TECHNICIAN
friday september
7
2012
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Romney Obama calls for ‘four more years’ Ann reaches out to women
Mark Herring Editor-in-Chief
Jake Dowling Ending three nights of the Democratic National Convention, President Barack Obama accepted his nomination for re-election Thursday night, calling on the common thread during this convention: “We’re in this together.” Following Vice President Joe Biden’s speech nearly stif led by tears, Obama entered the stage of the Time Warner Cable Arena, inciting the audience that chanted “Four more years.” The president reiterated the policies his party had outlined during the three days of the convention in Charlotte, N.C. “We don’t want handouts for those who refuse to help themselves, and we certainly don’t want bailouts for banks that break the rules,” Obama said. Biden said in his speech that four years isn’t enough for Obama to rectify the “mess” he inherited, and said the moment Obama enter the Oval Office, he had to restore confidence in the nation. Obama repeated this idea, saying Americans didn’t elect him to hear good news, but to entrust him with the hard decisions he had to face. “You elected me to tell you the truth,” Obama said. “The truth is it will take a few years to solve the challenges that have built up over decades.” As the president made jabs at the Republican platform from the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., he referred to his opponent, Mitt Romney, not by name, but as “one business leader,” or “one governor.”
Staff Writer of the University of Findlay’s newspaper, The Pulse
JORDAN MOORE/TECHNICIAN
A man cheers for President Barack Obama during his speech at the Democratic National Convention, Thursday.
Obama said Republicans misunderstood his party’s policies, saying that Democrats don’t support free handouts and endless spending. “I’ve cut taxes for those who need it, but I don’t believe in another round of tax cuts for millionaires… will grow our economy,” Obama said. “Rolling back regulations on Wall Street won’t help the small businesswoman expand. We’re not moving back, we’re moving forward, America.” Obama noted ending the war in Iraq and his plans to leave Afghanistan in 2014. The president, referring to himself at the commander in chief, said he will invest the money saved from ending the war to boost the economy. “I will use the money we will no longer spend on war to repay our
debt,” Obama said. “It’s time to do some nation building right here at home.” The crowd interrupted the president’s speech multiple times with applause and cheering. After the event Minnesota resident Jeremy Holmquist, 26, said he was convinced. “The speech was compelling and well worded,” Holmquist said. “I’m more of a libertarian, but I was pretty swayed.” Julia Massman, 72, of Charlotte said the speech reaffirmed her beliefs and alleviated her political reservations. “There were no questions—it’s a very clear choice. Romney is like a hologram—we see through him and he doesn’t make any real decisions,” Massman said. “He has experience,
but it’s not the right experience. Obama has the compassion and feeling we saw in him as a young senator.” Though the president said he promises better days are to come, he warned that the path won’t be easy. “[My campaign is] not blind optimism, not wishful thinking, but hope in the face of uncertainty… even when the road is long,” Obama said.
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Democrats appeal to the critical Latino vote Jessie Halpern News Editor
The Obama campaign is targeting every voter demographic in 2012, but according to Astrid Chirinos, an N.C. State alum and director of Charlotte’s Latin American Chamber of Commerce, the President can count on the Hispanic vote. “The Latina community is a critical vote for either party,” Chirinos said. “There’s been more support for the Democrats, though.” Chirinos, who earned a design degree from N.C. State in 1984, said her training at the University taught her to look at things and “connect the dots.” In the past 28 years, Chirinos has worked for small, large, and
mid-sized companies, in addition to being an entrepreneur and small business owner. “N.C. State provided me with a great legacy that I’ll never forget,” Chirinos said. Chirinos said that legacy was part of what gave her the ability to speak to the Latina vote. “Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic in the country,” Chirinos said. “We know education is critical, and we need the infrastructure to support that.” Chirinos said President Obama has provided support to help build children’s futures, and it’s something she said she has yet to see from the Republican campaign. “The Latina community is aligned
with the core values of the Obama administration across the board,” Chirinos said. According to Chirinos, the country needs to be aware that the future is multicultural, and she’s not the only one who thinks so. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois addressed the Democratic National Convention Wednesday evening about Obama’s work with immigration reform. “On June 15, President Obama… took steps to lift the shadow of deportation from deserving young people,” Gutierrez said. “They are students and volunteers and leaders. Many want to join the armed forces.” Gutierrez said these immigrants
