In your face politics
by Lindsay Sandham and Adam Goldstein
Photos by Danny Holland
The Metropolitan
Metro student Helen Starr points a finger at DU college republican James
King, who is dressed as “Flipper” the dolphin. King and another
DU student dressed as “Flipper and Flopper” to make a statement
about Kerry’s changing political views. Both democrats and republican
supporters were out in force to help voice their opinions about the upcoming
election.
Political battle lines were sharply drawn at Auraria when Chris Heinz,
stepson of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, visited campus
Oct. 21 and spoke to a crowd bitterly divided by their partisan convictions.
The spectacle began before the speaker arrived, as Republican and Democratic
supporters squared off to support their respective candidate. Although
the Democratic camp boasted a higher turnout, the Republican demonstrators
came prepared with elaborate costumes and synchronized chants.
A student sporting a wooden box marked by a red cross ran through the
crowd, chased by another dressed in a suit and tie and carrying a briefcase.
As they jogged in tandem, the second yelled periodically, “I’m
John Edwards!”
A pair of Republican demonstrators were dressed as dolphins, carrying
signs that read, “I’m a flipper, too!”
On the other side, Democratic supporters hurled reproaches at the minority
Republican crowd, criticizing their candidate and their methods.
“The Bush people are acting like little kids, like our president,”
said Metro student Elijah Shore. “We’re more mature than the
Bush fans.”
Supporters holding campaign signs from both camps vied for a prominent
position in the crowd as the sides exchanged satirical chants. For every
refrain of “Four more years” that echoed from the conservative
demonstrators, the Democrats returned with “No more years.”
Democratic supporters (left) yell back and forth with republican supporters
(right) Oct. 21 outside the Tivoli. Many gathered see Chris Heinz speak
on behalf of his stepfather Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
The exchange became more heated as the crowd grew in number. Arguments
turned into shouting matches as civility gave way to political passions.
When the Kerry campaigners finally stepped up to the podium, two distinct
and unyielding groups had emerged, each representing a definite political
approach and worldview.
Venture capitalist and former Metro student Bob Yandrofski organized the
event and kicked it off with a pro-Kerry speech and introduction of the
speakers.
“This administration has done more in four years to tarnish the
reputation of this country around the globe than any president in American
history,” he said. “These Republicans do a fantastic job to
focus on a few hot-button issues that focus on emotional responses that
stop people from thinking about the issues.”
He went on to say he thinks Colorado has become a battleground state
because its residents are progressive in their thinking and concern for
issues.
Actress Melissa Fitzgerald, who plays Carol on TV’s “The
West Wing,” delivered a speech focusing on environmental issues
and the Bush administration’s downfall.
“I’ve been doing this for a little while and every time I
get up in front of a crowd I get really nervous,” she said. “However,
there’s one thing I’m more afraid of than public speaking
and that’s four more years of George W. Bush.”
She continued on, saying she is proud to be American and considers herself
a patriot.
The reflection of the full crowd shows in actress Melissa Fitzgerald’s
sunglasses Oct. 21 outside the Tivoli. Fizgerald, who plays Carol on the
West Wing, has been helping the Kerry campaign, along with Chris Heinz,
around the country.
“And I don’t know about you guys, but I want my country back,”
she said as the Kerry supporters cheered her on.
She said the environment is one of her “pet issues” because
she breathes air, drinks water and wants her nephew and all American children
to grow up in a healthy environment.
“This president will go down as the worst president for the environment
in our nation’s history,” Fitzgerald said. “Every time
without exception that this administration has had to choose between public
health and the corporate polluters’ profits, they have come down
on the side of corporate polluters. Those are not my values and I don’t
think they’re yours either.”
Fitzgerald repeated the words “Those are not my values” throughout
her speech, referring to the Bush administration’s decisions regarding
environmental policies.
She also said she thinks John Kerry is a great candidate and will make
a magnificent president. “He actually has a plan for energy independence
that will protect our environment, make us less dependent on foreign oil
and create jobs in the process,” she said.
“In a democracy, people get the government they deserve, and we
deserve better,” Fitzgerald said in closing. “In a democracy,
our elected officials work for us. And as George W. Bush’s boss
I look forward to turning to him on Election Day and saying, ‘You’re
fired!’”
Heinz was met by the emotionally-charged crowd and a mixture of cheering
and booing.
Chris Heinz speaks in support of his stepfather, presidential candidate
John Kerry, on Oct. 21 in the Tivoli Square.
