Obama and the Rise of the Youth

They came in droves to his rallies. They volunteered in higher numbers that ever seen before among young people. And they showed up to salute him as he was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States of America.

But what is it that made the young people rally so strongly behind Barack Obama as their next president, I asked two teenage girls at a coffee event with our senator Patty Murray in the Dirkson Senate Office Building the day after Obama’s inauguration.

Zoe Ingraham and Alena Kantor, both 14, are with their parents in the nation’s capitol for the inauguration, and they are both very exited to have experienced the event.

Volunteered for Obama
“It was great”, they say as with one mouth and big smiles on their faces. Both girls volunteered for the Obama campaign, making phone calls to potential voters. That idea didn’t come out of nowhere.

“All our friends are pro-Obama. Everyone is talking about the issues, and what he [Obama] can do to fix the country”, says Alena, and Zoe continues, “Some of our friends volunteered like us, but not all of them”. “They’re all jealous of us for being here”, says Alena.

Parents strong Dems
But the influence of their parents probably plays a part in their interest too. “Both our parents are strong Democrats”, explains Zoe, as her mother stops by to see who’s talking to her daughter. Zoe’s mother smiles and nods confirmingly before she walks on. Zoey continues: “They’re [our parents] mad about Bush and what he has done to this country. So we have watched all the debates with them".

School might also have inspired Alena and Zoe to engage in politics years before they can cast their own vote. “We’ve had a governmental politics class where we campaign for different people”, explains Alena.

At the Obama Girl Party
On the night of the inauguration, I stopped by the Obama Girl Filibuster Party and asked two women in their thirties why they thought Obama has been to popular among young people.

“Obama talks the young people’s language. He speaks in color, if you know what I mean”, said 31-year-old Francesca, a long time political activist from UCLA in California. “I appreciate that you feel something when he speaks. You need to bring it to live when they talk about problems in our society, and only a fe w people have this kind of oratory skills. He’s genuine, so the young people get it. He’s the real deal.”

Believe what he says
Jennifer, a volunteer from Chicago, agreed: “I think Obama appeals to young people because he’s clearly spoken. He doesn’t mix up words like Bush did. People believe what he [Obama] says. Besides, Bush messed up so badly that people want a different face, and they want hope, and younger people see it that way too. Bush and McCain are old politics”, said Jennifer, while admitting, “We know Obama probably can’t carry out all the plans the talked about during the campaign, but we fundamentally believe that he’s going to try”.