Josh's Blog

Florida Update: Powered by Hope

Josh at BC — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:27:04 EDT

From YouTube videos to our Vote for Change posters, Obama supporters have exercized their creative talents in countless ways since this campaign started. A project by students at the University of Florida might top it all, however. I couldn't explain it if I tried. You should just check out this photo sent by UF Obama volunteer Chris Davis to Politico's Ben Smith.

Why didn't I think of that? Florida students are getting creative in the homestretch because we need all hands on deck to get out the vote in Florida and win that crucial state. From Gainesville to Tallahassee, from Miami to Ft. Myers, the Sunshine State is voting early and Obama volunteers are working overtime.

Help them get out the vote in Florida today. When it comes to door-knocking and making phonecalls, humans are still better than robots.

Michelle on Leno and 30-Minute Special

Josh at BC — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:25:44 EDT

As the campaign comes to a close, you can expect to see a lot of Barack and Michelle Obama on television.

Michelle will make her first appearance on The Tonight Show tonight, at 11:30 ET. Make sure to tune in!

In another exciting note, the Barack Obama 30-minute special will be airing Wednesday night. Check below for airtimes.

NBC/CBS/Univision/BET:

Eastern: 8:00:00 thru 8:30:00 PM

Central: 7:00:00 thru 7:30:00 PM

Mountain: 7:00:00 thru 7:30:00 PM

Pacific: 8:00:00 thru 8:30:00 PM

FOX:

Eastern: 8:00:00 PM thru 8:30:00 PM

Central: 7:00:00 PM thru 7:30:00 PM

Mountain: 7:00:00 PM thru 7:30:00 PM or Immediately following World Series Game 6 (if necessary)

Pacific: 8:00:00 PM thru 8:30:00 PM or Immediately following World Series Game 6 (if necessary)

MSNBC/TV One:

Eastern: 8:00:00 PM thru 8:30:00 PM

Central: 7:00:00 PM thru 7:30:00 PM

Mountain: 6:00:00 PM thru 6:30:00 PM

Pacific: 5:00:00 PM thru 5:30:00 PM

Get some friends together and watch.

Michelle in Columbus, OH: "Barack Gets It"

Josh at BC — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:04:00 EDT

There's a reason Barack Obama's message resonates with college students. Barack and Michelle Obama understand how important college affordability is in this country, because their story revolves around the opportunities they were given. Through scholarships, hard work, and financial aid, Barack was able to attend Columbia, Michelle was able to attend Princeton, and both could attend Harvard Law School. Neither came from privilege or wealth, but both were given the opportunity to attend some of the best universities in the world. They want to see that opportunity given to the next generation of Americans.

Michelle made this point today at Capital University, in Bexley, Ohio, just outside of Columbus. With millions of middle-class families struggling, it's more important than ever to elect a president who understand what they're going through:

“My husband, Barack Obama, gets it,’’ she said. “He gets it cause he’s lived it. Something happens to your perspective in life when you’re raised by a single mother….He saw her continued struggle to figure out how to support her family and get her education. He saw her sacrifice everything for him.’’
And she tried to relate to the many college students in the crowd, noting that, although she and her husband went to Harvard University, they relied on loans to do it. She promoted her husband’s proposal to help make college more affordable by linking government scholarship aid to social service.

”In this society, people can’t afford to be teachers, social workers, musicians, youth coordinators, or pastors because what happens is the salaries they earn in these jobs won’t cover the cost of the degree it took to get the jobs,’’ she said. “Don’t we deserve a president who gets it?’’

In eleven days, we can elect a president who gets it -- that we're stronger together than on our own, and that affordable and accessible college education must be the foundation of our future.

Get involved in Ohio -- or drive there to help out -- as soon as you can!

GOTV: Columbia to Virginia

Josh at BC — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:44:49 EDT

Every college has famous alumni, and students feel a connection with those people. As a student at Boston College, where we will reveal a statue of football legend Doug Flutie this week, I can attest to that personally. Columbia University students have a special opportunity this year: Help an alumnus become our nation's next president.

Barack Obama graduated from Columbia in 1983. (You can see him in his college days above.) Twenty-five years later, Columbia University College Democrats are organizing a trip over their fall break (conveniently scheduled for November 1-4) to head down and campaign in Virginia's 10th Congressional District.

“Virginia has not gone blue for many years, and this campaign trip could be symbolic of the significant changes that are taking place across the electoral map,” said College Democrat member Rowland Yang, CC ’11. “The fact that a group of young people are demonstrating so much national enthusiasm will certainly resonate.”

The number of students heading to Virginia may also be indicative of what many have called a national enthusiasm. A record-breaking 132 members will make the trip, more than double the number in previous years.

“We never anticipated such interest,” said College Democrat media director Avi Edelman, CC ’11. “Being active on this election is very important—it is a historical election. By campaigning, we are giving Columbia students an opportunity to participate in grassroots campaigning.”

Even if you don't go to school in a battleground state, chances are you live near one. Columbia students are traveling hundreds of miles to help their fellow Columbia Lion get elected. Organize a trip with your friends and local chapter of Students for Obama today!

Early Voters Get Out in Florida

Josh at BC — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:45:32 EDT

Monday was quite an exciting day in Florida as early voting got underway. Senator Obama rallied supporters in Tampa in making a spirited push for voters to cast their ballots before Election Day. So the final phase begins -- and the World Series, for that matter:

A day after the Tampa Bay Rays won an improbable spot in the World Series, team members introduced the Illinois senator who has made history as the first black presidential nominee. 'This election is a critical moment in our history’, outfielder Fernando Perez told the crowd. ‘We're here today to encourage you to get out and vote and vote early for Barack Obama. We can change the nation’.

After the rally, our campaign volunteers shuttled supporters to early polling locations as the crowd of 8,000+ dispersed. The Associated Press reported groundbreaking turnout across the state in its first day of voting for the general election:

Florida kicked off early voting on Monday, with record crowds heading to the polls and voters waiting hours to cast their ballots. Elections officials said the few reported problems were minor. Final statewide numbers for ballots cast Monday won't be available until Tuesday, but counties large and small, traditionally Democrat and traditionally Republican, were reporting record turnout. The early voting sites will remain open two weeks until the weekend before Election Day.

Students at Florida A&M University are already making their mark. 1,000 students voted before noon today:

Almost a thousand Florida A & M students, faculty, and administrators voted early Monday, the first day of early voting. The show of support has eclipsed any previous first day of early voting. The students, almost a thousand strong, left the Florida A & M campus led by their president, Dr. James Ammons. “We’re going to make our mark today, the rattlers of Florida A&M.”

