Thousands of students and community members blanketed Hayden Lawn Thursday as former President Bill Clinton energized Democrats in the final five days before the midterm elections.
In a rally with congressional candidate Harry Mitchell and Senate candidate Jim Pederson, Clinton said it was time for change and called for a "new direction in Washington."
The campaign for the Nov. 7 election is "the most unusual I've ever been a part of," Clinton said.
After visiting 27 states to campaign for Democrats this election cycle, "the sound of silence can be found everywhere in America," Clinton said.
"Everywhere I go it's obvious there's something amiss in the fundamental way we live our lives; something wrong in Washington," he said.
Clinton criticized ballooning budget deficits, Republican opposition to stem cell research and the handling of the Iraq War.
Republicans have "grown to terrify the American people with every election" and have painted Democrats unfairly, he said.
"Stop and think is not the same as cut and run," he said. "We took our eye off the ball and we've got about six times as many troops in Iraq as we've got in Afghanistan."
Student financial assistance has decreased under Republican leadership, Clinton added.
"We cut college aid for the first time in modern history," he said. "We raised the interest rate on college loans."
Heather Adamson, a speech and hearing science sophomore and a Republican, said she was "very intimidated" to be surrounded by so many Democrats during the rally.
"You feel inferior being a Republican on a school campus," Adamson said.
Republican Ben Stewart, a political science junior, said it was a good experience to see Clinton.
"I wish that we had this kind of turnout for a Republican candidate," he said.
Alex Bortnichak, an undeclared freshman, was among the first in line, showing up more than an hour before the gates opened to get as close as possible to what he called an "American icon."
"I think every student, whether they're a Democrat or not, should take advantage of such opportunities," Bortnichak said. "It's not every day you get a former president, in my eye a great former president, right in front of you like this."
Daniel Sevela, a biochemistry freshman, said he was skeptical a former president would actually speak on campus.
"I thought it was an impersonation [of Clinton] at first, so high profile," Sevela said. "Then when I got here and saw all the fencing I was like, 'Wow, this is actually happening.'"
High-profile speakers such as Clinton are invaluable in mobilizing a party's voters, said David Waid, chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party.
"It lets them know that this congressional race and this Senate race are nationally important," Waid said. "It brings out a large force of motivated, energized people and reminds them how important it is to vote."
Thursday's rally was a late addition to Clinton's schedule, said Ruben Alonzo, campaign manager for state Attorney General Terry Goddard. He was originally scheduled to speak only in Tucson. Clinton ended up going immediately to Tucson after the rally Thursday.
The ASU Young Democrats found out about Clinton's appearance less than 24 hours before the event, said President Joaquin Rios.
The club's members scrambled overnight to prepare signs and fliers and organize volunteers to get the word out about Clinton's rally, Rios said.
"It was great. It would have been difficult if it wasn't for the amazing response we got from the student body," he said. "Students were electrified to hear Bill Clinton was coming to campus."
Reporter Matt Stone contributed to this report. Reach the reporter at: jonathan.cooper@asu.edu.
