On last Friday, nearly 100 students crammed into the small room adjacent to my campus' pizza place to watch Barack Obama debate John McCain. Students were buzzing with excitement. Even the students studiously watching baseball were willing to turn their TV over to see the first debate. Some folks are saying that young voters are beginning to lose our enthusiasm, but if my experiences on Friday, and tonight are any indication, they're in for a big surprise. Follow me across the fold and I'll tell you what I saw.
I go to a small, liberal arts college in Western Washington. We're rated one of the least religious campuses in the nation, and regularly rated amongst the top colleges in per-capita Peace Corps service. Our best programs are internationally focussed. It should come as no surprise that the campus is very liberal. Nonetheless, weekly Young Democrats meetings regularly draw fewer than 20 of our 2000+ students. If any campus could be considered a barometer of student apathy, ours would be near the top of the list.
Nonetheless, Friday, we drew 100+ students to cram into the tiny "club" attached to our campus pizza parlor. Tonight, a Thursday night, at least 70 students piled into the same small club to watch the Vice Presidential Debate.
The strongest emotion in the room came when Joe Biden reaffirmed the Obama campaign's commitment to equal civil rights for same-sex couples. The room broke into applause, and someone shouted "About time!" If there's any one issue that students at my school feel strongly about, it's the importance of equal rights for all Americans. We're one of the most gay-friendly campuses out there. While the Iraq War may be more likely to turn students out to vote, Gay Rights are also a big motivator on campus.
The other big reaction in the room came when Governor Palin declared that the Constitution implied a flexible role for the Vice President. There was an audible intake of breath, and whispering broke out. When she reaffirmed her support of the Cheney 4th Branch doctrine, the room began to boo. One student looked over to another and said, "That scares the sh*t out of me!"
Let there be no doubt that students on this campus are ready to get out and vote. Over the last few weeks, we've registered many new voters, and on election day, they're gonna march on over to a nearby church and cast their ballots for Barack Obama. Regardless of what the pundits say, we're here and we're quite ready to vote. As one girl said to me tonight, "They must think we're stupid or something, if they think we're gonna fall for this again. We don't have a choice any more. We can't afford to graduate under a McCain administration."