Find your early voting location, bring five friends, and vote today in the Sunshine State!

It's Election Day in Florida!

Josh at BC — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:37:40 EDT

Florida, Florida, Florida. Election Day -- and sometimes the weeks afterwards -- are always exciting times in the Sunshine State, one of the most crucial swing states in this (or any) election. Thanks to early voting, every day between now and November 4th is Election Day in Florida.

Young people have the chance to provide the difference for Obama in Florida, and early voting makes that easy. If you're like my roommate, and have a huge exam on Election Day -- vote early! If you'd rather spend all day volunteering on Election Day -- vote early! Your reason is up to you, but if you're capable of voting early, you should.

You can do more than that, however. You can tell five friends about early voting, and make sure that they get to the polls. 626,280 registered 18-29 year olds in Florida did not vote in 2004 -- more than enough to swing the election. Adopt Five friends today, tell them about early vote, and get them to the polls! You can do this with college students or other Florida voters. All the information you need is right here:

Adopt Five College Voters:

Adopt Five Florida Voters:

Find your early vote location:

Find your local Obama field office here.

Visit the Florida Resource Center here.

Join Florida for Obama today, and get out the early vote!

How Far We've Come

Josh at BC — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:27:51 EDT

This entire campaign, from a student's point of view, has been a three-step process. First, people who've worked their whole lives in politics have told us that students don't vote, they don't contribute money, they won't organize themselves and they're not worth a campaign's investment. Next, we've respectfully disagreed and, with the fantastic help and support of field organizers, youth vote directors, and national staff, built a nationwide organization of students working for change. Step three happened on a smaller level during the primaries, and if we all work hard, can finally take place nationwide on November 4th -- proving them wrong, once and for all.

Students from all 50 states have organized, fundraised, and worked for months and months for one reason -- we believe in Barack Obama. This video captures that spirit:

I also wanted to be sure to point out one part of David Plouffe's encouraging fundraising video, which was e-mailed out to supporters this morning. Plouffe emphasizes the amount of student givers, and towards the end of the video, they reveal how many students have given to this campaign:

128, 964.

College costs a lot of money. So do books, pizza, movies, and just about every other part of life on campus. The fact that 128,964 students have given to Barack Obama shows how hungry we are for change, and how important it is to invest in our future.

Keep up the good work. 16 days to go.

Michelle Obama on Student Debt in Ft. Wayne, IN

Josh at BC — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:30:36 EDT

Michelle Obama spoke to an impressive crowd of supporters in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Wednesday. With the uncertain futures of America’s lending institutions looming over the political environment, Michelle talked about her and Barack’s own struggles with heavy debt from student loans:

She told about 1,000 people at the Grand Wayne Convention Center that she and her husband had large student loan debts after attending college. She said she believed the economic policies of the Bush administration had threatened the country’s middle class.

Barack Obama gets it. He gets it because he’s lived it. Don’t we want someone in the White House who knows what it’s like to carry a little debt?

Like Barack and Michelle, we live with the realities and responsibilities of student debt, but we deserve a real commitment, and real leadership from Washington to help ease our burden. Senator Obama has demonstrated his priorities in his plan to make college affordable for every student.

Toward the end of her remarks, Michelle encouraged supporters to volunteer their time and efforts in the final push toward November 4th, and to take advantage of early voting in the state, to help avoid crowds and complications at the polls on Election Day. Remember, every vote in every state will make a difference, including yours.

Help turn Indiana blue. Join Indiana for Obama today, and pledge to vote early.

In case you missed it ... Michelle on The Daily Show

Josh at BC — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:40:49 EDT

Michelle took the stage with Jon Stewart last night, and discussed how she evaluates Barack's decisions, the fact that it's been 20 months (!) already in this campaign, and how her role has grown and changed.

I really try to stay focused on what I see on the ground. We've spent this entire year with people saying, this couldn't happen. But when we've been in Iowa and New Hampshire, and we're out there with crowds of people, and that's the reality we've focused on. That's one of the things I've liked about Barack's campaign, he's always pushing for the decency that's there in Americans.

You can watch part one of the interview here, and part two here.

Michelle Obama on the Daily Show Wednesday!

Josh at BC — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:48:42 EDT

No matter where you get your news, you have to respect the comic genius of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Barack Obama has turned in some memorable performances on the show, and this Wednesday, for the first time ever, Michelle Obama will appear. Here's the info:

Michelle Obama will appear as a guest on the Emmy® and Peabody® Award-winning "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on Wednesday, October 8 at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT), the night after attending the second presidential debate at Belmont University, Nashville, TN. This marks Obama's first visit to "The Daily Show." Her husband, Senator Barack Obama, has appeared on the show three times, most recently on April 21 on the eve on the Pennsylvania Primary. The Democratic nominee for President of the United States also appeared on August 22, 2007 and November 7, 2005.

Tune in and tell your friends!

Hoos for Obama in Charlottesville, VA

Josh at BC — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:42:26 EDT

It's always tough to tell what will motivate students. Free pizza is always a good start, and free t-shirts are even better. But every once in a while, students get motivated by a cause or a speaker who connects with them.

Students at the University of Virginia were recently pumped up by a visit from Michelle Obama. Their chapter president was inspired to write up what the UVA chapter has been doing, and the general feeling around the campaign in Charlottesville. Every student should read this and take notes -- this is how we're going to elect Barack Obama on November 4th.

Conference calls, high profile speakers, hours of data entry, piles of voter registration forms, difficult media, and a bustling office are all parts of the robust presidential campaign of Senator Barack Obama in the critical swing state of Virginia. They are also integral parts of the lives of students who are running the Obama campaign at the University of Virginia out of the campaign office just steps away from campus.
            The Obama campaign not only believes in the ability of young voters to change the outcome of this election by voting, they are also entrusting those same young voters to make sure their peers are registered and vote on election day. There is certainly oversight from staffers who work for the campaign, but for the most part the election at the University of Virginia is being run for students by students.
            The office which opened in early September is nearly exclusively staffed by student volunteers who do the nuts and bolts work of a campaign from getting people absentee ballot forms to spinning the school newspaper to write a positive article about the campaign. A dedicated core group of students spends much of their free time working from the office while also empowering hundreds of their fellow students to register their friends, neighbors, and classmates. Most of theses students are still attending school and have to balance long nights working at the office with early classes in the morning.
            As President of Hoos for Obama (Hoos is the unofficial mascot of the University of Virginia), I am proud of all the work that we are all doing at the Obama office. We have been able to set up a Dorm Captain program in which we have students in nearly every dorm and apartment registering students to vote. We have a similar program in classrooms along with Sororities and Fraternities. To date we have registered more than 1500 students to vote, but there is still much work to be done.
            What the Obama campaign has done with students at the University of Virginia is indicative of what they are doing across the nation. This campaign is not only about winning an election or electing a candidate, it is empowering ordinary Americans to get involved in their own political process.
Many campaigns in the past have paid lip service to getting young people involved in presidential politics, but have failed to make a legitimate effort. However, the Obama office at the University of Virginia shows the dedication of both students and the campaign make this year different. Regardless if young people actually make the difference on November 4, this election will be looked back upon as a defining moment in American history in which young people finally got involved in their democracy.

