Over 200 people gathered in Bruin Plaza on Thursday evening to
hear Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean speak out against
President Bush and the Iraqi war.
Many at the event ““ held immediately after the Democratic
candidate forum on the environment in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom
““ support Dean because he opposed the Iraq war.
“Being against the war in Iraq ““ that was a big
deciding force for me,” said 24-year-old Matt Christy.
Christy believes Dean is the best candidate to deal with the
economy and health care because of Dean’s experience as a
physician and as former governor of Vermont.
Dean, like other Democratic candidates, plans to make nationwide
health care a primary goal and he also focused on the recent
Supreme Court decision overturning the Texas law banning sodomy.
The law was being used to prosecute gay couples in the state.
“I am tired of being divided by race, sexual orientation
and gender,” Dean said.
Many supporters expressed renewed interest in politics because
of Dean’s campaign.
“I don’t usually get involved, but Howard Dean is
totally unique, he’s not interested in the game of politics
and won’t bend over backwards to appease naysayers,”
said 30-year-old volunteer Carolyn Fine.
Fine decided to volunteer for L.A. for Dean, a grassroots group,
after researching Dean and hearing him speak.
Other Democrats in attendance who weren’t supportive of
Dean believed there were more qualified candidates.
“I respect Howard Dean, he is just not my guy,” said
Jonathan Epstein, John Kerry-supporter.
Kerry has a combination of a long record of military service and
a deep understanding of health care, Epstein said.
Founder of Bruins for Dean, third-year political student Cameron
Corda, became a supporter of Dean after watching him speak on
television and researching him through the Internet.
“The manner in which he spoke reminded me of John McCain,
he’s a straight talker,” said Corda.
Corda awarded Dean with a UCLA hockey jersey bearing
“Dean” and “04” on the back.
“Those guys at USC are going to come after me now,”
Dean said upon putting it on.
Bruins for Dean hopes to register more student voters, inform
students about Dean, and possibly have Dean visit UCLA again in
2004.
The rally came a day before MoveOn.org, a grassroots
organization against the war in Iraq, announced Howard Dean won
their Internet primary with 44 percent of the votes.
Fellow anti-war candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio placed
second, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry came in third, and
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman garnered 2 percent of the votes.
The results are a sharp contrast from national surveys of
Democrat voters which places Lieberman in first.
Iowa polls show Kerry, Dean, Lieberman, and Missouri Rep. Dick
Gephardt, are the top runners for the Democratic Party.
With reports from Daily Bruin wire services.