Posted on 06/08/2008 9:27:51 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3
He has almost 900,000 friends on Facebook, compared to John McCain's 140,000. A Web site of his supporters calls him their "homeboy." Gyrating college girls pledge their love for him on YouTube. And he could be our next president?
As Barack Obama moves into general election mode, many point to his ability to excite the under-30 set as one of his biggest strengths. Around the Fox Valley, official Obama groups are popping up at universities and high schools, including Northern Illinois University and Rosary and Waubonsie Valley high schools in Aurora, and plenty of young voters seem ready to hop on the Obama bandwagon.
"I like Obama," said 21-year-old Mac Scarle, of Aurora, as he strolled through his workplace at Westfield Fox Valley mall, taking inventory and sporting a baseball cap backward. "We're not used to having a politician that's younger. How old is McCain? 71?"
First-time voters, many of whom are college-age or recent grads, have been the backbone of Obama's support throughout the primary race. Chatting with friends during her lunch break at the mall, Danielle Oldin, of Montgomery, said this year's election has everyone paying attention.
"I actually know who's running this year," the 19-year-old said.
Scarle admitted that he didn't vote during the last presidential election, even though he was already 18. This year, though, will be different.
"This is a chance for something new to go down," he said.
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New ideas, including pulling out of Iraq and an unprecedented move toward universal health care, are central to Obama's platform. Many young voters point to disillusionment with the status quo and Obama's message of hope as their reasons for supporting him.
Ben Mullenbach, 19, got involved in the Kendall County Democratic Party before he could even vote. Now a precinct committeeman, the Oswego resident said his top three political priorities are Iraq, health care and preserving American jobs, priorities that he thinks mesh well with Obama's own goals.
"I think that Hillary Clinton is an expert politician, and she knows what to say and when to say it," he said. "Barack Obama is a leader. ... We need a leader, not a politician."
Some seasoned Democrats say that they've seen young people slowly become more involved in the political process over the past few years. Back when Obama was still a newly elected junior senator from Illinois, NIU professor Paul Stoddard said, students were already growing more engaged.
"Things have gotten off track in people's minds, and the time to do something about it is now rather than later," said Stoddard, adviser of the university's College Democrats group.
In the five years Stoddard has advised the group, meetings have grown from a handful of students to 20 or more. He counts Obama as an influence on political participation, saying many students feel they've found a candidate they can get behind.
"There's a lot of excitement about him," he said. "After his (2004 Democratic) convention speech, a lot of people stood up and took notice."
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Looking beyond the issues, there's also Obama's undeniable rock-star appeal. A youthful 46, he still plays hoops regularly. He gave his wife, Michelle, the ever-hip fist-pound the night he clinched the nomination. People faint during his speeches.
Mullenbach called it "the 'X' factor," saying Obama has the power to "inspire people."
"I think you have to be able to stand strong on the issues ... but you also have to be charismatic," he said. "He's one of the most charismatic leaders this country has seen in a long time."
For younger voters, that charisma goes a long way.
"He has the ability to get anyone's attention, and that helps our generation get involved," said 19-year-old Lauren Fialkowski, taking a lunch break from her job at the mall. "We understand what he's saying; he's not just some old guy blabbing on."
When Obama came to speak at her school, Iowa State University, Fialkowski said her whole campus turned out.
"He's younger and an amazing speaker," she said. "I think Obama will bring good change, fresh ideas."
Obama's home-state status doesn't hurt among Fox Valley's voters, either. Amy Cihak, of Obama Backers from the Burbs, said the Wheaton-based group has enjoyed plenty of support from local college students. Cihak, an Aurora resident, has traveled to Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio to drum up more Obama voters.
"It's really a thrill to go to another state and be able to say, 'My name is Amy and let me tell you about my senator,'" she said.
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For many teens and college students, Obama's politics of change stretches beyond what he hopes to accomplish in Washington. The son of a white woman and an African man, Obama has talked about occasionally getting by on food stamps during his childhood. Some say his candidacy is literally changing the face of who a presidential candidate is expected to be.
"Obama came from more of a background that we all came from," said Ramadah Sulejmani, 27, over a sundae at Oberweis in Oswego.
Sulejmani, who is Muslim, said he is heartened by the shift in racial and cultural perceptions he's seen this election cycle.
"We want change, and the fact that the Democrats took a big chance on a white woman and a black man says that," he said.
Obama's historic feat of becoming the Democratic Party's first black candidate has inspired other young Americans to dream big. At 16, Marcos Hernandez and Brian Wesley can't even vote yet, but are eager for their turn in the political system.
"I'm going to be the first Mexican president," a smiling Hernandez said while signing up for summer classes at Waubonsee Community College. "He opened the door for that."
It will be interesting to see if Obama has the guts to take on Social Security, since his constituency seems to be heavily weighted with young people, and any self-respecting young person ought to recognize that as the most important issue which they face.
One kid called him a leader. Onoma 08 has never so much as led a starving pig to a bucket of slop.
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