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Since 1900 \ Volume 106, Issue31 | Friday, Octobers, 2004
★ AMERICA VOTES 2004 ★
Violence breaks out at local Heinz Kerry rally
Attendees say the wife of presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry handled
the disruption between democrats and a Bush supporter with composure
BY MEGHANN M. CUNIFF
NEWS REPORTER
Violence broke out during Teresa Heinz Ker
ry’s appearance at McDonald Theatre on Thurs
day after a University student interrupted her
speech, loudly proclaiming his support for Pres
ident Bush.
Senior political science major and College Re
publicans member Anthony Warren said he
was attacked and forcibly removed from the
room by Kerry supporters after yelling “four
more years” just as Heinz Kerry, wife of Democ
ft
ratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry,
had begun speaking.
“It was like trying to survive a lynch mob,”
Warren said of the attack, adding that he was hit
“so many times it’s hard to remember the details. ”
Warren, 22, was released from Sacred Heart
Medical Center on Thursday afternoon with
what he called “severe head trauma and contu
sions.” A hospital representative said Warren
sustained “no serious injuries.”
Willamette High School senior Chelsea
Yocum said she was just a few feet away from
Tim Bobosky | Photographer
Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry, spoke at the McDonald Theatre on Thursday
afternoon. She addressed issues including terrorism, jobs and the failures of the Bush administration.
Warren when the violence broke out and was
impressed by how eloquently Heinz Kerry han
dled the interruption.
“She was diplomatic, and that’s what she
was talking about in her speech,” Yocum said.
Heinz Kerry addressed Warren directly, telling
him, "If you have any questions I’d be happy to
answer them but please don’t interrupt. ”
The incident lasted just a few minutes, with
the chant of “four more years” quickly drowned
out by a thundering chant of “four more weeks. ”
Lois Medbock, who drove from Portland to
see Heinz Kerry, said she did not expect to see a
protester because of Eugene’s reputation for
overt liberalism.
Warren said the liberal reputation Medbock
spoke of is part of the reason he attended the
event.
“For some reason, people are just so engulfed
with liberalism that they don’t realize that con
servatives do exist in this town,” Warren said,
emphasizing that the event was advertised as
free and open to the public.
“I was just there to show the other side and
show support for President Bush,” he said.
“The people that did what they did to me are a
bunch of hypocrites. ”
According to Eugene Police spokeswoman
Kerry Delf, no suspects have been identified in
the assault, but Warren said he plans on filing
charges as soon as he can.
“Hopefully they’ve got information on the
guy and I can press charges,” Warren said.
University student and College Democrats
member Gabriel Zitrin said the outburst was
immature but something to be expected in a
country that encourages political debate,
adding that Heinz Kerry did not let the interrup
tion affect her performance.
“This is the third time I’ve heard her speak
and the third time she’s completely inspired
me,” he said.
Heinz Kerry spoke for about 30 minutes,
KERRY, page 12A
Tim Bobosky | Photographer
College Republicans member and political science major
Anthony Warren was assaulted after vocally showing his
support for Bush at Thursday’s speech. He was released
from Sacred Heart Medical Center with no major injuries.
Tim Bobosky | Photographer
During Heinz Kerry's visit to Eugene on Thursday,
Oregon State University students play off what some have
called Sen. John Kerry's tendency to "flip-flop” on issues.
★ AMERICA VOTES 2004*
Oregonians swing to the right,
but majority remains liberal
The Republican Party has gained voting support
from rural- and suburban-area voters statewide
BY AYISHA YAHYA
NEWS EDITOR
Over the years, political fortunes in
Oregon have constantly shifted in both
the Republican and Democratic parties,
resulting in losses and gains in the
number of party-loyal voters both in
state as well as nationally.
Different times and circumstances
influence the type of political ideology
to which voters wish to adhere.
“Since 1950 the trend has been more
pro-Republican,” University Political
Science Assistant Professor Eric
McGhee said, speaking of national his
torical voting trends. He said many fac
tors may have influenced this change:
In the South, for instance, voters had
been heavily democratic early in the
20th century, but when the Democratic
Party became the party of civil rights in
the 1960s, it disengaged some of its
southern voters.
McGhee added that the party’s em
phasis on social welfare issues may
also have marginalized some
middle-class and more conservative
voters, who may have felt that issues of
concern to them were not going to be
addressed.
Oregon seems to have followed a
similar trajectory with more people reg
istering as Republicans over time.
About 20 years ago, only Malheur
County had more registered Republi
cans than Democrats — now at least 26
of the 36 counties have more registered
Republicans than Democrats, Oregon
Republican Party Chairman Kevin
Mannix said.
Mannix said that in that twenty
years, the Democratic lead has shrunk
from 300,000 registered to about
65,000.
According to secretary of state voter
registration numbers compiled in August
2004, nine counties had more Democ
rats registered than Republicans, with a
total 762,781 Democrats and 697,346 Re
publicans registered statewide.
While certain counties like Lane and
VOTING, page 5A
Bret Furtwancler | Graphics editor
Oregon has seen growth in pro-Republican voting during the past several decades.
Shortage prevents
easy access to flu
shots for students
The University Health Center turns its attention
to educating students about healthy behavior
BY KARA HANSEN
NEWS REPORTER
University students looking to
stay healthy during the upcoming
flu season will have to look farther
than the health center for vaccines.
1 ne university will
not be receiving or
administering flu
shots this year be
cause of a national
shortage of influenza
vaccine for the up
coming flu season,
said University Health
Center Assistant
Nursing Director
IF YOU THINK YOU
HAVE THE FLU
Call the University Health
Center at 346-2770, or call
the University's flu line at
346-4444 to learn about
symptoms.
Source: University Health
Center, Lane County Public
Health
Sharon Harbert.
In light of the shortage, U.S.
health officials have established
guidelines on who should receive
available shots — and healthy,
young college students aren’t
among the recommended groups,
Harbert said.
“Our nation could have a very
severe flu season, because people
can’t get vaccinated,” she said,
noting the health center planned
to supply flu shots as recently as
early October. “But it’s something
people couldn’t foresee. There’s a
severe vaccine snort
age nationwide.”
Influenza causes
36,000 deaths each
year, according to the
Centers for Disease
Control and
Prevention, although
the illness only lasts a
few days for most
people. Vaccine pro
ducer Chiron Corp.,
which supplies about half of the
nation’s supply of flu vaccine, an
nounced this week that it will not
distribute the shots this year.
Last year, the health center ad
ministered more than 2,000 flu
shots to students and faculty
VACCINE, page 12A