More than 400 people waited in the rain and cold outside the Sacramento State Alumni Center today to take part in a town hall meeting with Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, was on campus to support Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

Kerry was preceded on the stage by a host of local dignitaries, including Sacramento Vice-Mayor Kevin McCarty, Assemblyman Dave Jones (D-Sacramento), Sen. Darrel Steinberg (D-Sacramento), former Sen. Deborah Ortiz and former NBA player and local philanthropist Kevin Johnson.

Kerry received a standing ovation as he took the stage and was greeted with chants of “Kerry for V.P.”

“No thank you,” Kerry responded with a chuckle. “I have already run for president.”

The senator told the audience that he saw Obama as a young leader ready to unite America. Obama’s candidacy can ignite the country and lead it in a new direction, he said.

“Obama has the ability to not just be a transitional president, but a transformational president,” Kerry said.

This brought the crowd to its feet again.

Cheering and yelling is great, but what is more important is what people do when they leave the meeting, Kerry said.

Kerry asked the crowd to become involved with the campaign by calling and e-mailing friends to get them to vote in Tuesday’s primary election.

Kerry was only able to take a few questions from the crowd because he said he had to catch a flight to Connecticut, where he will be speaking tomorrow.

Sac State College Democrats co-President Eddie Kirby, who is still undecided on which candidate he will vote for, said he thought Kerry’s speech was very motivational.

More importantly, it was impressive to see so many of Sacramento’s political leaders come out to support Obama, he said.

Sac State alumnus James Shelby said it was exciting to be able to come back to the campus and see someone like Sen. Kerry speak.

Todd Wilson can be reached at [email protected]