The deadline to register to vote in Virginia is October 6th. With the help of hard-working chapters like UVA, we'll be able to turn Virginia blue -- so join Virginia for Obama today!

Students React to Last Night's Debate

Josh at BC — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:53:05 EDT

The New York Times recruited student reporters from colleges and universities across the country to report on student reaction to last night's debate. The reviews are in: Senator Obama's message of change, relief to middle class families, and a smart foreign policy continues to resonate with young people.

I'll let them explain why. Here's some reaction from Zach Aman at the Colorado School of Mines:

A massive group of students concluded that “Obama definitely won that debate."

The general consensus is that Obama sounded more “balanced,” with a “wider” and “broader” view of the situation.

Obama’s advice seems to resonate with the libertarians at the Colorado School of Mines; if you’re going to give money to the corporations, the federal government must be accountable to the taxpayers. The ideas of “eliminating golden parachutes” and ensuring responsible oversight are essentials.

Genny McLaren, California State University-Chico:

Students liked that Obama said that dependency on oil and whether peak oil is coming in the next 20 or hundred years, we need a plan now and need to address foreign issues that have to do with specifically with foreign oil use. That is
something that the current administration has failed to do.

Dan Petty, University of Richmond:

Our newspaper just finished a three-day survey of 350 undergraduate students on campus (about 3,000 total). We’ve got a diverse representation of opinion. 71 percent of respondents said they were absolutely certain to vote in November. 52 percent said if the election were held today, they’d vote for Obama, 32 percent said McCain, 17 percent were undecided.

Katelyn Polantz, University of Pittsburgh:

“We’re less respected now,” Obama said. How true. Last year, I spent a semester in London at a program hosting students from Pitt and a few other schools. When we arrived, we were warned how closely Europeans and Britons, specifically, follow American foreign policy and politics. We were often approached by Londoners in casual conversation about how we felt about the United States’ actions abroad and how we felt about the current administration. And generally, we hadn’t often met too many Europeans who were in favor of recent foreign policy — some Europeans were even hostile to my fellow students purely because of our Americanism . . . Obama’s image abroad, as evidenced by his tour this summer, couldn’t hurt.

Jeffrey Riley, University of Central Florida:

I believe that Obama’s concern for “middle America,” not only on how the American economy will effect them through changes in taxing, but inversely how America’s foreign policy abroad ends up effecting them, will greatly resonate with the students at UCF.

Ellis Smith, University of West Georgia, Carrolton:

People are really responding positively to Obama’s “This idea that by not talking to people we’re punishing them is silly."

What came through most clearly in these reactions is that students all across the country are hungry for specific proposals from the candidates to address our future. Senator Obama was clear, composed, and detailed in his vision for America last night.

You can learn more about Senator Obama's positions here, and register to vote or request an absentee ballot at voteforchange.com -- tell your friends!

Don't Get Mad. Get Registered.

Josh at BC — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:31:37 EDT

College students are understandably worried right now by the state of the economy. Seniors (like me) are certainly troubled by job prospects after graduation. What happens on November 4th is going to affect all of our futures – young and old – but for young people, it seems especially urgent. The economic turmoil this week has made it even clearer that we need to get to the polls on Election Day and vote for Barack Obama.

Thankfully for students, the website voteforchange.com makes it easy to register and work out all the details of an absentee ballot application. Our job as students is not only to register ourselves, but also to make sure that all our friends know about voteforchange.com.

The Obama campaign is helping by launching an ad campaign in college newspapers. One target is North Carolina’s “Research Triangle,” where ads for voteforchange.com have been running in Durham’s The Independent and UNC-Chapel Hill’s The Daily Tar Heel. The ads address energy with a quote by a student named Josie K:

I registered because the future won't run on oil.

Barack Obama will be in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Washington Street in front of the J. Douglas Galyon Depot on Saturday. Doors open at 10AM, and the event begins at 12:15PM. This campaign is doing everything it can to win the state of North Carolina, and with the help of young people and students who use voteforchange.com, we can do it.

You can join North Carolina Students for Obama here, and sign up for school-specific text message updates. Don’t get mad, get registered – and register your friends.

Early Voting Begins in Georgia – And Students are Ready

Josh at BC — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:40:19 EDT

Big news in Georgia today: early voting has begun! Early voting is perfect for college students who are unsure about their class schedules, possible tests, or other factors that might stop them from voting on November 4th. Early voting locations for Georgia can be found here, along with hours and days when early voting is available.

Georgia Students for Obama has been working hard for months to try and turn Georgia blue, and they’re starting to get noticed. Public Broadcasting Atlanta just ran a story about efforts on Georgia campuses to register students in the state. At Spelman College, it sounds like things couldn’t be going better:

"We're Young Democrats of America. We're basically registering anyone who is not registered to vote."

Flanked by Obama '08 fliers, [Sudria Twyman] thrusts voter registration cards and ink pens towards students. And the students eagerly oblige.

"Just everybody wants to come out and support and be involved in the next election. We're getting overwhelming response from freshman as well as returning students."

It’s efforts like these, though they are difficult and sometimes can seem like an uphill battle, that could make the difference in this election. Thomas Kelley, blogging on the site for Georgia for Obama, has also recognized just how important student efforts will be in the state:

Here in Georgia something has been stirring on college campuses. Students are taking on leadership roles with the Campaign for Change. Unite for Change teams are active at almost every college campus within the state. Registering their fellow students at a rapid pace, student volunteers have exhibited a sense of urgency and activism that has not been seen out of younger Americans in decades. But there is still more work ahead.

The days are dwindling as we approach election day (only 43 left!), but in Georgia, you don’t have to wait. Go vote early today, and encourage your friends to do the same!

Mississippi Gets Ready for Friday's Debate

Josh at BC — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:38:28 EDT

This Friday, the national political scene will swoop down upon the University of Mississippi for the first presidential debate. There are stages to set up, microphones to test, and the entire national press corps to take care of. For Obama supporters, their primary goal this week is a little different: register students to vote, and turn them out in November.

