Rain didn’t dampen the spirits of a crowd of enthusiastic Gov. Bob Riley supporters Wednesday.

Riley made a re-election campaign stop mid-afternoon at the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives. A couple hundred people came out to cheer the Republican governor in his bid to retain his office against Democratic challenger, Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley.

Clements High School Band serenaded the crowd with such tunes as, “Twist Again Like We Did Last Summer,” “Clements Fight Song,” and “We’re Moving On Up.”

State Beta Club President Barrett Gilbert introduced Riley. Before launching into the meat of his reelection campaign speech, Riley recognized from the podium World War II veteran Jesse Earl Long.

Long, the only known Limestone County survivor of the battle for Iwo Jima, is a Silver Star winner for his actions on that Japanese island.

“I am especially honored to be here with Mr. Long,” said Riley. “As Tom Brokaw said, this truly is the ‘Greatest Generation.’ If it hadn’t been for you, Mr. Long, and my Dad and everyone else who fought in World War II we wouldn’t have the freedoms we enjoy today.”

Garbed in blue jeans and cowboy boots, Riley set an informal, relaxed tone to his remarks that emphasized how much better shape the state is in today compared to when he took office four years ago.

Riley said that the November 7 election is important because, “We’re going to have an election that determines what this state is going to be like for the next generation,” he said. “You’ll hear a lot of politicians saying that we are ‘at a crossroad,’ but we were at a crossroads four years ago and we turned the right way. We had high unemployment with 40,000 jobs lost and double-digit unemployment in some counties of our state.”

Riley said what was needed was a “new economic model,” and his administration began by providing support for existing companies and industries such as those incentives offered new companies to locate in the state.

“We went from having the worst economy to having one of the best, not only in the South, but in the United States,” he said.

Riley also hit on improvements in the Education Trust Fund, which he said had increased from a former $4 billion up to $6 billion during his administration. He said the increase in education funding comes at the same time as the first tax cut in 73 years.

The governor said that such programs as the Reading Initiative had accounted for “exploding test scores” of state students. “We’ll never be in the bottom 10 percent again,” he said.

Riley introduced from the podium lieutenant governor candidate Luther Strange and other state and local Republican candidates.

“I need a lieutenant governor who doesn’t fight everything I do but would go out and help me,” said Riley. “What if Al Gore was the vice president under George Bush?”

He called Strange a “self-made man” who “worked for everything he has,” and not a privileged “Mountain Brook Republican.”

Riley also praised District 4 Rep. Micky Hammon, who he said had been a consistent supporter for the past four years.

“When I’m in a fight, I want this guy in a foxhole with me,” he said.

In speaking of Jim Burden’s District 3 senatorial bid against incumbent Tom Butler, D-Madison, Riley said that with three more senate seats Republicans would control the state Senate.

“We need more people down there in support of me,” said Riley.