By Alex Gaughan
Nov. 1, the day before Election Day, the University of Louisville College Democrats hosted a rally for democratic candidates for state and local offices, specifically senatorial candidate Jack Conway, running against Republican Rand Paul. The rally began at 6 p.m., drawing an audience of over 2,000 people. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, Conway and United States Rep. John Yarmuth were joined by former President Bill Clinton.
Security was dense on the Third Street side of campus. Police barricades blocked traffic and parked cars were not allowed to exit until after the event.
Some students questioned the necessity of the proceedings and felt that they would have little effect on the election results.
“Sure, it was great seeing President Clinton and gathering support before the election, but I’m not sure how much impact it could have,” said Ryan Dischinger, a senior philosophy major. “It seemed like everyone there had already made up their mind that they would be voting for Conway. And I didn’t notice too many Republicans in the audience.”
Blake Christopher, president of the U of L College Republicans and a junior history and political science double major, was in the crowd along with other CRs. He agreed with Dischinger about the ineffectiveness of the rally.
“It simply appeared to be too little, too late,” said Christopher. “History has shown that for a candidate to win a statewide office in Kentucky, he or she has to win more than Lexington and Louisville. Clinton would have been more beneficial to Conway by campaigning in rural, Democratic strongholds in the near eastern part of the state.”
Clinton encouraged students to study the facts of the race before choosing a candidate.
“I got out here and I realized this election was occurring in a parallel universe that was almost completely fact-free,” said Clinton. “Last night was Halloween, but I feel like it’s still going on.”
Some students agreed with Clinton, saying that knowing about the candidates is important before choosing who to vote for.
“We’re not born with knowledge of politicians, or taught about them in school, so the rally was great because I felt like I learned a lot about…Jack Conway,” said Lindsey Samotis, a sophomore anthropology major. “It was an opportunity to meet the personalities of Kentucky’s political scene. It’s really a unique experience.”
