2008 Woodie Awards
Two candidates inspire the college masses
Staff editorial
Issue date: 1/18/08 Section: Staff Reflections
There is a fever sweeping across the youth of America. It seems as though two presidential hopefuls have captured the minds, hearts and hopes of college students all across this great land: Democratic hopeful Barack Obama and Republican Ron Paul. These men have turned the apathetic masses into one of the most powerful forces in this primary season. They have managed to tap into the population of the electorate that may end up being the deciding factor in each of the states' primaries.
It seems as though college students are knocking on doors, starting campus clubs, recruiting friends, petitioning, donating money and most importantly, turning out to the polls in favor of these two men. This isn't the passive youth politics we've seen in the past, but a real belief in college students that these two men can bring change to a nation that many see as torn apart by partisan politics that have dominated elections in the past.
Students are also changing the way politicians reach out to the public. Myspace, Facebook and YouTube have made candidates more assessable to the public. YouTube has probably been the most successful tool used by the candidates. Several campaigns have posted videos of their candidates without having to pay for airtime, while regular YouTube users can post videos from rallies or created video montages for their candidate of choice.
The impact students are making on the political landscape will be most apparent at the end of primary season, when all the numbers have been tallied. Even if Obama and Paul do not receive their respective party's nominations, students have made their voices heard and will hopefully continue to actively participate in the general election and every election after.
It seems as though college students are knocking on doors, starting campus clubs, recruiting friends, petitioning, donating money and most importantly, turning out to the polls in favor of these two men. This isn't the passive youth politics we've seen in the past, but a real belief in college students that these two men can bring change to a nation that many see as torn apart by partisan politics that have dominated elections in the past.
Students are also changing the way politicians reach out to the public. Myspace, Facebook and YouTube have made candidates more assessable to the public. YouTube has probably been the most successful tool used by the candidates. Several campaigns have posted videos of their candidates without having to pay for airtime, while regular YouTube users can post videos from rallies or created video montages for their candidate of choice.
The impact students are making on the political landscape will be most apparent at the end of primary season, when all the numbers have been tallied. Even if Obama and Paul do not receive their respective party's nominations, students have made their voices heard and will hopefully continue to actively participate in the general election and every election after.
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