2008 Woodie Awards
Barack Obama at Mines
Historic event targeted campaign volunteers, focused on economic woes, new energy economy
By Tim Weilert
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On September 13, when it was announced that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama would be visiting the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), the response was mixed. The media arrived in droves as thousands of Jefferson County residents and Mines students waited in line. The Secret Service descended upon campus, traffic became hectic, and several Mines students took to protesting the event.
Protesters came from a variety of backgrounds, but found common ground in their disapproval of Obama's visit. Their signs featured slogans such as "Lower Gas Prices! Drill Off Shore," and "Say No To Socialism."
Andrew Bosela, a CSM freshman, had this to say: "I agree with Sen. Obama that we as Americans need to phase off our use of petroleum and gas to renewable and alternative energy sources. However, making those alternatives economically viable will obviously take time, and therefore I hold to the view, along with many others, that we need to drill for some of our own oil in the interim as we research other options, a view, to the best of my knowledge, definitely not held by Sen. Obama."
But why did the Obama campaign choose CSM? The answer: Colorado is a swing state, and Jefferson County is a key district. This fact was also realized by Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who spoke at the JeffCo Fairgrounds on September 15. As students attending Obama's event found out, this was not a speech targeted toward engineers. Instead the event focused its energy toward energizing Obama's grassroots movement here in Jefferson County.
Jacob Smith, the mayor of Golden, gave the first formal speech. His focus was on the School of Mines, NREL and renewable energies. "Here at the School of Mines they are training the next generation of engineers who will drive the new energy economy," said Smith, "It is time for a president who understands the new energy economy and understands that we can create jobs here at home while reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil."
Up next was Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a self-identified political outsider and business-minded leader. "As most of you know, I'm not such a great politician," said Hickenlooper, "I'm someone who believes in good government. When I ran [for mayor] five years ago, I was someone on the outside who wanted to change government to work for everybody." Hickenlooper shared anecdotes about Obama and talked about the issues of change and what effects an Obama presidency would have on Colorado residents.
Following Hickenlooper was Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. "In January 2007, we said, in Colorado, we're going to be a leader in the new energy economy," said Ritter, "We're going to create jobs in renewable energy across Colorado just by saying 'We can.'" The Governor discussed various renewable energy projects, such as the foundation of the world's largest wind tower manufacturing company in Pueblo. Ritter stressed the importance of renewable energy and its effect on security and the economy. He ended by encouraging Colorado voters to vote for Obama, focusing on the fact that Colorado is a swing state.
Several other speeches took place before Senator Obama finally made his appearance. Remarks from Erin Ramsey, an Obama Field-Organizer for Jefferson County, again stressed the importance of Colorado in the November election. She urged Obama supporters to volunteer for the candidate, a theme which ran throughout the event. Fredrico Peña, a former mayor of Denver, Secretary of Energy and Transportation under the Clinton Administration, spoke "to keep things warm" during the wait.
As the crowd sat in waiting, their anticipation intensified with chants of "O-Ba-Ma!" The cheers grew as Peggy Roach, a Lakewood woman, took the stage to share her story before introducing Obama. As she finished, Lockridge Arena literally shook with cheering, and, when Obama finally emerged from behind the curtains, the cheering intensified.
Obama's speech, titled "Confronting An Economic Crisis," began with his remarks about the current economic woes facing America. "In the last few days," said Obama, "We have seen clearly what's at stake in this election. The news from Wall Street has shaken the American people's faith in our economy." He proceeded to describe specific instances of recent economic crises, and attack Senator John McCain's economic philosophy. "This isn't 9/11," said Obama, "We know how we got into this mess, what we need now is leadership that gets us out. I'll provide it, John McCain won't, and that's the choice for Americans in this election."
The specifics of Obama's economic plan included job creation, retooling of bankruptcy law, economic framework and regulation. "To jumpstart job creation, I have proposed a $50 billion emergency economic plan that would save one million jobs by rebuilding our infrastructure, repairing our schools, and helping our states and localities avoid damaging budget cuts." Obama spoke against lobbyists, promised to cut taxes for working Americans, affordable healthcare, and offered "change, as more than a slogan."
Energy was also a hot topic. "We'll tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power," said Obama. "I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels, an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced."
Senator Obama ended his speech by echoing the themes that had been talked about all morning. As he closed his speech with an encouragement for his volunteers, he said, "I ask you to knock on some doors, and make some calls, and talk to your neighbors, and give me your vote on November 4th. And if you do, I promise you we will win Colorado, we will win this election, and we will change America together."
In an email sent to students CSM President Miles "Bill" Scoggins recognized the positive implications of hosting a presidential candidate. "I am proud we were selected as the venue for this event, as it reflects our growing recognition as a leading, world-class research university," said Scoggins. "I am also proud that we were contacted by Senator McCain's campaign staff earlier this summer. Although they chose another location for their event at that time, we welcome further inquiries from them about renting a facility at Mines. We should all be proud that our campus is a place where national policies are discussed."
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