in Africa that’s good such as economic development,” Brownback said. “But there’s also a lot of problems. There’s a huge amount of suffering and every time you go there you see the beauty of the people that are dealing with this suffering.”
Brownback, who has taken multiple trips to Africa, including a trip to the Darfur region of Sudan, encouraged students to travel there themselves. He also commended recent activist campaigns in recent years that were initiated by college students, such as the Save Darfur campaign and the Invisible Children campaign.
“Just go and see it because you’ll never be the same,” he said. “Definitely be safe about it, but go and you’ll be different. It’ll be a great thing for you and it’ll be a great thing for the United States.”
Brownback took a handful of questions from students in the audience and from a class of ten students from Morehouse University in Atlanta, who watched the lecture via satellite.
Boston University student Jeremy Binckes said Brownback hardly answered his questions about the pros and cons of privatizing the water supply in African nations and he wasn’t impressed with Brownback’s speech overall.
“The dialogue was good enough, I guess,” Binckes said. “But his speech was really based on anecdotal information and there wasn’t anything substantive on the issues he was promoted to address, which was the threat of Al Qaeda, Africa and U.S. security, but I guess it was better than a typical campaign speech—that would have been incredibly tactless.”
Most of the students attending the lecture were more interested in the topic of U.S.-African relations rather than Brownback’s candidacy for president. A number of students actually didn’t even know who Brownback is or that he was running for president.
“I didn’t know anything about him before tonight,” said BU freshman Melissa Kyle. “There are so few candidates you see even talking about this issue. I’m a democrat and wouldn’t vote for him for president, but I’d definitely get behind him and volunteer or support the Africa cause.”
Brownback, the republican senator from Kansas, kept campaign rhetoric to a minimum at the African Presidential Archives and Research Center 2007 lecture series. In fact, he only uttered the words, “If I were president” once throughout the hour-long speech.
The crowd of roughly 150 students, professors and members of the ARACP listened attentively while Brownback said his most important point was that the U.S. should engage diplomatic relations with African countries.
“There’s a lot going on in Africa that’s good such as economic development,” Brownback said. “But there’s also a lot of problems. There’s a huge amount of suffering and every time you go there you see the beauty of the people that are dealing with this suffering.”
Brownback, who has taken multiple trips to Africa, including a trip to the Darfur region of Sudan, encouraged students to travel there themselves. He also commended recent activist campaigns in recent years that were initiated by college students, such as the Save Darfur campaign and the Invisible Children campaign.
“Just go and see it because you’ll never be the same,” he said. “Definitely be safe about it, but go and you’ll be different. It’ll be a great thing for you and it’ll be a great thing for the United States.”
Brownback took a handful of questions from students in the audience and from a class of ten students from Morehouse University in Atlanta, who watched the lecture via satellite.
Boston University student Jeremy Binckes said Brownback hardly answered his questions about the pros and cons of privatizing the water supply in African nations and he wasn’t impressed with Brownback’s speech overall.
“The dialogue was good enough, I guess,” Binckes said. “But his speech was really based on anecdotal information and there wasn’t anything substantive on the issues he was promoted to address, which was the threat of Al Qaeda, Africa and U.S. security, but I guess it was better than a typical campaign speech—that would have been incredibly tactless.”
Most of the students attending the lecture were more interested in the topic of U.S.-African relations rather than Brownback’s candidacy for president. A number of students actually didn’t even know who Brownback is or that he was running for president.
“I didn’t know anything about him before tonight,” said BU freshman Melissa Kyle. “There are so few candidates you see even talking about this issue. I’m a democrat and wouldn’t vote for him for president, but I’d definitely get behind him and volunteer or support the Africa cause.”
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Sen. Clinton Appeals to Young Voters in Boston
BOSTON__Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton stopped by Boston Symphony Hall this Wednesday to address 3,000 plus supporters made up of mostly young adults from throughout Massachusetts at the largest fundraising event New York Senator’s has ever hosted in Boston.
While the event was targeted to appeal to young adults, with a performance from the Buffalo band the Goo Goo Dolls and affordable ticket prices, Clinton’s statements were aimed more toward encouraging women voters to spread the word to help make the her the first woman president.
“American can be anything we want it to be,” Sen. Clinton said to the sold out crowd. “If someone tells you we can’t elect a woman president, you tell them ‘yes we can’.”
