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In Boulder, President Obama Rallies His Base

Kirk Siegler
/
KUNC

President Obama spoke to a boisterous crowd of about 10,000 people at the Coors Event Center on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder last night in the campaign's latest get out the vote effort with election just days away.

While Mitt Romney has pivoted toward the center in recent weeks trying to court Colorado’s famously large block of independent voters, the president has been trying to rally his base. That was in full view last night on the CU campus, which the President has now visited three times since April.

"Don’t tell me that students who can’t afford college should just borrow money from their parents," Mr. Obama said. "That wasn’t an option for me, I bet it wasn’t an option for a whole lot of you."

Back on the campaign trail after Hurricane Sandy, the President also said he was moved by how Americans of both political parties come together during natural disasters.

"The petty differences that consume us in normal times, they all seem to melt away," Mr. Obama said. "We saw it here in Colorado with the fires this summer, and the terrible tragedy in Aurora."

But getting out the vote was the primary theme of the night, and the message of nearly every speaker leading up to the President; including 2nd District Congressman Jared Polis (D-Boulder), who seemed to be willing to personally escort people to the polling booths.

"I personally voted for President Obama earlier this week at the University Club here on campus, and if you haven’t done it, what are you waiting for," Polis said.

That sense of urgency was pervasive here, especially with recent tallies showing more Republicans have voted early so far in Colorado than Democrats.

Kirk Siegler reports for NPR, based out of NPR West in California.
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