Mississippi Students for Obama has been active for months, having held voter registration drives, on-campus phone banks, and volunteer opportunities from students. Aaron Harris, the Mississippi Director of the Obama campaign, emphasized that young people are getting involved because of peer-to-peer contact and the range of issues at stake in this campaign.

Cortez Moss, a freshman at Ole Miss, talked about his reasons for supporting Senator Obama. Chief among them was the war in Iraq:

“As young people, we have dreams and we have goals and we have visions in life, and most of them do not contain going to fight over in a war.”

So while the advance teams set up the media appearances, technicians set up the microphones and cameras, and the entire nation tunes in to watch Friday night at 9PM ET, the students at Ole Miss and all across the state of Mississippi will continue doing what they do best: registering new voters, making phone calls, and trying to deliver their state for Barack Obama. I'm sure they'll be successful in all those goals, but one thing is for certain: this Friday, Mississippi will have the best debate watch party in the nation.

Even if you can't be in Oxford this Friday, you can host or join one of the hundreds of debate watch parties taking place on college campuses. Find out how to host your own debate watch party here.

Guitar Hero, Facebook, and Politics: Students Party for Change in Oshkosh, WI

Josh at BC — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:34:13 EDT

Sometimes it takes a little creativity to organize college students. As enthusiastic as young people are about this election, mixing politics with some Guitar Hero can never hurt. Students at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh put together a fun event this past week to raise student support for Senator Obama, and have some fun in the process.

Led by chapter chair Steve Greene, the campaign kickoff included a guest speaker, State Representative Gordon Hintz, a political impersonation contest, a Guitar Hero competition, and was covered in the school’s newspaper, the Advance-Titan.

Greene explained the goal of the night:

“Events like these create environments that let students know Obama hears them and is involved in them by giving them a way to find out more and what they can do to get organized and really make a difference.”

Thanks to sites like my.barackobama.com and Facebook, events like these are easy to organize and publicize. Bryon Eagon, Wisconsin State Coordinator of Students for Barack Obama, spelled it out clearly:

“From events on campus to information on voter registration, sites like Facebook allow the student supporters of Obama to connect and network with others through a site that is extremely popular among college students.”

So next time your parents criticize you for playing Guitar Hero in your room with your friends or wasting time on Facebook, remind them that those things can also be powerful political organizing tools. If you like the idea, follow in the footsteps of these UW-Oshkosh students and find some supporters on your campus today.

You can get involved with Wisconsin for Obama here, and find some student organizing resources here.

Rock the Vote Poll: The Youth Are Alright

Josh at BC — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:20:01 EST

We've all heard it a thousand times. The youth don't vote. The youth don't care. They'll never turn out, they'll never get into politics, and they'll certainly never change the entire complexion of a presidential race.

Not only is Students for Barack Obama proving that conventional wisdom wrong, but new polling data refutes it completely. The newest installment of Rock the Vote's Polling Young Voters shows that young people are tuned in to the 2008 election – possibly more so than their elders.

In this compilation of polls, 77% of young people (age 18-24) report tuning in to the presidential debates, compared with 64% of people of all ages. In addition, the youth are trending strongly Democratic: When asked with which political party they identify, 32-42% identify as Republican or Republican-leaning and 37-49% identify as Democratic or Democratic-leaning. (RT Strategies, Democracy Corps, Rasmussen). Polls like these should give young people hope: every vote counts the same, and by the looks of it, young people are taking their vote very seriously.

So next time your parents or professors complain that young people don't care about anything, make sure you tell them about the details of the last Democratic debate, the dynamics of the new Nevada caucus, and why this debate was crucial with less than 50 days before the Iowa caucuses. That will show them.

Newsflash: Common's Sense

Josh at BC — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:55:30 EST

"My raps ignite the people like Obama." - Common

There's only one presidential candidate driving rap artist Common wild – his fellow resident of the Southside (and fellow Grammy Award winner) Barack Obama. The Chicago rapper has been one of Obama's most vocal supporters in the music industry. MTV recently interviewed Common about his support for Senator Obama. He described how his mother supported Obama, even though he thought she was getting fooled by another typical politician.

The Obama sign in his mother's window wasn't enough to persuade him, but after seeing the work Obama was doing for the community and meeting the man several times, Common became convinced that Obama was no joke. They had so much in common, and that day it all made sense. Common ends by expressing his belief that Obama can provide the change he wants and the country needs.

Together We Can: Barack in Boston

Josh at BC — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:38:20 EDT

The two most important figures in my political experience shared the stage on Boston Common last night, and I had one of the best seats in the house.

Last fall, my friends and I headed downtown on the night of the Democratic gubernatorial primary. There was a real buzz in this election: after 16 years of Republican governors, Democrats across this bluest of blue states were excited at the prospect of taking back the State House. The only question was which Democrat would be the nominee. I had never worked in politics before and only had a vague understanding of the candidates. I knew that one in particular, a newcomer to the Massachusetts political scene named Deval Patrick, was doing things differently. His campaign went from underdog to frontrunner because of grassroots action and a commitment to changing the politics of Beacon Hill.

The primary results confirmed this, and my friends and I crashed his victory party at the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel. There was a crush of people in the main ballroom, all anxiously awaiting the new nominee. When Patrick finally took the stage, I was struck by how clearly he expressed the purpose of his campaign: working together to make change by involving the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in their political process once more. I left the hall inspired, clutching a few blue Patrick signs that read "Together We Can," and ready to make good on that promise.

Patrick became the next governor of Massachusetts that November, Democrats took back Congress, and there was some real buzz that Barack Obama might run for president. I figured that the time was right for me to get politically involved.

Last night, almost a year later, Deval Patrick and Barack Obama held a rally on Boston Common to celebrate Patrick's endorsement of Senator Obama for president. My friends and I assembled our Boston College chapter of Students for Barack Obama and handed out our freshly minted "Barack Obama Superfan" shirts, which mimic the shirts that fill the stands for BC home football games. Riding down to Boylston, we reflected on how far we'd come and how crazy the journey has been.

We arrived to find a line hundreds of yards long to get in through security. Thankfully, five of us BC leaders (myself included) were cleared to stand behind the podium in a special section that included supporters, staff, and student leaders. We were taken back behind the stage and assembled on the bleachers. Almost ten thousand people stared back. It was intimidating but exhilarating.

Patrick's speech was inspirational, forthright, and overall one of the best I have ever witnessed. The Governor spoke about the need for a campaign to be about more than a person, but about an idea that all people can connect to and fight for. He touched on the importance of character over resume, the value of living and understanding life abroad, and how the most important aspects in a leader are "moral courage, a political backbone, the humility to admit what he doesn't know, and the wisdom to learn from others."

