Thoughts on Obama-mania and the Youth Vote

I have to admit that I’ve been pretty much glued to the presidential primary race over the past few weeks, watching all of the results come in live and reading the latest snippets of information about the campaigns. There have been a lot of ups and downs for the candidates, and some game-changing withdrawals from the race recently. There have also been a great deal of surprises that have shaken up contests that once seemed fairly static.

Going in, no one would have expected Gov. Mike Huckabee to be one of the last men standing, now duking it out with Sen. John McCain in the delegate race toward the Republican National Convention. No one would have expected two of the early front runners on the Republican side, Gov. Mitt Romney and Mayor Rudy Giuliani, to bow out before the final rounds. And perhaps most surprising, and stunning to those who thought the Democratic race was over last summer, was the rise of Sen. Barack Obama as a serious contender for the Democratic nomination.

When it all comes down to it, there’s one thing that can capture Obama’s campaign: excitement. Now don’t get me wrong, there is certainly excitement in other camps. On the Republican side there is excitement (both positive and negative) about the race unfolding between Huckabee and McCain. To give Sen. Hillary Clinton credit, she’s generated a lot of excitement from voters looking for the first female president and for a return to what were perceived as better days under President Clinton. There’s no denying, however, that there hasn’t been this much excitement in a presidential primary election for quite some time.

For me, the excitement took a while to build. Initially, I took a look at all the candidates and wasn’t quite sure where I’d go. There were experienced individuals on both sides with plenty of good ideas to go around. I consider myself an independent, although I admittedly lean towards the Democrats due to their positions on many issues important to me. So, at the beginning of the fall I more or less had my personal field of candidates narrowed down to a handful, but still couldn’t find a clear candidate of choice.

After watching many debates over the course of the summer, I began leaning towards Sen. Joe Biden. I also liked Clinton, Obama, and Edwards, but felt that Biden had the most experience of the lot. Unfortunately, after a big loss in Iowa, Biden was out and I was once again candidate-less. While the candidates aimed to court New Hampshire voters, I went out to see both Edwards and Obama, and found both to be well spoken. I agreed with both of them on many issues. I appreciated Edwards’ fighting spirit, but in the end I found myself leaning toward Obama. It took me a few days to really understand why I gravitated toward the senator from Illinois, but I think my reasoning is shared by many other voters in my age group who have likewise become part of what’s been described as a “movement.”

The biggest reason for me personally is that I’m tired of seeing this country divided. In 2004, Republicans used wedge issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion to divide the electorate and distract them from more vital issues such as the war in Iraq, education, healthcare, and the economy. In 2006, Democrats used the war in Iraq to toss out scores of Republicans, some of whom were pretty mainstream voices in Congress and should have kept their seats (although on the whole I think the Republican leadership needed a reality check). Heading into 2008, I didn’t want to see yet another election of wedge issues and partisan bickering. Enter Barack Obama.

Instead of taking the usual bait and bashing the opposing side, Obama instead spoke about uniting a divided country and actually bringing independents and Republicans into a working majority to move the country forward. I don’t think it’ll be widely disputed that over the past seven or so years, Congress hasn’t really been able to get much done due to partisan politicking. The prospect of our elected officials working together appealed to me, and gave me hope that we may actually be able to heal some divisions and get something done together.

When Obama speaks, it’s not so much the flowery language that some criticize him on, but more of a call to action. At least, to me it is. The difference is that while most politicans speak in cynicism and an assessment that politics as usual is going to continue, Obama speaks in the language of hope that many politicians simply don’t understand anymore. Fortunately, the younger generation understands him loud and clear.

On the ground level, at least from what I’ve experienced, the younger generation isn’t so caught up in Republicans vs. Democrats, “conservatives” vs. “liberals,” and “right” vs. “left.” In college, I had several friends who were Republicans, some who were independents, and some who were Democrats. That didn’t stop any of us from speaking to one another, working with each other, and having some fun together. There’s so much more that unites us than divides us, and that’s the spirit of my generation, at least as far as I can tell. And unlike any other candidate out there today, Obama has been able to tap into that spirit and spawn a movement that is now building momentum.

For a quick snapshot, here’s a sampling of how the youth vote (ages: 18-24) has broken down on the Democratic side, according to exit polls from CNN:

New Hampshire: Obama 60%, Clinton 22%

New York: Obama 56%, Clinton 43%

Missouri: Obama 69%, Clinton 24%

South Carolina: Obama 65%, Clinton 25%

I don’t think youth voters are making up their minds simply because what Obama says sounds good. They take a look at his record and his stands on the issues (which are pretty detailed on his website). They also look at his past experience. It’s inspiring to see someone graduate from a top law school and then, instead of taking a high paying job at a firm, devote several years of his life to community organizing in poor urban neighborhoods. It’s reassuring to see that Obama was a professor of constitutional law and that he has spent eleven years in elected office. Although certainly not the most experienced from the original field of candidates, I think the arguments against Obama as inexperienced are a bit overblown.

In the end, though, will enthusiasm and energy in the younger electorate matter? If youth voters keep turning out in the record-breaking numbers they have been, then it may matter quite a bit. Whether you agree with Obama’s policies or not, one thing that can’t be denied is that he’s part of the reason why new voters are coming out like never before. With two historic candidates on the Democratic side, and a tough race on the Republican side, I wouldn’t venture to say it’s Obama’s presence in the race alone, but this election will certainly set a bar for youth involvement in the election process going forward. I just hope that this is only the beginning.