Obama pledges to 'write a new chapter' in history

STATE COLLEGE -- Thousands of mostly young supporters thundered applause for Barack Obama on Sunday when the Democratic presidential candidate pledged "to turn the page and write a new chapter in American history."

The Illinois senator has used the phrase often during his bus tour of the Keystone State, but nowhere has it resonated as clearly as at his rally on Penn State University's campus, where Obama's message promising change and hope drew a crowd estimated at 22,000.

"We are not going to be clinging to the policies of the past," Obama said, striking a generational note that's converted younger voters into a mainstay of his campaign.

Marianna Grudziak, 21, of Fox Chapel liked what she heard.

"The country has been run by traditional old-school presidents, and we obviously need something different," said the Penn State senior majoring in marketing. "I like that he's young, and I think we are ready for a change."

Obama received ovations when he talked about ending the war in Iraq and pushing for sweeping improvements of the nation's education systems, including a $4,000 annual tuition credit for college students who commit to community or national service.

"We will invest in you. You will invest in America. Together we will march this country forward," Obama said in front of the Old Main administration building.

G. Terry Madonna, a political science professor at Franklin & Marshal College, said Obama is expected to do well in Centre County, home of Penn State, because of a high concentration of college students and upscale, well-educated voters who fit the profile of voters backing Obama.

Even so, the size of Obama's first major rally in the state "is hugely impressive," Madonna said.

Obama is in a battle with Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York for the Democratic nomination and a chance to take on Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, in November. Recent polls show Clinton leading Obama by double-digits in Pennsylvania.

About 2,000 Obama supporters showed up last night for a town hall meeting in Harrisburg.

Clinton begins her second tour of Pennsylvania today.

Additional Information:

On the trail

Today

Sen. Barack Obama

• 10 a.m., 'Road to Change' rally, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, 750 E. King St., Lancaster.

• 3:50 p.m. doors open, 'Road to Change' rally, Memorial Hall, Muhlenberg College, Allentown.

Sen. Hillary Clinton

• 2 p.m., hosts a roundtable discussion, Capital Diner, Harrisburg.

• 7:30 p.m., attends a 'Solutions for the American Economy' rally, Keystone Industrial Port Complex, Fairless Hills.