U.S. Sen. and presidential hopeful Barack Obama is committed to making sure college students are part of the 2008 election, said Bill Burton, Obama's Campaign National Press Secretary, in a teleconference Thursday.
Burton said he thinks the youth vote can really make a difference in Obama's presidential bid and that ""a real desire for change is a galvanizing force."" Such a force, Burton said, circulates among America's young adults.
Beyond the usual tactics of jumpstarting support groups on hundreds of college campuses nationwide, Obama's team has taken full advantage of the Facebook phenomenon, implementing a Facebook group for the presidential hopeful.
""The website has been an important tool for organizing all the students looking to get involved,"" Burton said.
Back in 1972, George McGovern ran a campaign that banked on the support of a youth with a new voting voice and a gripe with an overseas war. McGovern lost handedly to Richard Nixon.
""Most campaigns in the past that have counted on a really strong student vote to let them win have been disappointed,"" said Charles Franklin, UW-Madison political science professor.
Franklin admitted that a candidate as fresh and inspiring to young people as Obama might have the ability to break such political trends. Also, the last few elections have seen increases in youth voter turnout. However, banking on college-aged voters to pull the weight of an election might be a mistake, Franklin said.
""The idea that it's going to be huge and swamp other groups ... is wishful thinking,"" Franklin said.
Aside from focusing on his large camp of youth supporters, many in the media talk about Obama's race and its effect on his campaign strategy.
A difference between Obama's campaign and presidential campaigns from blacks in the past, like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, is that his support base seems to transcend all racial lines, said Franklin.
""He's someone that's speaking to national issues in ways that have this real cross over appeal,"" Franklin said.
Addressing the issue of how much race will play a factor in Obama's campaign, Burton echoed Franklin's sentiments that Obama is focusing his plans on all voters—not just one focus group.
""Senator Obama wants to—and knows that he ought to—fight for and earn every vote that he gets, no matter what the race of the individual,"" Burton said.
