East Carolinian

Issue date: 10/28/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Ashley Yarber

Media Credit: Ashley Yarber

With only eight days left until America votes, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden made an appearance on campus yesterday with hundreds attending to hear the senator talk about the importance of voting and the economy.

About 10 a.m., local politicians, students, staff, faculty and members of the community and surrounding areas gathered outside at the Mendenhall Brickyard to get a glimpse of the senator.

The rally began with a prayer by North Carolina Senate hopeful Don Davis before former Student Government Association president and first Black SGA president M. Cole Jones took the stage to lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Congressman G.K. Butterfield also spoke briefly to the group about "his friend," Sen. Biden, calling the vice presidential nominee a "statesman" and "foreign policy expert."

"My friends, we are tired of the failed policies of the Bush administration," said Butterfield. "It's time for change in North Carolina. It's time for Barack Obama and Joe Biden to put America on the right path."

Melissa Hege, ECU student and the ECU field organizer for the Obama campaign in Greenville, also gave a few words about the hard work of students during the months leading up to Election Day before introducing Sen. Biden to the crowd.

"In this region we have [had] record-breaking numbers as far as getting people registered to vote," Hege said. "And we couldn't have done that without … every student, every student organization [and] every community member. You don't know the impact you have had on this campaign."

Biden took the stage holding an ECU baseball hat before diving into his 20-minute speech.

Biden focused on the economy, hitting home what the Obama campaign has been preaching for months: a John McCain administration would contain the "same" policies as the Bush administration's regarding the economy and other issues.

"It's not about [if] you are better off than you were eight years ago," Biden said. "The economy in crisis, workers losing their jobs, families losing their homes and watching their incomes decline, the cost of everything from health care to college on the rise, our stand in the world decline … the answer to the question is not, 'are we better off?'-everyone knows we're not better off. The real question is, 'how can we be better off four years from now?'"

"I know Halloween is coming," he said. "But John McCain dressed as an agent of change-that costume doesn't fit, folks."

Biden also spoke of the loss of jobs in the country and the state, and the U.S. health care system, which has left millions uninsured. Biden mentioned the climbing number of foreclosures across the country along with the Obama/Biden plan to "rebuild" and "restore" the American middle class by giving tax cuts to those citizens.

"If we can help Wall Street, then we can help Evans Street and all the streets in Greenville," Biden said.

Biden poked fun at the McCain camp's use of the word "maverick," saying that, "you can't call yourself a 'maverick' if all you've been for the last eight years is a 'sidekick,'" drawing cheers from the crowd.

After his speech, Biden took time to shake hands and take pictures with students and members of the audience.

In addition to Biden's speech in Greenville, the senator also visited Greensboro, NC and New Port Richey, Fla. on Monday.



This writer can be contacted at editor@theeastcarolinian.com.

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