Senate candidates begin final days of campaign with different styles
MILWAUKEE--- In a crowded campaign office filled with volunteers in Milwaukee on Saturday, Tammy Baldwin spoke passionately and pointedly as she explained what this election for U.S. Senate is about to her.
"I felt incredibly pleased with the opportunity to draw the contrasts that exist between my path for Wisconsin, jobs, the economy and Tommy Thompson's record on these issues," Baldwin said. "I think voters were left with a very clear choice. And if they want somebody who's fighting for the people, not for profits, not for the powerful, I ask for their vote. And that's what we're now trying to mobilize."
Baldwin was joined at the campaign office by U.S. Representative Gwen Moore, of Milwaukee, as they both stumped for President Barack Obama as well as each other.
They also let the volunteers know that they are the ones who will be carrying their message to the public and how important their role is with the campaign as only 10 days remain.
"We've certainly seen a pivot once early voting began. Every day is election day once early voting starts and it is going to be key to both the President's race and certainly mine," Baldwin told Fox 6. "And I think if you saw the room, I would also say a key to this campaign is young people. I believe that the youth vote in Wisconsin is going to be decisive in this campaign."
Like the Baldwin campaign, republicans were also hopeful that their base would vote early and then talk to other people to get out and vote in this election.
"All of our base needs to get out. We prefer them voting early, banking those votes and then spending the next 10 days talking to other people, some of the people sitting on the fence who maybe haven't been quite as engaged. Let them know what's at stake in this election," U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Ron Johnson told Fox 6. "The future of this nation is in the balance. What path are we going to take this country on?"
Johnson was part of a tea party rally in Racine on Saturday alongside republican senate candidate Tommy Thompson who gave a fiery speech to the hundreds in attendance.
"I'm running ladies and gentlemen because when I look at the debt, from 10 trillion dollars to 16 trillion dollars this 6 trillion dollar increase, it's Barack Obama and Tammy Baldwin the last 4 years," Thompson told an enthusiastic crowd. "And you know something, that's more debt than was accumulated from George Washington until George H. W. Bush, 216 years. We cannot afford that! That scares me! That's un-American ladies and gentlemen! We are going to take our country back!"
Most of the time, Thompson's speech was filled with passion.
His volume increased and at times he would be yelling like when he spoke about what he'd do if he was elected to the senate.
"I'm going to introduce a resolution, if congress and the United States Senate has not passed a budget, their statutory responsibility, in 4 months, take away their salary. Don't pay them! Don't pay them!"
The crowd roared with approval as Thompson stood on the stage looking over the jubilant crowd.
Thompson did not stay to talk with reporters after his speech.
On Friday, the two candidates faced off in the last of 3 debates and both tried to use the momentum they were feeling from the contest to fuel the final push to their campaigns.