One afternoon several years ago, a friend invited me to attend a political rally at Manual High School in Denver, where an Illinois state legislator, Barack Obama, was giving a speech.
As a member of the “apathetic generation,” I would have preferred to get my wisdom teeth pulled than to attend a political rally. I had grown up in the post-Nixon era, when every politician seemed to have a ghost-written speech in hand and a scandal in the closet. I’d tuned out stump speeches with my iPod, watched Comedy Central rather than the State of the Union, and typed text messages to my friends instead of letters to my congressman.
But because CSPAN was the only channel offering reality TV that afternoon, my friend persuaded me to listen to the politician with the funny name.
I was shocked to find other teens already cheering wildly in the stands. By the end of Obama’s 30-minute speech, I too was on my feet, enamored with his charisma and creed. He talked about how politics should unite rather than divide citizens, and how mistakes in Iraq should be remedied rather than ignored. It was so refreshing to hear a leader who created his own rhetoric, instead of garbling the words of some professional speechwriter. Obama’s sincerity and smarts were conveyed with every sentence.
Such powerful performances have made him a rock star to a generation that generally associates politicians with parasites. In a speech to several thousand students at George Mason University a few days after he announced his candidacy for president, Obama articulated an unfortunate truism: “No one is more cynical about politics than young people.” He refused to tolerate such apathy: “Somebody has to say ‘We could do better’… and more often than not, it’s young people who’ve done it.” It was a message I needed to hear.
In the spring, I found Obama’s autobiography, “Dreams From My Father,” in the library and devoured it in one sitting. Obama’s impassioned description of his experience as a young community organizer inspired me to work for a grassroots advocacy organization in Denver last summer. His example had proven even more moving than his rhetoric. In contrast to so many politicians who get rich first and only later serve their communities, Obama prioritized community involvement before a lucrative career.
No other candidate in this election can match Obama’s ability to connect with today’s elusive youth. Obama has more than 100,000 friends on (Hillary Clinton has 35,000, while the leading Republican candidates have fewer than 5,000). Numerous support groups, such as “Barack Obama is Too Cool to Be President,” have already emerged on, a social networking site for college students.
Although Obama’s race and inexperience are viewed as potential obstacles to his election in 2008, young voters will embrace such factors. We have grown up in a culture led by black musicians, television hosts, actors, athletes and industry executives. We’ve also seen inexperienced politicians like Arnold Schwarzenegger provide new solutions to major problems that long-term politicians seem too timid to handle.
Obama, who has degrees from Columbia and Harvard and who’s been a professor at the University of Chicago, certainly has the intellectual credentials for the job. And his experience in both local and national government may make him more sensitive to how actions in the White House resonate in the neighborhoods and districts where he once served.
During this election cycle, my generation might just demonstrate that it is not as politically apathetic as our parents assume. Baby boomers felt politically empowered by John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. – leaders who spoke directly to young people and received a rousing response. Obama is only beginning to call my generation to action. He has already struck a chord.
When Obama returns to Denver for the Democratic National Convention, I hope that he’ll be more than a keynote speaker.
Denver native Michael Koenigs (mckoenigs@) is a student at Harvard University. He was a Colorado Voices columnist in 2005.
