Emerging as the third and possibly last Democratic presidential candidate to visit East Lansing before Saturday's caucus, the Rev. Al Sharpton stopped by the Union on Thursday to explain his policies to an audience in the Multicultural Center.
Despite marginal showings in recent caucuses and primaries, Sharpton appeared confident and animated in front of nearly 50 people as he explained why he is the best candidate in Saturday's Michigan Democratic caucus.
The civil rights activist stressed to the audience the importance of voting.
"You'll be able to make a significant statement of where we are in this country and where we need to be," he said during his 20-minute speech. "Bring people with you to the polls."
Sharpton indicated the importance of the youth's vote in Saturday's caucus.
"I think they're extremely important," he said.
"What they call the hip-hop generation is the swing vote - that's why I've been visiting universities."
Among the issues Sharpton addressed were the state of the U.S. economy and his plans for job creation, if elected.
"They say we are in a recovery in this country," he said. "Well, who's recovering are the people who weren't sick - the people on Wall Street.
"The people who need to recover are the unemployed and underemployed."
The candidate proposed creating jobs by repairing U.S. highways and mentioned creating a high-speed rail system throughout the country.
He also pledged to repeal the Bush tax cuts, calling them "a shell game" that eliminated costs in certain areas while increasing them in others.
On the topic of education, Sharpton said he "unequivocally opposes" efforts to privatize education and favors loan forgiveness for students who get their teaching degree.
Despite the relatively small crowd, which primarily was the result of a low amount of publicity for the event, Viol Trice said Sharpton's stop at MSU was a good thing.
"It was definitely worth it," he said.
Trice, the president of the Black Student Alliance and co-organizer of the event, said he received confirmation of Sharpton's visit Tuesday, leaving him little time to advertise on campus.
John Lockhart also enjoyed Sharpton's speech.
"The views he has on what we need to do in this country are right on," the education graduate student said. "He certainly gets my vote."
Although she supports another candidate, MSU Students for Kerry coordinator Jaclyn Macek, who did not attend the event, said Sharpton has some good ideas.
"I support what he's doing more than I do what a lot of other candidates are doing," she said.
"I'm just pro-Kerry."
Sharpton also made campaign stops in Ypsilanti, Grand Rapids, Detroit and Benton Harbor on Wednesday and Thursday.
Dirk VanderHart can be reached at vande227@msu.edu.
