Democrats drum up flagging youth vote FEATURE 10/12/2010

Democrats drum up flagging youth vote

FEATURE

10/12/2010
HARLOTTESVILLE — As Democrats risk losing their grip on Congress to rival Republicans in next month’s elections, party members are struggling to rekindle enthusiasm among a key bloc — the young.

The youth vote helped propel Barack Obama into the White House in 2008, but with the economy floundering, the Afghan war in its 10th year, and anger at unfulfilled government promises, enthusiasm for the Democrats has dampened.

“Hey! Are you registered to vote?” members of the Young Democrats at the University of Virginia cried out to students heading into the cafeteria.

Adam Gillenwater, who heads the campus Young Democrats, sat at a table with a small team of volunteers and forms to register students on the spot. Behind his dark glasses stamped “UDems,” he pushed his message.

“Hey! Are you registered to vote?” Gillenwater repeated.

One student stopped briefly at the table. “I have class in, like, 12 minutes. Give me a few forms I’ll hand them over to some friends,” she said, before rushing off..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20101012com7.html