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Kerry hopes to get young voters to polls
April 16, 2004 | PITTSBURGH -- Democrat John Kerry, with rockers Jon Bon Jovi and blink-182 in tow, is courting the college crowd that typically shuns the voting booth, hoping unease about the Iraq war and jobs propels millions of 18-to-24-year-olds to the polls in November.
"We need you to become involved in this race as never before," the presumptive Democratic nominee implored a noisy crowd of more than 5,000 at the University of Pittsburgh Friday.
The rally was Kerry's fifth college appearance in a week and reflected the campaign's sense that a new activism is brewing on campuses nationwide, fueled by opposition to the war, concerns about postgraduate jobs and Republican-led efforts to curtail gay rights and change long-standing environmental rules.
Kerry dedicates his speeches to those issues, as well as college tuition and public service, while bringing along familiar musicians and sports legends. The Boston band Guster played at one event; famed Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris and Bon Jovi joined Kerry on Friday.
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www.salon.com/news/wire/2004/04/16/kerry/
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