Warren and Strickland make OSU election pit stop, address Democratic values
At Ohio State University, Former Gov. Ted Strickland and Sen. Elizabeth Warren made their pitch to young voters.
by Kate Greer
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Over the weekend, the Ohio Union hosted what is easily just the beginning of many political rallies that will visit The Ohio State University. The largest college in the one of the most crucial swing states in America welcomed Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, as they both campaigned for Strickland’s senate bid and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s presidential candidacy. Approximately 600 OSU students and Columbus residents gathered in the Archie Griffin Ballroom on Sept. 17 to hear the politicians speak.
Strickland addressed the gathering first.
“Hillary Clinton, as we all know, is a champion for working people,” he said from his podium under the Ohio and American flags. “She understands that the stakes are so high in this coming election. She knows that America’s future is dependent upon what you and others like you across this great state of Ohio do in this next 52 days.”
Strickland went on to split his time between discussing Clinton’s race for the White House and his own campaign for the US Senate, comparing his progressive values to those of Sen. Rob Portman, his Republican opponent. Strickland criticized many of Portman’s stances, covering everything from international trade and women’s rights, loudly declaring his belief that a woman should have a decision when it comes to her own body. The senate candidate disagreed strongly with Portman’s support of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade compromise between the US and multiple countries in Asia. On the topic of the presidential election, Strickland threw his full support behind Clinton.
“Ohio has a choice to make,” the former governor stated. “It’s a choice between Hillary Clinton, who has the right values, the right experience, and the right qualifications, or Donald Trump.” Upon hearing the Republican candidate’s name, the room echoed with a unanimous boo from the audience, to which Strickland replied, “As the president says, ‘Don’t boo. Vote.’”
This catchphrase was repeated multiple times throughout the course of the afternoon. Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke next, emphasizing that the two Democratic hopefuls, Clinton and Strickland, come from and fight for working class families. She stated that they both will continue to make the playing field even for everyone in America, not just those at the top.
“Ohio is a special place for me. It is the first time I got up on stage and said I am with Hillary,” Warren explained to the crowd. “So I’m here today to say I’m with Hillary, and I’m with Ted.”
Warren talked about her upbringing and her experience with college, confessing her hope to restore America’s concern for students of all backgrounds. Education was a prominent topic during the rally, as the Democratic senator addressed an especially well-receiving crowd on this particular issue.
Warren also showed her solidarity with Strickland, taking her turn to condemn Portman’s record as senator.
“I wish that Rob Portman were part of the solution, I really do,” she said to the crowd. “We need more moderate Republicans in Congress, but he isn’t one of them. […] When Sherrod Brown and I worked to put together a bill to let students refinance their student loans, Rob Portman voted no.”
Warren then turned to Trump, voicing her disgust that he would incite his followers to commit acts of violence against his opponent and calling him “a twisted bully who can’t fight his own battles.” She touched on Republican presidential nominee’s crooked business practices and associations with enemy world leaders who have repeatedly violated human rights. Warren firmly stated that Trump should not by any means have access to America’s nuclear codes.
“We need your help,” the senator said, articulating the importance of volunteer efforts. “We come together at these rallies to affirm our values, to affirm the things that we fight for. […] We believe that every young person should have a chance to get a college education without getting crushed by student loans.”
Warren finished off with a final statement about the politicians she was there to support, saying, “Hillary and Ted are tough, experienced leaders who will fight for their values and fight our values.”
This news piece was authored by Kathleen Greer as part of our new writing chapter at Ohio State University. Email Phillip Hedayatnia at phillip@hybridsite.net if you are interested in starting a writing chapter at your college/university, or joining the OSU chapter.
