By Taylor Paraboschi
With the 2008 election looming Nov. 4, the College Republicans and Students for McCain are working hard to rally support in various states for the senator in hopes of electing him president. In an effort to maximize their recourses, College Republicans will be sent in three different directions.
“As of now we have students going in three different ways,” said senior Sean Nabi, president of the College Republicans. Four members will be bused to the Philadelphia area as apart of a paid trip by the McCain campaign to garner supporters to help with the campaign process.
“The students will be doing anything from phone banking to canvassing to going to rallies,” said Nabi. “It is all up to the district that they are working under.”
The students working under the McCain campaign will have the opportunity to either come back to campus after the weekend is over, or stay through until Election Day. “There are also five students who are going back home to their various states (Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maryland) to lend support to their local McCain campaigns.
Asked why the group was sending students to Pennsylvania, Anthony Lucci, president of the Students for McCain said they hoped to rally “more positive media publicity for the campaign there,” and that they were going because Pennsylvania is the “biggest swing state that [they] are close to.”
Another major part of this weekend for the University’s two main Republican groups is the New York City Veterans Rally For McCain-Palin, being held in Foley Square Park in Manhattan, on Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon. Nabi, who has been closely working with NYC Veterans for McCain since the final debate, said the rally being held in Manhattan is one of 30 taking place throughout the New York City area.
So far, 35 students from schools across the metropolitan area are attending the New York City rally, which is completely funded by the Republican Veterans. The “Victory Rally,” as it is called by the veterans, is being lead by Gary Bernsten, who is not only a former CIA officer, but also “the only man in recent history to get the closest to Osama Bin Landen,” Nabi said.
The line-up for the rally, as posted in a press release by Veterans for McCain, includes Colonel Barry Bridger (a Vietnam War veteran), Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) and Joe Femenia (a former Navy SEAL). Along with these key speakers, there will also be a host of Republican veterans present, along with reporters from news organizations such as CNN and FOX.
“If given the right coverage, great things can be done with this event,” said Nabi.