Obama rally inspires supporters in Hartford

For Joanna Harris of Burlington, getting a chance to see presidential contender Barack Obama was “the best thing to happen to me in a long time.”
Harris, who called herself “a simple housewife,” said that Obama offers the country “a chance to stop fighting with each other and just get along.”
For many of the nearly 20,000 people who packed into the XL Center Monday evening to hear the Illinois Democrat’s pitch for their votes in today’s primary, making Obama the party’s presidential nominee offered a way out of the partisan sniping and division that has marred the nation’s politics for a generation.
Bristol’s Al Marko noted how U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President of John F. Kennedy, were there to tout Obama’s candidacy.
“It was interesting to see the passing of the torch from the Kennedys to Obama,” Marko said. “It’s nice to be able to say you were there.”
He said he was struck in particular by “the broad cross-section” of people who attended Obama’s “very inspiring address” – families, older people, students and many, many others.
U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat whose district includes Bristol, said that Obama speaks to the “dreams and aspirations” of a wide cross-section of the electorate.
He called Obama, who faces a stiff challenge from U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, “transcendent” in the way he “tugs at the heartstrings” of a public that wants to see something new and different.
“Barack is the change that the nation needs,” Larson said.
Allison Quantz, a sophomore at Wesleyan University in Middletown, said that he said she’s been intrigued by Obama since she saw him give the main address at the 2004 Democratic convention.
She said she recently decided to throw aside her skepticism “and to be excited” at the prospect that Obama could win.
Julien Burns, another Wesleyan sophomore, said he’s not sure yet. He said he came to see the senator speak at the former Hartford Civic Center to find out if he really is as inspiring as some find him.
For U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, a Democrat whose 5th District includes Plymouth and New Britain, said that “a candidate like Barack Obama comes along once in a generation.”
He said that Obama offers the chance to “bring back millions of young people who are sitting on the precipice” and are anxious for a political leader who can address their needs.
Harris said she wants a candidate who “will end this stupid war” in Iraq and she has faith that Obama will do just that.
Larson said the defining issue of the race is “the war and foreign policy.”He said that Obama “will do more for America’s standing in the world” simply by getting elected than anyone else can do with the hard work of diplomacy.
Though Larson said Clinton “would be great,” he said that Obama ought to be the Democrat’s standard bearer.
He said there isn’t much difference in terms of policy between Clinton and Obama. “The big chasm,” the congressman said, is between the Democrats and the Republicans.
Larson said the GOP once was “the Grand Old Party,” but these days it means “Gas, Oil and Petroleum.”
Marko said that with all the new people who registered to vote, it’s hard to know how it will shake out at the polls today.
And he won’t be the only one watching closely.

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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com