He may not be Barack Obama, but as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Gov. Howard Dean might make a good alternate guest.
The former governor of Vermont and one time presidential hopeful (not now, the one in 2004) stopped in at Temple today to sing Obama’s praises and encourage college students to be politically engaged. Opening for Dean was Mayor Michael Nutter, while State Sen. Shirley Kitchen and State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas also came out to show support at the Obama rally.
The theme of the event was that students should do whatever they can to help out with the election, with Dean saying that you only “get a D for voting.” He asked that students volunteer, donate (with what time they have between studying,) and make sure others are registered to vote as well. This last part received particular emphasis with only 17 days left for voter registration in Pennsylvania, a state that can still swing either red or blue.
The rally, put together by Temple College Democrats, was well attended, although one might think that more than 200 people would turn up to see such a huge political player. That said, some students had difficulty coming out in the middle of the day because of conflicts with class. Those that did make it had a chance to hear about a failing economy and an out-of-touch Republican Party, along with how Obama is seeking to change that. Although if you were expecting a detailed outline on economic policy reform, you didn’t miss much.
Dean invoked the Obama-J.F.K. comparison, but focused more on the culture surrounding the 1960 election with the one currently running, calling them both a time of “generational change.” He also accepted what he felt was the failure of his generation in “taking time off of politics,” which he believes led to the problems of American’s today.
In his 2004 campaign for the Democratic nomination, Dean was criticized for his overzealous yelp enthusiastic cheer during a concession speech following a third place finish in the Iowa Democratic caucuses.
Keep an eye on TTN this week for a video, photo slideshow, and a full article covering today’s event.