He discussed issues he said he felt were important to college students—higher
education and the possibility of a military draft.
“Tuition’s gone up 35 percent nationally, about $600 in the
last four years,” he said, also noting that the Bush administration
has done nothing about it. “We’ve got a plan for it. We’re
gonna give you a $4,000 tax credit; that’s $2,500 in your pocket.”
Heinz also outlined Kerry’s college-for-service plan, which means
any student who pledges two years of service to their community would
have all four years of their state college education paid for by the government.
He said people have been hearing a lot of talk about a possible military
draft.
“And no politician’s gonna tell you they’re going to
re-instate the draft; that’s bad politics,” he said. “The
armed forces is over-extended and it needs to grow. And if we don’t
want it to grow, we’re gonna need a fresh start in Iraq and we’re
gonna need a peacemaker.”
He then asked the crowd which candidate is a real peacemaker, to which
the Kerry supporters shouted out support.
“On the other side is a guy who started two wars in the last two
years and didn’t fight in one,” Heinz said of President Bush.
“I found a guy in John Kerry who actually fought for his country,
who came back and helped lead the peace movement, who helped to normalize
relations with Vietnam, who spent seven years in the best foreign relations
committee in the senate. That’s the real record.”
Heinz said he really wanted to talk to the crowd about why he is campaigning
for Kerry.
He said the day his father passed away was the saddest day of his life
and he never thought he would have another father figure, certainly not
one that could live up to his dad.
Kerry had the deck stacked against him when he married Heinz’ mother,
Teresa, he said.
Heinz said Kerry earned his respect by listening, by not pushing an agenda
on their family and by continuing to be a good father to his daughters.
“He learned to be a good partner to my mom, which, as you may
have read, is something of a full-time job,” Heinz said.
At the Republican National Convention this year, chief-of-staff for President
Bush Andy Card said the president sees the country like a parent sees
a 10-year-old child, Heinz said.
“I find that ironic, because I see the president as a 10-year-old
child,” he said. “More seriously, I agree with what Andy Card
is saying. I feel like the president has treated half of this country
and most of the rest of the world like children, and I didn’t ask
to be treated that way. For me, the stepfather model works better: you
have to earn people’s respect.”
Heinz said he looks forward to the day when America has that kind of
leadership.
Metro student Elijah Shore holds a ‘students for Kerry’ sign
while Bush supporters chant in the background.
“Four years ago, our military was feared and our ideals were loved.
In 2004, our military is no longer feared and our ideas are no longer
loved. That is a failed presidency,” he said.
Heinz closed his fifteen-minute speech with a description of a recurring
dream he’s been having: “It goes like this: I wake up on Jan.
20, turn on the TV—even FOX—and the president is leaving with
Barney, getting on Marine One, leaving the White House, going back to
Texas and never coming back.”
The Republican demonstrators saw the speech as an opportunity to support
their candidate and his leadership.
“We just know (Bush) is the right candidate,” said Charlie
Smith, chairman of the College Republicans at the University of Denver.
“It’s George Bush that’s leading the War on Terror.
We’re looking for a strong leader.”
The conservative demonstrators also responded to the criticisms of Heinz
against the current administration on issues ranging from the environment
to higher education.
“I think that (Bush) has a strong environmental policy,”
said Danielle Robinson, co-chair of the Colorado Federation of College
Republicans, in response to attacks on the President’s environmental
record. “(He) wants to clean the air with cleaner fuel. My father’s
in the oil business, we are trying to get more dependent on our own oil,
get away from foreign oil.”
Dan Cutts, student and vice chair of the DU College Republicans, similarly
supported Bush’s environmental policy.
“I’m an environmentalist, a conservationist,” he said.
“I believe in President Bush’s policies. The Healthy Forest
initiative is helping western states, especially Colorado. People think
that bush is against the environment, but he’s really not.”
In the past few months, there have been many Democratic events at Auraria
and not very many Republican events.
“I think liberals and Democrats are more outspoken, more out there,”
said UCD student Jenn Lindgren. “I noticed a lot in my classes that
there are a lot more Republicans. Actually, it’s just that Democrats
are out here.”
Robinson said she thinks Auraria is a more liberal campus and the Republicans
have been hitting bigger campuses such as CSU in Fort Collins and the
University of Colorado in Boulder.
DU student Chris Jurawan said that from an outside perspective, he also
thinks a lot of people view Auraria as a liberal campus.
“I think that maybe this university has been targeted by Democrats
because they view it as a friendly atmosphere,” he said.
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