are Americans in every way — except on paper. Both he and Chirinos agreed that the nation’s current immigration system is “broken,” but both have faith that Obama can fix it. “The President needs to be aggressive,” Chirinos said. “It’s difficult to talk about a system that’s broken.” Chirinos said the President needs to “revamp” the immigration system, even if it means making a completely new model. “What we do now is just going to be a band aid, but he’s working hard,” Chirinos said. Journalist Cristina Saralegui ad
LATINO continued page 3
LGBT brings campus to DNC Jessie Halpern News Editor
Visitors and speakers hailed from N.C. State and Capitol Hill for another LGBT Caucus Thursday afternoon. Jim Messina, manager of the Obama campaign, was the first to take the podium at the caucus. His words of encouragement and tone of urgency set the standard for the remaining speakers. “We have a president who believes in equality, justice, fairness--he stands on the right side of history, unlike his opponent, and he keeps his promises,” Messina said. “It is
incredibly important that Barack Obama be re-elected President of the United States.” Messina worked closely with President Obama for more than one year to repeal our nation’s former military policy Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and said the president’s commitment to that effort is only the tip of the iceberg. “I can’t think of a political leader I’d want to work for more in the world,” Messina said. “This election is going to be close, don’t let anyone tell you anything else. Together we have to do everything in our power to re-elect Barack Obama.” Messina was not the only speaker
who made Obama’s re-election a pressing matter. Second Lady Jill Biden also took the podium with a focus on timeliness. “So much is at stake in this election, especially for the LGBT community,” Biden said. “We have to make sure we move forward on gay rights so we can continue the progress we’ve made.” Biden referenced the signing of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which extended the definition of hate crimes to include those committed based on one’s gender or sexuality under the Obama-Biden administration. “We can’t win without you,” Biden
said. While most of the afternoon’s speakers focused on LGBT issues, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis delivered an economic and personal endorsement of the president. “In 29 months, we got 4.5 million private sector jobs across the board,” Solis said. “Do we need to do more? Yes, and we know it’s going to take a lot of work.” Solis also spoke of her personal work relationship with the president. “This president cares very much
LGBT continued page 3
Little American f lags were waving as a crowd of young women at the University of Findlay chanted ‘O-HI-O’ as Ann Romney made a campaign appearance on behalf of her husband, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. “We’ve heard about how many women are struggling in this economy right now, more than the men are,” Mrs. Romney said. “Women have to ask themselves who’s going to be there for you. You heard about how hard this economy is on women. Women have been hit the hardest in this economy, and guess who else, kids coming out of college.” Romney is campaigning in Ohio, a battleground state, to appeal to many young voters who voted for President Barack Obama in 2008. She said young adults graduating from college and entering an uncertain workforce must reconsider their reservations. “For all those kids who voted for [President Barack] Obama and are now unemployed, I’m saying this, wake up. It’s time to fire the coach,” Romney said. Though the event attracted a large female crowd, men attended the speech in pride. “We came to support our wives, but I wanted to go and listen to [Romney] in an actual situation to find out if she is really committed to what’s in front of them,” Patrick Winston, a retired business owner from Port Clinton, Ohio, said. “Are we, as Americans, prepared to give Alaska back to the Russians or China, or Hawaii back to someone to pay off our debt? Our young people better think that way because that could happen if that is the only way to pay off our debt,” Winston said. To Winston, Romney passed the commitment test, but he said the GOP should focus on something else that was only lightly touched on during Romney’s speech—the national debt. The national debt affects future generations, Elaine Winston said. “They tell us what they plan to do, but they need to show us,” Winston said. “We are worried about our kids and grandkids.” In its campaign, the GOP has been pushing one of Ronald Reagan’s most famous quotes during his bid in the 1980 election against Jimmy Carter: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” Winston said Americans should stay focused on the present rather than the past. “I think they should focus on the debt and not on the four years later question,” Winston said. “Asking people if they are better off now than they were four years ago is not as hard hitting.” Teresa Richardson of Erie Michigan called Mrs. Romney a remarkable lady of integrity. “She didn’t point fingers or make excuses, she merely stated that Mitt will deliver the fix we need,” Richardson said.