Note: As Caitlyn Greene arrived on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus as a new student last summer, the presidential primary campaigns were just beginning. Here’s her personal look at how young voters have reacted.

Among the many new experiences, opportunities, people, and ideas that I encountered upon arriving at UNC one thing stands out: the vibrant energy of the campus.

Barack Obama has captured this young energy and has used it to propel past Hillary Clinton. The Pew Research Center recently confirmed his grasp of youth support: “Among the combined sample of all young voters on Super Tuesday, Obama received 57 percent to Hillary Clinton’s 41 percent.� How did he engage this energy and channel it toward his campaign, steering college students’ casual conversations away from gossip and toward politics?

First consider that no one under age 26 has seen a presidency that didn’t involve a Bush or a Clinton. We have, however, witnessed people jumping from windows on 9/11, parents losing jobs during economic decline, and Brooklyn’s first tornado, a sign of relatively drastic climate change. Today’s young people are ready for change.  Obama promised to deliver “change we can believe in.�

Even his very nature screams change. Yes, he is young and black. And, yes, his stepfather was Muslim. But to today’s young voters, these facts encourage a generation that is more than ready to shatter the status quo.

If brewing frustration with existing politics combined with Obama’s unconventional nature initiated the “youth wave,� Obama has done everything within his power to perpetuate it.

Not only does he express concern about topics relevant to young voters, he does so strategically. His speeches directed at youth are laced with pop culture, young humor, and inspirational style. Although these techniques may not be entirely “presidential,� they may be the root of attraction for many young supporters.

During Obama’s uplifting speeches, he uses comedy familiar to young adults, enabling them to relate to him. He has joked during speeches using voices like those of Dave Chappelle, a comedy icon among today’s youth.

He has also utilized MTV, MySpace, Facebook, text messaging, and Obama-themed ringtones to reach out to young voters.

Inspired by Obama, youth have taken their own action. YouTube videos like Obama Girl helped get his name out there beginning last summer. See Obama Girl videos here and here. Now, students are creating songs on MySpace inspired by Obama’s words, such as “Fired up, ready to go.” Others have created websites such as www.obamayouth.com that include “Baracktivitiesâ€?—like sidewalk art—for supporters too young to vote.

There is no doubt Obama has had impressive success among youth, a demographic most candidates struggle to awaken from political apathy. However, the real test of Obama’s young support will come after the primaries.

Should Obama be the Democratic candidate, will he be able to continue feeding the “youth wave� while no longer being able to tailor his speeches specifically to Generation Y? Obama’s “youth wave� has had a profound impact on the election so far, but only time will tell how deep those waters run. Posted by Caitlyn Greene, GC Fr.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 28th, 2008 at 12:30 pm and is filed under Campaigns, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.