(Below) Sen. Barack Obama
Isalytcs supporters, (Left) A proud
Btden supporter shows
CONTINUtD niOH rAGC I
Stage, members of the University
of North Carolina A&T drumline
played.
At around 12:20 p.m., Biden and
Obama emerged from the train sta
tion to a roaring crowd with their
rally signs.
Biden opened his speech by talking
about the symbolism of having the
speech at train station.
“He is going to put us back on
track," said Biden in reference to
Obama.
Biden went on to reflect on the previ
ous evening's debate. Biden claimed
that while Sen. John McCain, the
Republican presidential nominee, is
known for his foreign policy, Obama
held his own on this issue during the
debate.
As Biden introduced Obama, the
crowd erupted into mass hyste
ria, cheering and taking photos.
Obama paused to take it all in
before he began his speech.
Obama focused the majority of
his speech on issues like the econo
my, healthcare and taxes. He talked
about how McCain ignored the
middle class during the debate.
"Through 90 minutes of debat
ing, John McCain had a lot to say
about me, but he had nothing to
say about you ... He didn't even
say the words 'middle class.'"
Obama then talked about the
major issue affecting the United
States — the economy. Obama
stated his tax plan would offer
three times more tax relief for the
middle class compared to McCain
and provide tax cuts for 95 percent
of working families.
"The current economic crisis was
one topic that I felt that Obama and
Biden were most eager to discuss,
.and the one that received the most
passionate response of approval from
the crowd," said Dean.
At one point, a child in the crowd
fainted, causing Obama to quickly
pause his speech in order to get medi
cal attention for the boy. Obama then
continued, claiming that the middle
class has to help each other get back
on their feet.
"Destiny isn't written for us, but
by us," said Obama. "The dreams of
American people can't be in danger
anymore. We are going to put people
back to work."
He also stressed that he is a man of
change compared to McCain who has
recently said that he is for change.
Obama accused him of stealing his
phrases.
"Pretty soon I'm going to have to
start saying I'm a maverick," said
Obama, making the crowd laugh
before furthering the notion that
McCain is similar to President George
W. Bush. "George Bush has dug us
into a deep hole and John McCain
was carrying the shdV'eL"
Obama finished ■hi§'';speech confi
dent in winning Norffi' Carolina on
the Nov. 4 election with the help of
people who showed up to the rally.
"I was completely,;'overwhelmed
by the entire experience: the fantas
tic crowd, the call for a renewal of
morality and the sincerity that reso
nated with the voices of both Biden
and Obama," said Dean.
"The atmosphere was an ambiance
of people that wefe^nll focused on
unity of change and brotherhood,"
said Faye Jones, an Obama supporter
from Raleigh. "As a person that is
very strong in my faith and spiritual
being, I truly felt that God was the
architect of that day and meeting."
(Left) Sen. O
clieers pnTinning mate Seng
seph'JBIdeh. (Right) An Ob.^r
Biden supporter reads coverag
of tlic previous night’s presider
debate in the News & Record,
Debate
by prexy
Just about everyone will agree that informed
voters are better for the country than unin
formed voters, but our reality is that not every
one eligible to vote is well informed. Which is
better for the country: uninformed voters, or
uninformed non-voters?
How is McCain going to follow-through with
the goals of his platform with a Democrat-con-
trolled Congress?
President George W. Bush's expansion of exec
utive powers is one of the most significant as
pects of his legacy. What's to stop Obama from
expanding executive power even further?
SUPPORTERS OF EACH
CANDIDATE ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS YOU WONT HEAR
IN A PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Pat Whitty (M): I think it’s much better that
you realize you’d make a bad decision and stay
home.
Jason Rainwater (O); I don’t really think he’s
going to get much accomplished at all.
Matt Clausen (O): If you choose not to vote,
that’s your prerogative, and I’m sorry that you feel
that way. If you do choose to vote, and you choose
not to learn about the candidates ... I don’t think
that that’s a relatively healthy way of voting.
Jeffrey Meyer (M): I think some issues, such as
environmental awareness ... are more non-partisan
issues that both parties agree need to be changed.
I think he’ll probably stick with things that are less
controversial or things that both Republicans and
Democrats can agree on.
Jason Rainwater (O): Especially with a Demo
cratic Congress, he could make a lot of beneficial
changes. ...There’s nothing really stopping him.... I
think if it was the best call, he would.
Tommy Barham (M): I think it would be
catastrophic if you had all three major leadership
positions in one party. ...There would be no one
to stop them
By Jeremy Bante
Photo Editor
The Commission on Presidential Debates
screens questions based on a series of sober,
politicized and opaque criteria I couldn't care
less about. Between the Commission and the
security, I won't get to ask either mainstream
candidate my questions, so I asked some of
their supporters instead.
Tommy Barham (M): If you do not vote, you
should not complain either way who gets elected,
since you did not partake in the election.
Sean Miller (O): It depends on what the coun
try wants, and to be honest with you, we can’t
determine what that is because we can only deter
mine what the country wants by their vote.
Matt Clausen (O): There’s no way possible
he could.... His first two years are jiist going to
be do-nothing years.... Democrats are a lot more
partisan than they used to be.
Dan Jimenez (O): It’s a matter of checks and
balances.That’s why we have the judiciary.
Dana Hamdan (O); Everyone’s entitled to
vote, and that’s why it’s the government’s responsi
bility to educate people about voting so we won’t
have this problem in the first place.
Zach Lynn (M): If McCain is elected president,
I feel that he is able to compromise on enough
issues and create a platform that would be sustain
able to both parties and possibly reclaim Congress
in the next election for the Republicans. ...The
Democrat Congress is also running into some
problems; people don’t feel that they’ve done
enough.
Pat Whitty (M): Public opinion. He wouldn’t
necessarily be a candidate for change if he con
tinued to expand the powers of the executive
branch, because that’s all George (W.) Bush did.
Senior
Obama Supporter (O)
Jason Rainwater
junior
Obama Supporter (O)
I^fia HatiKtan
Sophomore
Obama Supporter (C|
Sophomore
McCain Supporter (M)