Governor Patrick then introduced the man who embodies all of that, Barack Obama. Ten thousand people went crazy, as did our section behind the stage. Who cares if you're in front of ten thousand people – this is Barack Obama!

Senator Obama delivered a speech that had the crowd cheering at every turn. He professed his love for the Sox (though, admittedly, the wrong color in my opinion). He expressed the frustration he feels that America has not been acting like America in the world, and how badly he wants to see a return to that. He talked about the foolishness of electing someone who "knows how to play the game" when the game-playing has to stop because it's not working for the American people. Most of all, he affirmed that he is an optimist for America – a "hopemonger" – who believes that when people work together to make change, they can make their country better.

Looking out from my place behind the stage at ten thousand cheering people, who couldn't believe that?

I realized again why I love politics. It's up to all of us to take the emotion and power from the Boston rally and turn it into action all across the country. New Hampshire is less than an hour away on Route 93. Together we can make the difference. We can be the change.

Mr. October

Josh at BC — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:16:52 EDT

Thousands of people will soon gather in Boston to stand and cheer for a future champion. There were some questions before the season started, but now they have all been laid to rest: we're dealing with a serious contender. After traveling around the "nation" for months (it all started back in February), it's now crunch time. This is when you have to play like a winner, step up to the plate, and hit one out of the park.

Oh, and the Red Sox are also in the World Series.

Barack Obama is coming to Boston on Tuesday, October 23, for a free rally on Boston Common. Senator Obama will be speaking at the Parkman Bandstand (near the corner of Boylston and Tremont) with Governor Deval Patrick. The rally begins at 6:30 PM, but doors open at 5:30 and it's going to be packed. I can't wait to see them onstage. Both Patrick and Obama represent a new kind of people-driven politics that relies on grassroots campaigning, and both are impressive speakers. As a lifelong Red Sox fan and a junior at Boston College, I can't tell which I'm more excited for, Barack in my city or game one of the World Series! Thankfully, I don't have to choose.

Come one, come all – it's sure to be a fall classic.

Your New Favorite T-shirt has Arrived

Josh at BC — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:08:12 EDT

College students tend to get enthusiastic about several things. We love our schools, and show up in big numbers at football, basketball and hockey games. We love saving money at every possible opportunity. And, as over 600 chapters of Students for Barack Obama, polls of young voters, and more and more newspaper headlines prove, we love Barack Obama.

What wonderful product could combine all three of college students' favorite things?

The Obama Store has just rolled out "Property of Students for Barack Obama" t-shirts, available in customizable school colors, for only $10.00 each. Now you can show your school spirit, your Obama spirit, and still have some money left over for pizza. It's a college student's dream – buy one today!

"The Audacity of Youth"

Josh at BC — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 21:59:56 EDT

Believe it or not, Students for Barack Obama started campaigning for an Obama presidency long before the Senator did. What started as a Facebook group under the leadership of Meredith Segal and Tobin Van Ostern quickly grew into a nationwide grassroots organization. When Barack Obama declared his candidacy, he turned to SFBO to be the official student wing of his campaign. SFBO surpassed 600 chapters last week, and the numbers of students involved grows every day. The youth movement we have built supporting Barack Obama constantly draws the attention of the mainstream media. The possible implications of such strong youth support made the pages of Newsweek this week in the article "The Audacity of Youth." The article focuses on the connections the Obama campaign has made with Iowa's youth, and their possible impact on the caucuses:

"In a recent memo, campaign manager David Plouffe wrote that Obama, who often talks about generational change and typically leads Clinton among citizens under 30, will perform better than expected in Iowa solely because 'pollsters heavily under-represent' young voters—a 'hidden vote' composed of Obama's 'core support … There's no doubt that we're going to bring new people to the caucuses,' he tells NEWSWEEK."

Enthusiasm, organizational strength, and young people generally do not show up in polls – and these areas are where our advantages lie.

"To connect, the Obama camp is relying in part on Barack Stars, a novel effort to target high-school seniors, who only have to be 18 by Election Day in November 2008 (not caucus night) to caucus. Launched in May, the program has active chapters in a third of Iowa's 375 high schools, where underage (and previously ignored) supporters have built floats for their homecoming parades, visited nursing homes to talk about Social Security, organized cross-state trips and even participated in a conference call last Tuesday with the candidate himself."

Programs like Barack Stars and Students for Barack Obama will provide a strong push of volunteer, caucus-goer, and voter support during primary season. While the article contains much of the same rhetoric constantly used about students being tuned out and not voting, it does mention the unique level of excitement surrounding our candidate. If we can capture that excitement and prove the pundits and conventional Washington thinking wrong, we can set a new precedent for youth politics in America for generations.

Minutemen in the Granite State

Josh at BC — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:46:03 EDT

With over 100 colleges and universities, a reputation for being the most Democratic state in the nation, and close proximity to New Hampshire, there's a lot of potential here in Massachusetts. I'm proud to be involved with Students for Barack Obama here in the Commonwealth, and one of our best chapters is fighting hard for Senator Obama already. The University of Massachusetts-Amherst chapter of SFBO recently made their way up to New Hampshire to canvass and help out, and was profiled in their student newspaper, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian.

Matthew Cadwallader, the director of UMass-Amherst for Obama, laid out their plans and objectives to the newspaper:

"The purpose of the group really is to help out the Obama campaign in any way we can. Fortunately we live close enough to New Hampshire that we can make a real difference in the country's first primary...

"There are tens of thousands of students here at UMass. If we can tap into a percentage of those and get them active in the campaign, then I think we will have been successful. As for our goals during this semester, we want to conduct more canvassing and phone banking and maybe even bring some speakers to the campus."

The UMass chapter canvassed in Keene, NH, and plans to be back several times throughout the semester. They hold weekly meetings, events, and have a flourishing Facebook group. UMass' own "minutemen" (the school mascot) are already fighting for votes for Barack in the crucial state of New Hampshire, and will continue to fight until primary day. That's how we do it here in Massachusetts.

You can read the article about UMass' great chapter here.

Changing Campaign Fundraising

Josh at BC — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 23:12:00 EDT

We did it again. 93,000 more supporters gave to Barack Obama's campaign from July to September, raising our total number of donors to 352,000. We raised at least $19 million dollars over that period of time. Over a third of a million people now own a piece of this campaign. We gave what we could in small amounts, because they believed in the idea that many little donations could beat out a few large ones. We've started to lay claim to politics in our country in a fight to grasp control away from special interests.

The numbers are staggering. Obama for America has raised at least $74.9 million for the primaries in 2007. Campaign fundraising will never be the same.

