Message resounds among rally-goers

Four Bush supporters stood outside of the rally holding signs.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Youngstown resident Ray Reber liked what he heard about the need for a change in the country's health care and the state of the economy.
The 71-year-old veteran of the Korean War was one of about 4,000 people who attended the Rally in the Valley Wednesday for Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.
"Everything he said was about issues we're concerned about," Reber said. "I think they're going to win."
Dorrit Purdy, 70, of Chesterland in Geauga County, liked Edwards' plans for young people to work for two years and then have four years of college paid for.
"That was something I hadn't heard before," she said.
Kenneth Bancroft, 65, of Austintown, wore a T-shirt bearing a picture of Republican President Bush with a circle around it and a line drawn through. His daughter bought it for him while visiting New York City.
Swift boat issue
Bancroft, a Navy veteran, called the campaign by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth "a bunch of crap." That group has been critical of Democratic nominee John Kerry's Vietnam War service record and the medals he's received.
"You don't put yourself in for a medal," Bancroft said, adding that other people nominate medal recipients for their awards.
But Debbie Clair, 54, and Jack Ranck, 58, both of Warren, two of four Bush-Cheney supporters displaying signs outside of the rally, say it's Kerry who brought up his military career, making it an issue.
"He brought it up when he said he was reporting for duty," said Ranck, of Warren, who served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. "If I were George Bush I would have said, 'OK, you're going to Iraq.'"
Gathering information
Beth Allcorn and Michael Pilolli, both 17, and of Berlin Center, attended the rally to gather information.
"I don't know -- if I could vote -- who I'd choose," said Beth, adding that she wanted to learn more about the candidates.
Michael said he likes Kerry's ideas about reducing energy costs but that he wants to find out more about the issues before deciding who he supports. Both Beth and Michael will be seniors at Western Reserve High School this year.
Judith McFadden, 55, of Warren is putting her support behind the Kerry-Edwards ticket because she says it's time for a change.
"Our young people are leaving, there's no jobs," she said.
McFadden also pointed to a need for improvement in health care for senior citizens.
Senior citizens
That's also a concern of Marie Russ, 35, of Warren, who works at Delphi Packard Electric Systems.
"My parents are both older, and hopefully they [Kerry and Edwards] can do something to help them with Medicare and Medicaid," said Russ, who was accompanied by her son, Jack, whose seventh birthday coincided with rally.
Russ's desire to keep jobs in the United States and the Mahoning Valley also is behind her support for the Democratic ticket, she said.