Bush seeks votes from Democrats in the Valley

John Kerry doesn't represent the core values of his party, the president said.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
VIENNA -- When Republican President Bush spoke at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, his message was aimed at Democrats, urging them to vote for him next week.
The crowd of about 15,000 people, mostly Republicans, enthusiastically supported Bush during his 45-minute speech Wednesday. Some of the crowd's reactions inside the Winner Aviation hangar were deafening.
U.S. Sen. John Kerry, Bush's Democratic opponent, will visit Warren on Saturday. It will be his sixth trip to the Mahoning Valley this year.
Wednesday's airport event was Bush's second visit to the area this year.
Mahoning and Trumbull counties traditionally vote Democratic, giving 61 percent and 60 percent, respectively, to Democrat Al Gore in the 2000 general election. Bush won Ohio by about 3.6 percent. Ohio is seen this year as a key battleground state in the presidential election.
Reaching out
For Bush to lessen Kerry's margin of victory in the two counties Tuesday, he must reach out to Democratic voters in Mahoning and Trumbull, said Mark Munroe, Mahoning County's Bush-Cheney campaign coordinator and the county GOP vice chairman.
"I'm a proud Republican, but I believe my policies appeal to many Democrats," Bush said. "In fact, I believe my opponent is running away from some of the great traditions of the Democratic Party. If you're a Democrat and you want America to be strong and confident in our ideals, I would be honored to have your vote."
Bush rattled off a number of Democratic presidents and other elected officials he admired including Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.
"The Democratic Party has a great tradition of leading this country with strength and conviction in times of war," Bush said. "... Many Democrats look at my opponent and wonder where that great tradition of their party has gone."
Brendon Cull, Ohio Democratic Coordinated Campaign spokesman, said it should come as no surprise that Bush is courting Democrats. Also, Joe Lockhart, Kerry's senior adviser, said this is Bush's new strategy because the president cannot win re-election if he depends solely on the Republican vote.
"This president isn't interested in reaching out over partisan lines," Cull said. "It's a complete and total act of desperation. It just goes to show you how out of touch George Bush is. He doesn't know where he is and who he is speaking to."
Traditions
During his speech, Bush repeatedly discussed the Democratic Party's traditions of "supporting our public schools," "respect and reverence for the institution of marriage," and "defending the defenseless."
Kerry officials say their candidate maintains that tradition.
Bush said Kerry is "outside the mainstream of America, and outside the mainstream of the Democratic Party."
Bush shared the podium with his wife, first lady Laura, as well as two Democrats who support his re-election: Youngstown Mayor George M. McKelvey and U.S. Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia. He called the two "discerning Democrats."
Without saying the word flip-flop, Bush repeatedly accused Kerry of inconsistencies in his voting and statements.
Bush also took a veiled shot at U.S. Sen. John Edwards, Kerry's running mate, by talking about Vice President Dick Cheney.
"I admit it, he does not have the waviest hair in the race," Bush said of Cheney. "I see some others who are follically challenged. But you'll be happy to hear I did not pick the man because of his hairdo. I picked him because of his experience; I picked him because of his judgment; I picked him because he can get the job done for the American people."
High turnout
As far as the rally's attendance, Munroe and other Republicans were overwhelmed by the turnout.
But because of the high turnout, the event became a logistical challenge for those attending the event.
The doors opened about 9 a.m. Wednesday, and traffic along Ridge Road, King Graves Road and state Route 193 was backed up for miles as vehicles came through a narrow entrance off Ridge Road to park. From there, people stood in line, sometimes for an hour, to get on buses and taken to the other side of the airport, where the rally was held.
April Peters of Niles took her 10-year-old daughter, Danielle, out of school so the two could see Bush. They had tickets to the event after waiting two hours at the Bush-Cheney campaign office at the Eastwood Mall in Niles.
They spent three hours getting from Route 193 to the Ridge Road entrance, and when they arrived, Peters said, they were denied access because too many people were already there.
"It was an awful experience," she said. "I didn't get to see him. It really upset my daughter. It's not fair, and I'm disappointed."
But she will still vote Tuesday for Bush, just as she did in 2000.
Getting out
Leaving the event wasn't easy either.
The campaign had about two dozen buses to take people back to their vehicles. Because of the crowd size, people waited more than three hours to get to their vehicles and leave the parking lot. Several of them complained about the hold-up to anyone who would listen.
"When you do an event like this, the greatest concerns are managing the parking, getting people to the event and security," Munroe said. "Some people waited five hours to see him and three hours to get out. But I've waited that long to leave other events. To have that many people attend is stunning."
Arriving and departing wasn't a problem for Bush. He emerged from Air Force One shortly after 2 p.m., and the president's plane took off for Findlay about 3:20 p.m.
McKelvey served as the event's emcee before Bush arrived. McKelvey introduced several Republican candidates running for office in the Valley against Democratic incumbents.
McKelvey incorrectly called Rusty DeCapito, a Republican candidate for Trumbull County commissioner, "Randy," and later acknowledged that, calling it "my first mistake of the day."
McKelvey also introduced Gov. Bob Taft, praising the governor for steering money to Valley projects during his six-plus years running the state.
When McKelvey first introduced the governor, whose relationship with elected officials in his own party is strained at best, Taft was met with a cool reception from the crowd. But the audience gave him a louder round of applause after McKelvey called him "the Mahoning Valley's best friend in Columbus," and asked for a warm welcome.
"What a crowd; you guys are awesome," Taft said. "Whoo! The city of Youngstown has one awesome mayor."
skolnick@vindy.com