Students Flood New Hampshire

MANCHESTER, NH-- The Obama headquarters in Manchester is abuzz with college and high school students from across New England, some of whom have been here since the weekend and are running on about 3 hours of sleep a night.

Hundreds of students have come each day from Boston University, Harvard, Wellesley and Dartmouth over the past few days, as well as high schoolers from local public and prep schools. New Hampshire is the lone swing state within reach of New England's large college population, who feel that their efforts are a moot point in liberal bastions like Massachusetts.

Older volunteers at the Obama headquarters said they'd never seen so many young people involved in an election. And indeed, the headquarters felt like a pep-rally, littered with hand-colored posters and kids as young as twelve handing out sodas and snacks. Organizers said they're taking advantage of youthful legs to pound the pavement knocking doors, while others remain inside manning the phones.

"I can't imagine that John McCain has this kind of youthful energy behind him," said Audrey White, a Harvard junior. "We were out at 2 am last night putting up signs, then up at dawn to knock on doors. The excitement is crazy."

Right now everyone's packing up and heading back to campus for what they hope will be a celebration.

Comments (1)

1. To the People of the United States of America: FELLOW CITIZENS, the importance of this Presidential election undeniably surpasses all others in recent memory. We are at war, uncertainty is threatening our way of life, and the politicos are continuously failing us. So let us ask ourselves, who can we literally afford to trust in office? Americans are being swayed, divided, and weakened by two political parties through the use of Styrofoam backgrounds, vague slogans, and properly placed emotional gestures. But history has taught us that political rhetoric flourishes in many forms during troubled times, so do not be easily fooled by the patriotic images and shows that any politician is participating in. Still, some are saying that we should entrust the 72 year old warrior-statesman because he will righteously put "Country First". Indeed McCain, who was born on an American Naval Air Station, has had many honorable life experiences similar to those of characters we remember today via marble works of art and Plutarchic biographies. But on the other side of the deliberation stands the swarms of people who sincerely believe that the eloquent Ivy-leaguer can bring a much needed change to the political culture in Washington. The novus homo, Barack Obama, continues to inspire the masses with a sense of hope not present since the time of JFK. The Republicans and Democrats have put forth their best men: let US choose between them. But why should one of these highly regarded men (who is going to win the vote of tens of millions of tax-paying Americans) just simply be eliminated and declared loser along with those who voted for him? Does America not need all the competent leadership she has nurtured to attend her needs as Americans and not partisans? Why can't both these even-tempe

   Posted by studentoflife at 11/04/2008 @ 8:44pm