This money will allow our campaign to invest all over the country and spread our message of hope and change to as many primary voters as possible.

College students played a huge part in this accomplishment. Low-dollar fundraisers all over the country contributed a lot of money and new people, and many chapters of SFBO led the charge. Last spring, I led the Boston College chapter's sale of 200 tickets to the April 20th event at Boston University, raising over $5,000. Chapters all over the country have helped sell tickets to other events, as well as selling t-shirts and finding their own creative ways to fundraise. The Countdown for Change on October 10th in Maryland will certainly contribute many more new faces to our ever-growing movement for change, and we don't expect it to stop anytime soon.

In order to change the country, we had to begin by changing the way campaigns raise money. Focusing on not only dollars raised but also number of contributors, Obama for America gave control of campaign fundraising back to the people. People feel invested in Senator Obama because they have literally invested and that support will prove invaluable come primary season.

You can read more about our fundraising success here.

Obama Gets NYC Fired Up and Ready to Go

Josh at BC — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:16:46 EDT

Barack Obama drew 24,000 people to Washington Square Park yesterday in one of the biggest events of this campaign season so far. After days of hard work by committed supporters in Manhattan and the New York area, Senator Obama took the stage to thunderous applause and enthusiastically called for change in Washington politics:

“There are those in this race for the presidency who are touting their experience working the system, but the problem is that the system isn’t working for us. There are those who are saying you should be looking for someone who can play the game better, but the problem is that the game has been rigged. The time is too serious, the stakes are too high, to play the same game over and over again.”

Students from Columbia University (Senator Obama’s alma mater), New York University, and many other colleges and universities in the area came out in big numbers to see Senator Obama speak. News reports of the event are filled with student testimonials about their excitement for Obama’s campaign.

From the New York Times:

Sophie Ragir, 18, a Columbia freshman, said, “It’s a social thing. Everyone on my floor was, like, are you going to the Obama thing?”

From WNBC.com:

Kelsey Randall, a 20-year-old Parsons School of Design student, said she supported Obama for president. "It's my first election (to vote) so I don't want to cast my vote for someone I don't support 100 percent," said Randall, who stood in line for more than an hour to get into the rally. "There's nothing yet that I've disagreed with him on. He's so his own person."

Some students from Rutgers University made their way to NYC for the event. Their trip was featured in their campus newspaper, the Daily Targum.

The media is catching on to the enthusiasm we students are generating. It’s apparent at huge events like this one and smaller events at our hundreds of chapters of SFBO nationwide.

You can watch part of Obama’s speech here.

Don't Forget Tonight's Debate!

Josh at BC — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:38:10 EDT

Tonight's debate is an important one and students should be sure to tune in. It is in the crucial early state of New Hampshire and is being held on a college campus. For the record, I'm extremely jealous of Dartmouth. When is the Boston College Debate? How can I make that happen?

The debate is on MSNBC tonight at 9PM ET. You can even submit a question here. If you would prefer to watch the debate in Spanish, it will be re-televised on Telemundo at 11:35 ET and PT.

Ah, to go to college in New Hampshire. Presidential candidates all over campus, campaign offices down the street, pine forests, bears, mountains, wilderness …

Come to think of it, I'll stay in Boston and watch on MSNBC.

Barack-a-fella Records?

Josh at BC — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:44:53 EDT

Move over, J-Hova … the ruler's back. And he's a fan of your girlfriend.

You may be President/CEO of Def Jam (and CEO of the R.O.C.), but this guy is running for president of the U.S.A. He is destiny's child. You can check on it. He represents anything but politics as usual, and come November 2008, he's going to show you what he's got.

You must know about him – he's irreplaceable.

Barack Obama, when recently asked about his musical tastes, admitted that he loves to dance to some old-school tunes: "I tell you what. I can tell you the kinds of stuff that I love dancing to . . . I'm of the generation of Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind and Fire."

The real revelation came when he was asked if he liked any of today's music. "I'm sort of hip to the younger stuff. You know, like Beyonce's 'Crazy in Love.' That's a good song to dance to."

Who wouldn't want to relax after a hard day on the campaign trail by busting a move to Beyonce?

Especially when she's checking you out at Oprah's fundraiser, way beyond a reasonable doubt.

Hey, you can't knock the hustle.

Taking Charge on the Economy

Josh at BC — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:46:13 EDT

As students preparing to leave school (I can’t believe it’s junior year for me already), our national economy is an essential part of our future. It’s too important to be left to the mercy of loopholes in the tax code, an addiction to oil, and the greed of company boards. It’s too important to our future that all Americans have opportunity and the peace of mind to devote themselves fully to their work. Barack Obama recognizes the simple reality that we all have a stake in one another, and as a college student heading out into the real world all too soon, that is a reassuring thought.

Following a precedent set when he addressed the leaders of the automobile industry in Detroit and told them to clean up their emissions, Barack Obama went to Wall Street yesterday to address business leaders about the state of the economy. Senator Obama spoke of the need for a “re-appraisal of values” in the middle of this crisis of confidence in our current economy. Considering the collapse of sub-prime mortgages, layoffs and plant closings across the country and huge corporate tax loopholes that cost this country billions of dollars a year, the time for bold action is now.

Senator Obama also announced that he will be introducing a three-part plan to restore confidence in our economy and ensure that its benefits are spread to all Americans.

Today, he outlined a plan to reform the tax code and provide greater opportunity for Americans of all income levels:

“For far too long, our tax code has been so riddled with special-interest loopholes and giveaways that it’s shifted the tax burden to small businesses and middle-class Americans. At a time when most Americans are facing stagnant wages and rising costs, that’s not fair and it doesn’t benefit our economy. My plan will give a break to middle-class Americans, seniors, and the homeowners who are feeling today’s anxiety and uncertainty, because I believe that we all have a stake in restoring their confidence and investing in their prosperity.”

He will unveil a plan to ensure that America retains its competitive edge in the emerging global economy through an expansion of education and attacking our addiction to oil head-on:

“We know this addiction isn’t sustainable for our security. We know it’s not sustainable for the planet. And I’ve talked to countless CEOs and business leaders who know it’s not sustainable for our economy to be held hostage to the spot oil market. I believe that we all have a stake in a renewable future that will create thousands of new jobs and entire new industries that can fuel our prosperity well into the next century.”

Lastly, he will announce his plans to reinforce the safety net so essential for so many Americans while maintaining free trade practices essential for our economy:

“If we want to avoid rising protectionism in this country; if we expect working Americans to accept and even embrace free trade, then I believe we all have a stake in embracing policies that will provide them with a sense of security. That means health insurance and a pension that they can always count on. That means skills and training that can actually help people find a job. And that means wages that actually make work pay.”

