Not long after a certain famous Illinois senator visited Penn State, Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., came to campus to campaign for his friend from the Prairie State.
Durbin, the assistant majority leader of the Senate and the national co-chairman of the Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., campaign, came to campus for an event sponsored by Penn State Students for Barack Obama.
In front of a crowd of about 100 people in a lecture hall in Henderson South, the senior senator from Illinois spoke about Obama's rise through politics, his appeal to young voters and what he saw as the urgency for Obama to run for president. "You can't pick the time. The time picks you," Durbin said. "You are going to be president because of who you are, not by how many votes you cast."
Those statements appealed to Penn State Students for Barack Obama President Mike Stewart.
"That really struck me," Stewart (sophomore-political science) said. "I can't help but agree."
Durbin spoke of Obama's winning the Democratic senatorial primary in 2004, beating Blair Hull, who spent $28 million of his own money on the campaign.
Durbin compared Obama's oratory skills to those of Robert F. Kennedy as he told the crowd about Kennedy's spontaneous speech following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968.
"I've watched him face audiences of people that shouldn't be for him," he said. Although Durbin has endorsed Obama, he had kind words to say about Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. "I have the greatest respect for Senator Clinton," he said. "What she has done in this campaign is nothing short of extraordinary."
After the speech, Durbin fielded a few questions from the audience.
One audience member asked if third parties should be welcomed in more elections.
"There are a lot of third parties," Durbin said. "There ought to be some standard of credibility."
After the audience's questions, audience members were able to shake hands with Durbin. One student, as he met with Durbin, challenged him on tax issues. The senator and the student amiably exchanged words, highlighting their different opinions.
When asked by a student for advice on how to become a politician, Durbin responded he should take history courses, work for charities and volunteer for political campaigns. Another student simply wanted a picture with the senator.
Durbin later had a question and answer session with members of the press. One reporter asked Durbin what should be done to keep the Democratic party unified heading into the general election. "A great deal depends on the nominee and the person who is not the nominee," Durbin said. Another reporter asked Durbin if he likes visiting college campuses.
"I enjoy this," Durbin said about speaking with students. "They're well informed. They're involved."
