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Barack the Vote!
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In the summer of 2006, a small group of students began using Facebook to petition Illinois Senator Barack Obama to run for President of the United States. Eighteen months later, Students for Barack Obama has grown into one of the largest grassroots student organizations in history. Thousands of students, in hundreds of chapters across the country, have sacrificed ski trips and sleep, football games and first dates, to spend weekends canvassing dorms and making phone calls to identify Obama supporters at their schools and within their communities. This level of dedication has turned even the most cynical pundits into believers.2008 has become The Year the Youth Vote Materialized.
Why? Let’s start with some Barack Obama 101. Barack was born in Hawaii in 1961. His parents were students at the University of Hawaii. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was born and raised in a small Kenyan village; his mother, Ann Durham, in a small Kansas town. When Barack was two years old, his father returned to Kenya. Barack was raised by his mother in Hawaii, and spent several years in Indonesia before graduating high school and heading to Occidental College in California and Columbia University in New York. (BTW, yes, his middle name is Hussein, no, he was never Muslim, and yes, Barack has led the Pledge of Allegiance, hand on his heart, on the Senate floor.)
After college, Barack put law school and a corporate career on hold while working as a community organizer in some of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods. It was during this time that Barack developed his strong organizational abilities, but also realized that changing our laws and politics would be necessary in order to truly improve the lives of citizens. In 1991, Barack graduated from Harvard Law School, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Returning to Chicago, he worked both as a civil rights lawyer and a constitutional law professor. Barack served for seven years in the Illinois State Senate before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. He married to Michelle, and has two young daughters, Malia and Sasha.
So, aside from an impressive resume, what is the appeal? How does a person convince a generation known for its addiction to Starbucks, iTunes, and Xbox, to dedicate their free time to politicking? Perhaps it is Senator Obama’s message of unity in a nation divided and deadlocked by partisan bickering and finger-pointing. It could be that his message of hope, action, and change strikes a chord with youth that have never known the White House to not have a Bush or a Clinton in residence.youth that see “hope” as a tangible and not a rookie mistake. Or maybe it is because he has the judgment and the vision to not just be a good politician but a great leader, opposing the Iraq war even when it was unpopular to do so. I just think that many in the youth generation can still recognize an honest face, a courageous soul, and a compassionate heart when we see them.
Whatever the case may be, his message has inspired thousands of students to action. In Iowa, 57 percent of Democratic voters between the age of 17 and 24 caucused for Senator Obama. That is unheard of. In New Hampshire, the numbers actually increased to 62 percent. In both states, the youngest voters made up more of the total electorate than those between 60 and 64 years old. And in Nevada, young people preferred Obama to Clinton by more than 26 percent. Barack Obama is also the only Democratic candidate who has proven that he can consistently court both Independents and Republicans, votes that will be critical in winning the general election in November.
We have a great opportunity on February 5th to maintain this momentum right here in Idaho. (Qwest Arena, doors open at 5pm and close at 7pm sharp!) Although our delegate count is less than that of many states, the fact that the Idaho caucuses are being held on Super-Tuesday gives our state a chance to have a real impact on the national results, something the Obama campaign seriously considered when opening the only presidential field offices in our state. For more information about Barack Obama and his positions, the Idaho caucus process, or to volunteer, please visit www.idahoforobama.org or call the Boise field office at 345-6210. See you at the caucus!
Stacy Falkner is a Political Science Major, and a member of Students for Barack Obama.
STACY FALKNER
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