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Election brings flurry of events, special guests to the Valley
John McCain and Bill Clinton will have rallies in the Valley.
Brace yourself, Mahoning Valley, for the lead-up to Tuesday’s presidential election.
The importance of the Mahoning Valley and Ohio in the election is the reason for a concert, a live broadcast on a nationally televised morning show, and visits from a former president and the Republican nominee between today and Friday.
“It’s always exciting to get national attention,” said Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams.
“Good Morning America,” ABC’s morning show, will broadcast live Friday from Youngstown from 7 to 9 a.m. The location of the broadcast hasn’t been announced.
Attempts Tuesday to reach Diane Masciale, the show’s executive producer of special coverage, were unsuccessful.
But Williams said he was contacted by officials with the program saying “Good Morning America” was going to broadcast from the city.
Those with knowledge of the program say Robin Roberts, one of the show’s co-anchors, will host live segments of the program from Youngstown.
Williams said he was asked about places to showcase in the city.
The mayor mentioned the MVR eatery, the Butler Institute of American Art, Mill Creek MetroParks, Youngstown State University and various locations in downtown Youngstown including Central Square.
The show will include an interview with John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, who is staying in the Youngstown area Thursday night and Friday morning as part of a two-day bus tour of Ohio.
“The presidential campaign has focused more attention on Youngstown,” Williams said. “We’ll shine and take advantage of it.”
“Good Morning America” aired live Sept. 17 from a farm in Gustavus, a northern Trumbull County township.
McCain was interviewed on that edition of the show.
This will be McCain’s fourth visit to the Mahoning Valley this year. The visit is part of a 10-stop, two-day bus tour McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, is taking through Ohio.
After staying in the Youngstown area overnight, McCain is to have a rally about 10 a.m. Friday at the United High School gymnasium on state Route 9 in Hanoverton.
The doors will open at 8 a.m. The event is open to the public, but you need a free ticket to attend. They are available at the Columbiana County Republican Party headquarters, 124 W. Lincoln Way in Lisbon. The office will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until the rally starts. The office’s telephone number is (330) 424-5788,
David Johnson, Columbiana County GOP chairman, expects about 1,500 to 2,000 to attend the rally.
Former President Clinton will have a public rally in the Youngstown area Thursday on behalf of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee.
Word came late Tuesday from the Obama Campaign that Clinton will be at Campbell Memorial High School, 280 Sixth St. Doors open at 2 p.m. and the program begins at 3 p.m.
This is Clinton’s first public appearance in the Mahoning Valley since he ran for re-election in 1996.
He attended a private fundraiser in March at the Canfield home of local businessman Bruce Zoldan. Clinton raised about $100,000 for the then-presidential campaign of his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. She lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Obama.
She campaigned Oct. 17 in Youngstown for Obama.
There are no announced events in the Valley for an Obama appearance in the days leading up to Tuesday’s election.
Obama’s one public appearance in the area since he lost the Ohio Democratic primary to Clinton was an Aug. 5 rally at Austintown Fitch High School.
Obama also made an unannounced stop Aug. 30 at the Yankee Kitchen in Boardman with his wife; Joe Biden, his vice presidential running mate; and Biden’s wife, on their way to a funeral in Cleveland.
Time is running out for another Obama visit to this heavily Democratic area. Biden has had two rallies in the area in recent months, one in Youngstown and the other in Warren.
Also, the Get Out and Vote ’08 concert featuring the Beastie Boys and Sheryl Crow is to be at 7 p.m. today at the Chevrolet Centre.
Tickets for the concert featuring the Beastie Boys, Crow, Norah Jones and Ben Harper are $36.50 each. They’re available at all Ticketmaster locations and the center’s box office.
Representatives from Rock the Vote, an organization that encourages young people to vote, will be at the concert to distribute information on local polling sites and encourage early voting.
The concert isn’t a rally for Obama, but all of the musicians at the concert have publicly endorsed him for president.
Also, Rock the Vote’s Road Trip bus will make various stops in the area today.
The bus will be at Youngstown State University’s “Core” field in the center of campus from noon to 2 p.m. with the Beastie Boys and Crow in attendance at the tail end of the appearance. Crow is expected to sing a song or two at the event.
The bus will also be outside the Chevrolet Centre from 6 to 8 p.m.
skolnick@vindy.com