Gov. Deval L. Patrick ’78 officially endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) yesterday evening at an event on Boston Common that drew thousands.

Although Patrick has close ties with the Clinton family, the governor told that crowd that he believed his “good friend” Obama was the best choice for America.

“I don’t care whether the next president has had experience in the White House,” Patrick said. “I care whether he understands life in your house.”

After Patrick’s speech, Obama appeared on stage to thunderous applause, telling the enthusiastic crowd, “It is good to be back in Boston!”

The crowd contained an abundance of college students. Obama was drowned out by a volley of cheers upon promising to make college “affordable and accessible” to all and when he discussed his plans to help those on public service-oriented career paths pay for their education.

The audience also welcomed his promises to close down the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; to tell the U.N. that “America is back”; and to be “as careful getting out [of Iraq] as we were careless getting in.”

Samuel B. Novey ’11, who attended the event, praised Obama and Patrick because they came from a younger generation of politicians.

“What’s good about both Barack and Deval is that they’re not baby boomers. I’m just sick of Vietnam,” Novey said. “In the last presidential election it was all about who served and who didn’t serve. I just want to move on and look to the future rather than past battles.”

The rally was a high-security affair, and was not without verbal conflict. The large contingent of Obama supporters were at times shouted down by right-wing protestors holding signs that read, “America repent! Rejecting Jesus is choosing HELL” and “Same-sex marriage—abomination.”