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Mercado shares his political journey
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While on the surface he seems a regular college student in jeans and a T-shirt, the Barack Obama pins on his chest tell a different story.
Not only does Steve Mercado work as the Vice President for the Idaho chapter of the Young Democrats of America, he also went to the Democratic National Convention earlier this year as a delegate for Idaho.
“It was just incredible to be a part of history, be in the middle of all that,” he said. “Every day there was new things going on.”
Mercado was selected to sit on stage in the center of the front row during Obama’s acceptance speech on the last day of the convention.
“I got to take pictures with Michelle Obama, Biden as well. There was a lot of cool people I got to meet,” he said. “I was seats away from President Carter, just incredible people all around me.”
Mercado also met Harry Reed and took pictures with Howard Dean and Chevy Chase. Back here in Boise a democratic watch party cheered when Mercado appeared on screen briefly.
The trip cost around $3,000, which came from fundraising, college loans and from close friends and family. He brought back shirts, buttons, signs and various other memorabilia that he distributed to those who helped fund his trip.
Mercado said he would like to go back to the convention in four years for the next election but would prefer to work for the campaign and help allow someone else to go, so they can experience what he did.
Mercado’s political journey started long before his trip to Denver.
In January he became an intern for the Obama campaign in Twin Falls, where he was attending the College of Southern Idaho. While there he helped organize people to attend the caucus, volunteered at the event and knocked on doors to rally support for Obama. He also became the President of the CSI Democrats Club.
He attended the Democratic state convention before attending the national event.
“I also, at the state convention, got elected as the Vice President to the Idaho Young Democrats just days before I got elected as a national delegate, so that’s pretty incredible.”
The Idaho Young Democrats was formed in Pocatello, Mercado said, and they voted for officers at the state convention. Among those elected are a Committeeman and Committeewoman to go to the Young Democrats of America conventions.
As part of his VP position, Mercado assists the president and has planned camps for volunteers to train them how to knock on doors, make phone calls and generally help the democrats. So far there are camps in Pocatello and Moscow, and he hopes to have one in Boise soon.
“My job is basically … to get students more politically active, and to be able to get them involved with the democrats, and to be enthusiastic about it,” Mercado said. “What I love about the position is proving to the rest of Idaho that were not so red as they assume.”
Mercado says he is more of a moderate but agrees with the democrats on key issues like the Iraq war and healthcare. He also strongly supports Obama.
“I think Barack Obama has the intelligence and the judgment to be able to responsibly get us out of Iraq [and] to bring us universal healthcare”
Mercado also said Obama plans to help college students by giving them $4000 for school in return for 100 hours of community service.
“I haven’t heard anything come out of McCain when it comes down to what he’s going to do about making college more affordable,” Mercado said.
Despite all he’s done and the places he’s been, Mercado said that any student can do it.
"I’m living proof that by finding the time to become more politically active through different channels, for someone or something you highly believe in, earns anyone the opportunity to be right in the center of history and help rewrite it," he said. "I’m confident that any BSU student can also achieve great things through this collective passionate perseverance. I promise you, voting will be your first reflection of that."
TABITHA KEILY
News/BizTech Coordinator