And a slew of the state’s most prominent women such as State Senate President Therese Murray, Boston city council president Maureen Feeney and founder of the Barbara Lee foundation to get women involved in politics, Barbara Lee reiterated the need for a woman president.
Most of Clinton’s speech addressed the array of issues that have consumed the Democratic presidential campaigns in the past months such as healthcare reform, ending the war in Iraq and taking jabs at the current administration. However, Clinton took some time to tell to the student filled crowd what she plans to do for students if she were elected president.
“The cost of college has gone up faster than the cost of healthcare in the past ten years,” she said, making a promise to young voters that any “student who works hard will be able to go to college.”
But Clinton’s promise to make college affordable for all didn’t rally the crowd as much as her anti-administration slander and bring the troops home promises. The crowd nearly erupted every time Clinton uttered a word about stopping the war in Iraq.
"We're going to end this era of cowboy diplomacy," she said to a raving crowd.
Large groups from local colleges including Boston College, Harvard, Simmons, Mt. Holyoke, Boston University, Emerson and Wellesley, where Clinton received her undergraduate degree came to the event to show support for the candidates or hear what she had to say. Many of the young adults used the event to network with each other and get to know other supporters who are planning to carpool up to New Hampshire to campaign for Clinton in the first primary in the nation.
Many young students said they were Clinton supporters before they heard her speak, however, many students on the edge said Clinton's performance pushed them to fully support the her for the presidency.
“Honestly, I wasn’t really sure if I was going to support her before I came tonight,” Lillian Schruben, 18-year-old freshman from Mt. Holyoke said. “But she was so engaging and passionate tonight I think I’ve changed my mind.”
The ability to vote also invigorated Wellesley freshman Katie Sheahan, 18, who came to the event with a group of classmates supporting the candidate and cheer on three of the university’s acapella choir groups that performed for the fundraiser.
“This is the first time I can vote and it’s a pretty historical and powerful election.” Sheahan said. “That’s why I think I’m so interested in figuring out which candidate I’m going to support by going to events like this.”
While the event was targeted to appeal to young adults, with a performance from the Buffalo band the Goo Goo Dolls and affordable ticket prices, Clinton’s statements were aimed more toward encouraging women voters to spread the word to help make the her the first woman president.
“American can be anything we want it to be,” Sen. Clinton said to the sold out crowd. “If someone tells you we can’t elect a woman president, you tell them ‘yes we can’.”
And a slew of the state’s most prominent women such as State Senate President Therese Murray, Boston city council president Maureen Feeney and founder of the Barbara Lee foundation to get women involved in politics, Barbara Lee reiterated the need for a woman president.
Most of Clinton’s speech addressed the array of issues that have consumed the Democratic presidential campaigns in the past months such as healthcare reform, ending the war in Iraq and taking jabs at the current administration. However, Clinton took some time to tell to the student filled crowd what she plans to do for students if she were elected president.
“The cost of college has gone up faster than the cost of healthcare in the past ten years,” she said, making a promise to young voters that any “student who works hard will be able to go to college.”
But Clinton’s promise to make college affordable for all didn’t rally the crowd as much as her anti-administration slander and bring the troops home promises. The crowd nearly erupted every time Clinton uttered a word about stopping the war in Iraq.
"We're going to end this era of cowboy diplomacy," she said to a raving crowd.
Large groups from local colleges including Boston College, Harvard, Simmons, Mt. Holyoke, Boston University, Emerson and Wellesley, where Clinton received her undergraduate degree came to the event to show support for the candidates or hear what she had to say. Many of the young adults used the event to network with each other and get to know other supporters who are planning to carpool up to New Hampshire to campaign for Clinton in the first primary in the nation.
Many young students said they were Clinton supporters before they heard her speak, however, many students on the edge said Clinton's performance pushed them to fully support the her for the presidency.
“Honestly, I wasn’t really sure if I was going to support her before I came tonight,” Lillian Schruben, 18-year-old freshman from Mt. Holyoke said. “But she was so engaging and passionate tonight I think I’ve changed my mind.”
The ability to vote also invigorated Wellesley freshman Katie Sheahan, 18, who came to the event with a group of classmates supporting the candidate and cheer on three of the university’s acapella choir groups that performed for the fundraiser.
“This is the first time I can vote and it’s a pretty historical and powerful election.” Sheahan said. “That’s why I think I’m so interested in figuring out which candidate I’m going to support by going to events like this.”
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