In Madison speech, Obama fires up potential Democratic voters

[undeterred]

By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel

Madison — President Barack Obama fired up students Tuesday in his fourth visit to Wisconsin in three months as he tries to inspire his base to elect his fellow Democrats in the races for governor and U.S. Senate. Addressing a crowd of thousands in a liberal bastion, Obama recalled his strong victories in Wisconsin in the presidential primary and general election in 2008. Then he thrust home to supporters the importance of Democrats voting in the fall, saying the "stakes could not be higher."

"I need you fired up, Badgers. We need you to stay fired up. Because there's an election on Nov. 2 that's going to say a lot about the future," Obama said. Before the event, Obama made a surprise visit to Madison's LaFollette High School, where he told football players the Green Bay Packers lost Monday to his hometown Chicago Bears because of mental mistakes and turnovers. He also visited with the girls tennis and volleyball teams.

Democrats said the large and vocal turnout at the rally showed there is no enthusiasm gap between them and Republicans in the Nov. 2 election. UW-Madison police estimated 12,500 showed up, a number they based on Library Mall being two thirds-full; large portions of the mall were closed for the press and because of construction.

State Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus said Democrats this year are sluggish while Republicans are "bursting at the seams with volunteers." "Our energy is coming from the ground up and they're trying to manufacture energy from the top down, with Obama," Priebus told reporters on a conference call. Obama's visit to Library Mall marked the first time a sitting president came to the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus since 1950, when President Harry S. Truman spoke at the Field House.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/103967064.html

Photos: http://www.jsonline.com/multimedia/photos/103963219.html?index=1

[hendo]

1. Sorry, but UW-Madison is hardly representative. NT