You can read Barack’s speech on Wall Street and read some reaction to it here.

The Plan to End the War

Josh at BC — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:28:40 EDT

Yesterday, at Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa, Barack Obama outlined his plan to turn the page in Iraq and bring an end to this war. Obama's remarks are a comprehensive guide to the United States' past failures and the steps necessary to rebuild what we have broken and bring our troops home.

Obama recognized what few others are willing to admit: the outdated politics of Washington led us to this war.

"Conventional thinking in Washington lined up for war. The pundits judged the political winds to be blowing in the direction of the President. Despite – or perhaps because of how much experience they had in Washington, too many politicians feared looking weak and failed to ask hard questions."

He expressed the frustration many Americans are feeling towards the debacle in Iraq.

"We've had enough of extended deadlines for benchmarks that go unmet. We've had enough of mounting costs in Iraq and missed opportunities around the world. We've had enough of a war that should never have been authorized and should never have been waged."

Most importantly, he moved past rhetoric and offered a concrete plan to get our troops out of the region and stabilize Iraq's fragile political situation.

Senator Obama would immediately begin to pull out troops engaged in combat operations at a pace of one or two brigades every month, to be completed by the end of next year. He would call for a new constitutional convention in Iraq, convened with the United Nations, which would not adjourn until Iraq's leaders reach a new accord on reconciliation. He would use presidential leadership to surge our diplomacy with all of the nations of the region on behalf of a new regional security compact. He would take immediate steps to confront the humanitarian disaster in Iraq, and to hold accountable any perpetrators of war crimes.

These comprehensive steps represent a real change in thinking from what we're used to in Washington. Senator Obama is committed to ending this conflict, and yesterday he took a significant step in the direction of rebuilding America's reputation abroad and showed again his capacity to lead our country.

You can read Senator Obama's full remarks here.

A New Vision for Iraq

Josh at BC — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:35:13 EDT

On the Senate floor today, General Petraeus had to stand up to the questioning of Senator Obama. Barack made several good points while addressing the leading military general in Iraq.
    Barack pointed out that it is a shame that these hearings took place on September 11. Any further attempts to link the war in Iraq with that terrible day in American history are shamefully misleading to the American people. We cannot focus on what to do in the future in Iraq if we keep misrepresenting the past, directly or indirectly, to the American people.
    He also took on misrepresentation in the present, notably George W. Bush's recent statement in Australia that we are, as Senator Obama so delicately put it, "kicking a-s-s" over in Iraq. Such grandstanding, the kind of rhetoric that gave us "Mission Accomplished" and "Bring 'em on," is fundamentally damaging to our effort and sends the wrong message to the Iraqi and American people. We need a calm, cool-headed, common-sense approach to Iraq.
    Too many young Americans have already lost their lives in this war. In today's New York Times, the newspaper printed the names of the recently deceased soldiers in Iraq. Of the ten listed, seven were between the ages of 18 and 24. Our classmates, our brothers and sisters, are losing their lives. We need a new vision for foreign policy. And Barack Obama is the person who can bring that vision to reality.
    Senator Obama will be making a major policy speech on Wednesday in Iowa that will outline his vision for the future in Iraq. Having opposed the war from the beginning, Senator Obama has already shown his good judgment and clear vision in foreign policy. On Wednesday, we will see the specifics of his vision for the future.

You can watch Senator Obama's questioning of Gen. Petraeus here.

Finding Support in Unexpected Places - Camp Obama NY

Josh at BC — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:31:45 EDT

I came across an interesting YouTube video this week about Camp Obama in New York. Titled “Camp Obama – Camping out in Hillary Country,” the makers of the video featured lots of interviews with the “campers” about why they decided to devote three days to this. So many of these people had never participated in a campaign before, and are turning out specifically because Barack’s message inspired them to do something.

Camp Obama is a perfect example of the importance of grassroots to this campaign. These people, many of them new to the political process, emerge from Camp Obama motivated and empowered to make a difference in their community. The workshops at the Camp leave people with a strong sense of overall campaign strategy, lots of knowledge about voter outreach and field work, and the unshakable feeling that they can make a significant difference.

The title of the video brings up an interesting point. This campaign wants every person in this country to hear Barack’s message, and to have their concerns and views heard by us. There isn’t one county in this nation that we don’t think we can win. Barack spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention about a nation that is not divided into “red states” and “blue states,” but rather the “United States of America.” We will not write off one area of the nation as anyone’s “country” – this is everyone’s country, and while we won’t win every vote, we won’t ignore anyone. The training at Camp Obama enables ordinary people to communicate in their communities effectively, and is instrumental in spreading the word about Barack to every corner of America.

Making College More Affordable

Josh at BC — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:17:06 EDT

Today, Barack Obama once again proved his commitment to the future of the America. The Senator's hard work on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee helped pass the College Cost Reduction and Access Act through the Senate.

"The first bill I introduced as a Senator was to make college more affordable for every American, and the bill we passed today is an important step toward achieving that goal," Senator Obama said today. He added, "By investing in education we are restoring America's competitiveness in the world."

The specifics of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act are worth going over, since expensive loan payments and skyrocketing tuition costs undoubtedly affect all of us college students, each in a unique way. The measure increases the maximum size of Pell Grants by $500 next year, eventually pushing it up to $5,400 by 2012. This will make college more affordable and accessible to thousands of young Americans.

For those of us already in college, the bill slashes the interest rate on subsidized student loans in half, from 6.8 to 3.4 percent. The bill also caps monthly student loan payments at 15% of discretionary income, so that after graduation, student loan payments will be more manageable. Both these measures should release graduates from a significant burden as they establish themselves in the real world.

The measure also includes incentives for students to pursue the jobs our country needs: teachers and public servants. In exchange for ten years in a public service profession (including military service), the measure provides loan forgiveness. It also establishes TEACH grants, a new plan which would provide $4,000-per-year grants for undergraduate students who commit to teaching in high-need school districts. By encouraging college graduates to go into teaching and public service, the measure makes a comprehensive commitment to reforming all levels of education in America.

America still has the greatest universities in the world, and a huge pool of young people who desperately want to learn and contribute to their society. This has always been one of our greatest assets as a nation: we are a people committed to improving ourselves and our world, and we have the means to do it. In recent years, however, some Americans have been denied the opportunity to afford a college education by greedy loan companies, skyrocketing tuition costs, and poor compensation for inner-city educators. As a result, we find ourselves in danger of continuing to fall behind in the global community. Today's passage of this measure goes a long way toward restoring our place as a moral and intellectual leader in today's world.

