Long-time Democrats along with dozens of students clapped and hollered applause throughout President Barack Obama’s acceptance speech Thursday night at a watch party at Colorado College.

One after another said they loved Obama’s address, almost all for unsurprising reasons. His defense of financial aid for students and not cutting taxes for the wealthy, along with various social issues such as gay marriage, were favorites among many.

CC senior Alexis Kleiman said the president is always a great speaker, but Thursday was one of his best.

“I loved it. Every time he speaks, he inspires people,” Kleiman said.

The recurring motto, “Bin Laden is dead! GM is alive!” was an appropriate one, and summed up how his time in office has been a success.

Retired teacher Nancy Wilson was grinning ear to ear after Obama finished.

“It was brilliant. He tied the whole convention together,” she said, referring to the Democrats’ theme of “moving America forward.”

One of Wilson’s friends, a former high school teacher, said several of her students texted her during Obama’s address, saying that it was one of the best speeches they had ever heard.

“It was an A+,” she said with a smile.

Student Maeve O’Connor Bethune, who majors in social issues, said she thinks Obama is on the right track to reviving the country, in more ways than one.

“The basic virtues of America aren’t really true right now — that if you work hard, you’ll get ahead. That’s something he wants to get back to,” O’Connor-Bethune said.

And women’s rights are more than a little important to her, as well.

“They should get out of my uterus,” she said, referring to Republicans.

Student Jon Curry said Obama’s address was “personally uplifting” to him since his father was laid off a year ago and has been struggling to find work.

Not everyone was blown away, though. One CC junior named Alex, who declined to give his last name, called the speech “mediocre.”

“He could have spent more time on his policies and less time attacking Mitt Romney,” Alex said, referring to the Republican presidential candidate.

The Obama campaign also held watch parties at its two local offices, in central Colorado Springs and in the Briargate area.

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Contact John Schroyer: 476-4825 Twitter @Johnschroyer Facebook Gazette John Schroyer

Supporters gather at The Lloyd E. Worner Campus Center at Colorado College Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012, to watch President Barack Obama speak during the Democratic National Convention. Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, The Gazette

Supporters gather at The Lloyd E. Worner Campus Center on Colorado College Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012, to watch President Barack Obama speak during the Democratic National Convention. Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK/The Gazette