Vice President Joe Biden visited the University of Akron yesterday to vouch for Gov. Ted Strickland in his upcoming gubernatorial election.

“This is a state that has been battered,” Biden said, adding that Ohio has the most consequential governor in the United States.

He told the crowd not to compare Democrats to the Almighty, but to compare them to the alternative: Republicans.

Biden said Democrats haven’t completely turned the economy around, but they’re working toward it by creating private sector jobs.

During the speech, he spoke directly to students telling them to vote for the Democrats only after they had answered the question, “What will we do for you?”

Biden also reminded students that Republicans had fought against making $60 billion available for student loans, referring to a bill passed in March that prevents cuts to the Pell grant program for college students.

“An awful lot is at stake here,” Biden said.

Throughout his speech, Biden mentioned the Republican candidate, Strickland’s opponent, John Kasich’s employment at Lehman Brothers, whose collapse played a large role in the current recession.

Strickland, who was also in attendance, is trailing Republican candidate John Kasich by 17 points, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll.

“I don’t doubt (Kasich’s) motives for one single solitary second,” Biden said, saying Kasich wasn’t a bad guy; he just has different views.

Lt. Gov. Yvette McGee Brown also spoke at the rally and reminded students that Gov. Strickland froze college tuition for two years.

Stephanie Kiva, an Akron graduate student in higher education and administration, had a great time at the rally.

“I was completely enthralled by it,” she said. “It was very positive. I liked what Vice President Biden had to say about education. It’s something that’s near and dear to my heart … It’s great to hear that he’s very supportive and even our governor is supportive of higher education.”

To close his speech, Biden warned of the Republican Tea Party.

Biden said if they prevail, the Republican Party will be in trouble. Without moderate Republicans, he said, the party won’t be able to compromise.

Contact Jamie Shearer [email protected].