Bring Ohio Back Tour of actors campaigns against Bush amid Massillon-McKinley rivalry

MASSILLON - The colors black and orange clashed with the patriotic red, white and blue Saturday as Hollywood stars in blue jeans came out to the Massillon-Canton McKinley high school football game to promote voting.

A busload of celebrities stopped at the big game to hand out cider to fans and spread the message to vote Tuesday. Steve Buscemi, Matt Dillon, Julianna Margulies, Timothy Hutton, Hilary Swank, Joe Pantoliano and Eliza Dushku were some of the 12 actors to step off the bus for the Bring Ohio Back Tour.

The magnitude of the high school gridiron game alone was enough to draw people out on the warm yet windy afternoon.

But a long line of people eagerly greeted the celebrities outside Paul Brown Tiger Stadium before the game. The result? Dan Studer of Massillon, a supporter of President Bush, talking serious politics with actor Buscemi.

"Do you realize how many terrorists are in Iraq now’’ because of Bush, Buscemi replied after Studer said he preferred Bush because he was concerned about terrorism.

Then Buscemi asked Studer if he believed Bush had misled Americans by being wrong about weapons of mass destruction.

"I think that he was wrong, he had bad judgment,’’ Studer said. ``It happens, he’s human.’’

The tent in the home team’s parking lot attracted Democrats, Republicans and undecided voters.

Although the celebrities weren’t able to endorse a specific candidate as a group because of Bring Ohio Back’s tax status as a ``527’’ political group, most of the celebrities sported Kerry-Edwards stickers and handed out literature saying George Bush and Bob Taft had failed Ohio.

Signs for both local and national candidates lined the streets. Volunteers for the Democratic Party were spread all about the tent, passing out stickers and literature. One person handed out Bush-Cheney pompoms.

Actor Hutton thanked a volunteer as he took a Kerry-Edwards sticker.

"This is one of the things that represents what’s so important for the country,’’ Hutton said of the football game. "I hear this is the biggest rivalry of the state, and we were invited to come out here.’’

Jeff Rusnak, co-founder of Bring Ohio Back, said this is the second major celebrity bus tour through Ohio. The tour targets young voters and aims to inform voters about issues in the election.

Stark County is said to be one of the most split counties in the state, said Ellen Fredel of Washington, D.C., who is in town to do voter protection and observe polling places Tuesday.

Margaret and David Kemper of Massillon proudly wore T-shirts that read ``My Grandson is a Massillon Tiger,’’ complete with Kerry-Edwards stickers.

After getting autographs from actor Chad Lowe and Buscemi, Margaret Kemper had a big grin.

"We’re supporting them for supporting John Kerry,’’ Kemper said.

"I’m not telling people to vote for anyone, but I’m a Boston girl,’’ Dushku said. ``It’s important that people are interested and learn about the candidates.’’

After a chat with actor Dillon about foreign policy, undecided voter Christine Fulton of Canal Fulton said she was swayed toward Kerry.

Dillon said he had avoided the political process until this year. Now the election is too important to ignore, he said.

"It’s wonderful that they’re taking their own personal time because they feel the election is so important,’’ Fulton said.

Despite his discussion with Buscemi, Studer’s still voting for Bush.

"He (Buscemi) had some valid points that need to be recognized,’’ Studer said. ``I just think that I believe in George W. Bush, and there’s not much that can change my mind.’’

"I don’t know,’’ Buscemi said. ``I think I got him to think about it a little bit.’’

The daylong bus tour started in Cleveland, where the celebrities attended a rally and canvassed. Their next stop was Massillon. They then went to a volunteer meeting at the pro-Kerry American Coming Together headquarters in Akron and then to distribute campaign literature in Fairlawn.

Rusnak said he thought the Bring Ohio Back stop made a significant impact.

"We touched about a thousand people,’’ he said.