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.