Feb 2, 2007 9:57 pm US/Central
Obama Draws Large Crowd At College Rally
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) ―
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama drew an overflow crowd at a college rally Friday, the type of turnout usually reserved for winning basketball teams or rock bands.
Students filled a building atrium at George Mason University on Friday at a "Yes We Can!" rally, showing up to hear from the man many want to be their next president. There were no crowd totals, but the numbers likely exceeded the 1,500 organizers had expected.
"I'm fired up! This is unbelievable," the Illinois Democrat said, looking at students who even lined the railings along the upper floors.
Some were exuberant, squealing and shouting, "I love you!"
"Settle down, you all. Settle down, settle down," Obama said. "You're too fired up."
During his speech, the freshman senator introduced himself as a politician who never planned to be one, a man who didn't come from a well-connected Chicago political family, and a native of Hawaii who was raised by a single mom. The only black in the Senate, Obama also recalled how his father was a native of Kenya and his own early job as a $13,000-a-year community organizer in Chicago.
He said he wanted to ensure that "people just as deserving as you that never got a shot" have a chance at higher education. Obama also talked about the unpopular war in Iraq and energy policy.
But for the most part, Obama spoke as if he were recruiting the students to join a movement for change and trying to make them believe they could really make it possible -- or perhaps get them to work on his campaign.
"This crowd is not about me, it's about you," he said. "I've been a receptacle for your hopes and dreams."
Some of the students said Obama set the right tone.
"He didn't focus too much on national policy. I mean, he did, but I don't think it was overbearing," said Daniel Walker, a junior majoring in government and international politics. "He did a very good job of just kind of like meeting us where we're at as students."
Law student Ryan Woodberry, who described himself as an undecided Democrat, said he found Obama's talk uplifting.
"I think it'll probably move a lot of people to act," he predicted.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