Committed to the Youth Vote

Josh at BC — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:10:00 EDT

The youth movement taking place across the country to support Barack Obama is being noticed by many different kinds of media. Generation Next, a news site geared towards students and student issues, recently profiled the upcoming presidential race, and how students are reacting to the candidates.

While the stereotypes say that youth refuse to get involved in politics because it does not pertain to them, recent trends and data do not back that up:

The war in Iraq deeply troubles our generation, because it shows a lack of foresight and good judgment that we expect from our leaders. We worry their incompetence will lead to serious repercussions for our future.

We see our social programs bankrupted and income gaps threatening to collapse our economy. We see a healthcare system that is broken, and for those of us lucky enough to be covered through our parents, worry what will happen when that expires. Will we have a job that will provide coverage? Or will all our future prospects be taken away by a sudden illness, coupled with no insurance?

Apathy is no longer a suitable option for many young people. We've searched for a leader who can help us secure a safer, more prosperous future better. Students are looking to Barack Obama to make that difference. In the Generation Next article, the Obama campaign is singled out among all campaigns for the different kind of commitment it is making to the youth vote. The Obama campaign is changing youth politics by “offering opportunities for youth engagement, not just for dissent from the status quo,” which “is the key to reaching young voters.”

Students for Barack Obama has grown to the point where it is truly difficult to write an article about student involvement in politics without mentioning us.

We are a powerful student movement because the Obama for America campaign trusts us and relies on us. We are not just a tangential part of their strategy: we have our own strategy. It is no surprise that Senator Obama’s message of fundamental change in Washington’s culture, resonates with young voters. What is most new and different about this campaign is that the youth are expected to be full-fledged participants in the process, and provide a substantial part of the support that we believe will push Senator Obama to the nomination and the presidency.

The campaign is not talking at us; it is talking to us, and with us, to try and make the campaign better.

Visit Generation Next for the entire article (link)

"A Moral Outrage" - Obama on Poverty

Josh at BC — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:54:56 EDT

In 2005, I entered Boston College with two messages at the forefront of my mind: Barack Obama's inspirational life story from his address at our Convocation, and the words of the Jesuit St. Ignatius to his friend Francis Xavier: "Go set the world aflame." Ignatius was encouraging his friend to make real positive change in the lives of people all over the world, an ideal that is stressed at BC orientations. Barack's story showed that greatness could come from any background, and I knew that the words of St. Ignatius, as guiding principles of the university, would shape my next four years and what came afterwards.

As I became more politically aware, progressing through my political science major and becoming involved in Senator Obama's presidential campaign, it became clear to me that these ideals I'd held since the beginning of freshman year were different from the reality of America today. We pride ourselves on equality of opportunity and the American dream, but these are being betrayed by a callous and uncaring policy towards the growing rates of poverty and the uninsured in this country.

There needs to be a fundamental change, and Barack Obama is committed to making that change.

"In the richest nation on Earth, it is a moral outrage that one in ten American families live in poverty and 47 million Americans do not have healthcare. We can keep making excuses for this or ignore it altogether, but as long as these statistics exist they will always be a betrayal of the ideals we hold as Americans."

"Our government cannot guarantee success and happiness in life, but what we can do as a nation is to ensure that every American who wants to work is able to find a job, able to afford health care, and able to stay out of poverty."

(You can read Senator Obama's full plan to fight poverty in America here.)

It is time to hold a serious discussion in America about the meaning of moral values. Too often those two words have been co-opted as partisan ammunition. The reality is, the fact that 8.7 million children remain uninsured and one in ten families live in poverty is a fundamentally moral crisis in this country. We cannot pretend to lead with our values around the world if we betray them here to a tenth of the population.

As college students, these questions affect us directly -- they will define the world we inherit. Do we recognize the moral crisis of poverty and devote ourselves to shaping a better society, or take the easy way out, rest on our privilege, and focus on the fleeting and the material?

Will we come together from many backgrounds to set the world aflame?

Putting Feet to the Pavement in the Granite State

Josh at BC — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:39:19 EDT

New Hampshire, proud home of the nation's first primary, is an essential stopping ground for anyone who hopes to be president someday. Senator Obama, fitting squarely into this category, has been all over the state over the past several months: sharing ice cream with locals, enjoying the peace and quiet of the upstate region with his family, campaigning by spreading his message of hope, action and change to whomever will listen -- and getting the same response we're seeing all over the country.

Unfortunately for the residents of New Hampshire, Senator Obama can't be there all the time.

That's where SFBO comes in.

There are more than twelve chapters of SFBO already set up at high schools across the state of New Hampshire, and they’ve already become deeply involved in the Granite State’s massive volunteer effort.

Students can often be seen working the phones at all of the state’s seven field offices, canvassing and finding new supporters, and simply exhibiting strength in numbers by standing and cheering outside the debates. Scores of student interns have also devoted their entire summer to the campaign, canvassing daily and becoming intimately involved in the state’s operation.

Many student volunteers are not only eager to help, they are also learning quickly that things don’t always go as you intend. Eric Gallagher, Chapter Director at Concord HS, describes his canvassing experience the other week:

“I knocked on 17 doors and talked to 5 people. None of them signed the petition to get out of Iraq that we were promoting. There was a gated community on our turf, which meant we couldn't go to about a third of the houses on our turf. Eventually it started raining too hard to continue, so we headed back. Although the canvassing didn't go too well, it still was a good experience because it was the first time I got to hear Barack speak. I also found out that the campaign now has an office in Concord in Eagle Square, so I'll be checking that out. I hope Barack comes to my high school soon.”

New Hampshire has offered some more inventive activities for supporters as well, such as the Hoops for Change three-on-three basketball tournament a few weeks ago. Some students from Hanover High put a team together, and in the words of student Dylan Matthews, “we had a great time, and we were able to raise awareness.” Not too bad for some exercise and competition on a summer weekend.

Bassam Gergi of Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire State High School Coordinator, is excited about the prospects for the impact of high school students on the campaign. Early in the fall, the state’s high school leaders will convene for their first meeting.

High schools can be an essential base of volunteer support in New Hampshire as school starts and January creeps closer. Senator Obama’s message of fundamental change in Washington, a swift and smart end to the debacle in Iraq, and sustainable, portable health care for every American appeals strongly to the youth of this nation – we can see that through the massive support SFBO is receiving. Senator Obama’s message is causing high school students to get involved all across the country, but the New Hampshire students have a special opportunity, since they live in such a crucial state. Though I’m from neighboring Massachusetts, I must say I’m quite jealous of the opportunities these high school students have. I won’t be surprised if more schools join up and high school students provide an essential part of the push that will lead us to a victory in the Granite State.