Obama, other Democratic politicians speak at Moving America Forward rally at USC
President Barack Obama comes to USC on the afternoon of Oct. 22 for the Moving American Forward Rally held in Alumni Park. (courtesy of Philippe Berry/20minutes.fr)
About 37,500 people attend the Moving America Forward rally, which included Democratic speakers such as gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown and Senator Barbara Boxer. (courtesy of Philippe Berry/20minutes.fr)
Signs declaring “Vote 2010″ waved up and down, and cheers of “Yes, we can” filled the air as President Barack Obama took the stage.
Obama rallied more than 37,500 attendees Oct. 22 at USC’s Alumni Park to renew the spirit of Democratic voters and to promote California’s Democratic candidates for the Nov. 2 midterm elections.
Before gates opened at 10 a.m., hopeful attendees stood in a line that looped several times over on the north side of the University Park campus.
Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx energized the crowd with a chant of “we are not exhausted” in response to the assertion that the party has lost momentum since the 2008 elections. Foxx, along with other entertainers and politicians, spoke at the Moving America Forward rally, which followed an on-campus fundraising luncheon for Senator Barbara Boxer’s re-election.
“This election is a choice between the past and the present,” said Obama, backed by a grandstand filled with hundreds of college students. “I bring this up not because I want to reargue the past; I bring this up because I do not want to relive the past.”
Obama alluded to the problems left behind by conservatives in 2008, citing a dismal economy and two wars overseas. Addressing concerns that Republicans hold a sizable advantage in this year’s election, Obama subsequently encouraged students to vote and keep Democrats in power in both houses of Congress.
“The journey we began together was not just about putting a president in the White House. It was about building a movement for change,” Obama said, concluding his speech. “It was about realizing a promise of the United States of America, and understanding that if we’re willing to work for it, there’s nothing we can’t change.”
Democrats across the United States have been struggling in the polls leading up to the midterm elections. Gallup’s Oct. 7-17 polling suggested Republicans would win 56 percent of the midterm vote, 17 points ahead of Democrats.
In her speech, Boxer accused Republicans of supporting California propositions that harm efforts targeting climate change and progressive taxation.
“The other side is trying to depress voter turnout,” Boxer said. “The pollsters have already decided who’s going to win, who’s going to lose. But the problem is, we haven’t voted (yet).”
The three-term senator posed a simple formula for success: Vote, and Democrats will win.
Speakers, including gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, encouraged supporters to close the reported “enthusiasm gap” between Republican and Democratic supporters.
The rally comes near the end of a midterm election campaign in which California has a close gubernatorial race, as well as six congressional seats and one spot in the Senate up for grabs. Additionally, a number of party-line propositions are on the ballot.
