With only seven days remaining until the Nov. 4 election, Wood County Democrats have made it their mission to get more people to vote than ever before.
And in an effort to entice young college-aged voters who historically vote less than older generations, the Wood County for Obama campaign brought a range of political leaders from Ohio to spur them into action, including Gov. Ted Strickland, Sen. Sherrod Brown, State Treasurer Richard Cordray and Congressman Tim Ryan.
Speaking to a packed audience in Prout Chapel yesterday, the four politicians focused on the issues and challenges and accusations Sen. Barack Obama has faced from Sen. John McCain throughout his battle for the White House.
‘ ‘Do we want more of what we already have? Do we want the next four years to be like the last eight years?’ Strickland asked the crowd. ‘There is not a dime’s worth of difference between the tax policies, the foreign policies and the economic policies of George Bush and John McCain.’
With the economy representing one of the major issues Americans are concerned with this election year, Strickland said voters in Wood County and across America will expect their next president to repair the failing market.
And with Obama’s’ propositions aimed at getting the economy back on track in order to create a state and country where opportunity reigns for everyone, Strickland said his chances of taking the election on Nov. 4 have risen progressively since the financial crisis became’ a predominant issue.
‘Jobs and economic opportunity are what will determine the outcome of this election,’ Strickland said. ‘America and Ohio are going to vote for hope, for optimism, for change.’
Based on the increased activism and campaign involvement Obama has inspired, Brown said the hope for change is closer than ever before.
With both college students and city residents pushing to register voters and working to canvass the area, campus and community activism has made a significant impact on Obama’s campaign, Brown said.
‘Thank you for your activism [because] you really are what this country is all about,’ Brown said. ‘We have a chance to write this new chapter of history because of you.’
For sophomore Eric Browning, showing support for the Obama campaign comes in many different forms, including voting and paying attention to the issues affecting him personally as a college student.
Although Browning said he already voted, he continues to remain informed about the issues surrounding the election by listening to news sources and speeches like yesterdays.
‘The issues are really important this year and it’s good to be affiliated with them in order to make informed decisions,’ Browning said.
But for freshman Danni McConnell, the record of success seen by electing Democrats into political arenas takes precedence over national and state issues when it comes to supporting Obama.
‘Gov. Strickland has done so much for the state of Ohio,’ McConnell said. ‘To see what can happen as a result of electing a democrat into office, how can you not vote for Obama?’
