FARGO - President Bush's folksy style and Texas twang played well among thousands of supporters here, calming fears by some Republicans that his stop in North Dakota would turn into a political convention.

About 7,000 people turned out Thursday at North Dakota State University's Bison Sports Arena to hear Bush promote his plan for Social Security, unveiled the previous night in his State of the Union speech.

Although Bush received a handful of standing ovations, most of them about the war in Iraq, people stayed in their seats long enough to hear his proposal on the government's retirement plan.

Bush also brought three North Dakotans to the stage to back him up: Mary Bond, 60, a retired worker from Walcott; Paul Thomas, 30, a fourth-generation farmer from Velva; and Maj. Tricia Traynor, 32, an Air Force Reserve officer from Devils Lake.

"He's the most powerful man in the free world but he has a way of coming down to everyone's level," said Travis Voegele, 28, of Fargo. "I didn't think he would be that funny."

In introducing some of the Republican lawmakers, Bush joked that former Gov. Ed Schafer was the "tired old guy, can't run anymore." Republicans earlier tried unsuccessfully to coax Schafer to run for the U.S. Senate.

One of North Dakota's two Democratic senators, Kent Conrad, rode with Bush to Fargo on Air Force One, where he said the talk ranged from beef to baseball. Conrad sat next to the stage during Bush's speech.

"The president was very gracious to invite me," Conrad said. "He came back and sat with us virtually the entire time."

But it was not enough to convince Conrad that Bush's plan for Social Security was the best one. Conrad said he does not support massive borrowing.

"The plan that is on the table now will not pass," Conrad said.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., was unable to attend Bush's Fargo speech because of Senate business in Washington, but he said he had given Bush some advice about North Dakota's current spell of mild weather.

"I told him he didn't need to bring a big winter coat," Dorgan said.

"I have great respect for him, but I'm just not willing to work with anybody that's going to propose taking the Social Security system apart," Dorgan said.

Sindy Keller, 45, of Fargo, said she hopes Bush and the Democrats can sit down and solve their differences on Social Security. "I like the idea that the president is putting all the cards on the table so we can look at all options," she said.

Her husband, Brad Keller, 45, said he already knows who's right - "I would say the president."

Don Gunness, 76, of Abercombie, said he's happy that Bush has guaranteed Social Security benefits to people 55 and older, but his friends in that age group do not need comforting.

"I've heard a lot of TV people and Democrats say we should be worried about it, but I haven't heard anybody say they were worried," Gunnus said.

A handful of protesters were outside the arena before the president arrived. Fargo police Lt. Paul Laney said a group of Bush supporters and opponents shouted at each other but police made no arrests. He estimated they totaled about 40 or 50 in all.