Republican candidates in the upcoming November 2 election, Patrick Toomey and Tom Corbett, made a last-minute stop at Penn State yesterday morning to urge attendees to “vote for a future.”

In the HUB-Robeson Center for a crowd of under 100 students and press, Republicans rallied Pennsylvania’s largest university to come out this Tuesday for an important election.

With the unemployment rate at a staggering 9.4 percent and fiscal spending pushing the state’s debt farther into the red, the economy was a big topic with the candidates.

“Too many people have been out of work for way too long,” Toomey said during his speech. “We’re under a set of policies that are having a chilling effect on our economy.”

Toomey fears that American politicians are using the European welfare states as an example for our own economic plans. He sees this, with the $800 billion bailout bill, as a reason for the continual downward spiral of our economic climate.

Decreasing government power was a main topic in Toomey’s speech. He presented opposition to the universal health care bill, which he says is “putting government between doctors and patients.” Toomey also stated his disapproval of the current Cap and Trade laws and vowed to extend the Bush Era taxes from 2003.

This theme of smaller government followed through to the end of his speech, where he placed the prosperity of Pennsylvania’s economy in the hands of entrepreneurs and everyday laborers. Toomey said the hard workers of the state and a high voter turn out on Tuesday can “determine the future of this great commonwealth.”

State attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett was next to take the stage, stressing that the voters had only 5 days to get the message out about his campaign.

“This campaign is really about you,” he said to the crowd.

His focus was of the futures of the young voters, which he described as looking grim if we continue on the current path of politics. He said he believes an economic recovery can only come about with reduced taxes and by securing jobs for the next generation of laborers. Most of the work force will leave Pennsylvania in search of opportunities in other states, which sees as a serious issue.

“I want you to stay in Pennsylvania,” he said. “There is no reason why we can’t create jobs here.”

Job growth was an important issue. At the top of his list he placed the natural gas industry, repeating the fact that America is the second largest energy field in the world.  He said that this would give Penn State graduates sound jobs after college and help “make Pennsylvania not only an example for other states but for other nations.”

Corbett ended his speech by giving the students in attendance three assignments. First, he asked the students to tell their friends and families to vote Republican in the upcoming election. Second, he told Penn State to beat Michigan in this Saturday’s game. And lastly, he asked the students for their personal support on Tuesday.