Document text
91 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, August 12, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 11, 2004 GOP won’t be idle Republicans will hold a breakfast today and a rally on the day of John Kerry’s visit to Southern Oregon Republicans plan to counter the Kerry visit with a rally of their own from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Veterans Park in Medford. The Jackson County Republican Party also plans a "John Kerry Waffles" breakfast for local party activists at 9 a.m. today at the Republican Headquarters, 25 N. Holly, Medford. Bryan Platt, chairman of the Jackson Country Republican Central Committee, said waffles are the perfect breakfast choice this year because Kerry has changed his position on various issues in his campaign. Platt was worried that Republicans might be the ones waffling late Tuesday afternoon when the choice of venue for their rally was up in the air. He said officials from the Bush/Cheney campaign expressed concern the rally was too far from the Jackson County Expo, where Kerry will speak. After some hectic phone conferences, Platt said the decision was made to keep it at Veterans Park. Advertisement The Kerry campaign had to abruptly change locations Monday from a southwest Medford park to the Expo, but only after 1,000 tickets had been handed out with the wrong location. The Republican rally is expected to attract hundreds of Bush supporters, who are asked to bring their own refreshments and Bush/Cheney signs. Platt said he is surprised Kerry is putting so much emphasis on Jackson County rather than the more liberal and more populated Lane and Multnomah counties. "I guess their effort is to try to cut into our margin," he said. In this county, Platt said he has a list of 13,000 Republicans and independents who have remained inactive in recent elections, he said. While some on the list likely have moved away, Platt said the number represents a sizable block of voters that are up for grabs for either Republicans or Democrats. Republicans need a strong showing in this county, as well as other conservative counties, to make up for potential losses in more liberal areas of the state, Platt said. "Just turning out that vote could have a profound influence," he said. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities