Presidential Candidate visits Greensboro

Beto O'Rourke holds speeches at Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Charlotte

Beto O'Rourke speaking at Natty Greene's bar in Greensboro. Photo by Abby Gibbs.

Presidential Candidate Beto O’Rourke came out to campaign in Greensboro today at the bar Natty Greene's downtown. The same night, he released 10 years of tax returns to the media.

Greensboro was one stop on his campaign trail in local business and colleges.

The location of Natty Greene’s fit  O’Rourke’s style. Many of his campaign speeches have been in local coffee shops, bars and restaurants that have the trendy-neighborhood theme. The bar set up a halved beer barrel for him to stand on, seeming to be his tradition.

O’Rourke did not come to North Carolina blinded by its issues. He started by launching into debates about education reform, improving LGBTQ rights after House Bill 142 and voter ID laws. All of these issues frequent the news cycle and political conversations in North Carolina.

But what was advertised as a “Meet and Greet,” involved less conversation with the audience and worked more as a rally for his platform. Students and professors from Elon University and University of North Carolina at Greensboro attended the speech  asking questions that prompted O’Rourke.

Lauren Kalo, incoming student body president of UNCG, asked O’Rourke how he would change voter ID laws if elected.

He said laws in the country today prevent many people from being able to vote. He cited laws in Texas preventing student IDs from being used as a valid form of ID.

“This country calls for a new voting rights act that will not allow for voter ID laws to keep people out of the ballot box,” he said about students.

Elon University School of Education freshman Chloe Yoon had the chance to ask O’Rourke a question about the “schools-to-prison” issue in the south. She was inspired after her alternative spring break trip with Elon where she visited elementary schools in Columbia, SC.

Students from University of North Carolina at Greensboro cheer for presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke.

She said she was pleased with how passionate O’Rourke was about improving education and was inspired by him as a future educator.

But Heather Blackburn, an active member of Democratic Party in High Point was not satisfied with his talking points today. Though she was excited to attend the event, she wanted to know what made O’Rourke different from the 17 other candidates running for the Democratic party.

“I was a little disappointed that I didn’t hear anything that set him apart,” she said.

Member of the Elon Young Democrats Charlie Putnam skipped two classes to attend the event that day, even though he wasn't a die-hard O'Rourke supporter.

“I haven’t really made my mind up on who I’m going to end up voting for, but I am excited to see him,” Putnam said. “He’s got a lot of charisma.”