College Democrats at the University of Delaware

The College Democrats endorse Markell and Denn

2008-05-14T20:24:00.006-05:00

At our last meeting of the semester, the College Democrats voted on endorsements for Governor and Lt. Governor of Delaware. In order to receive an endorsement, a candidate has to receive a 2/3 majority of the votes. We are pleased to announce our endorsements of Jack Markell and Matt Denn.

Jack Markell, who is the current State Treasurer and a candidate for Governor, overwhelmingly received our endorsement. Students at UD and especially in the College Democrats can attest to Jack's strong support among young people. I came to UD as a student in 2004 and have been extremely impressed with Markell's involvement in the Newark and University of Delaware community along with his outstanding record as State Treasurer. His executive experience combined with his progressive ideals will lead Delaware on a road to prominence and success in the years to come.

With a large majority the College Democrats also endorsed Matt Denn, the current Insurance Commissioner and a candidate for Lieutenant Governor. As the Insurance Commissioner, Matt has had an impressive record representing consumer interests. Perhaps one of the biggest issues for the College Democrats is health care coverage. Last month Matt was a guest at a forum on health insurance at UD which was organized by the College Democrats, where he proved that he is a strong advocate of quality, affordable healthcare for all Delawareans. In 2006 he wrote a law that allows young people to remain on their family's health insurance until age 24. This was something that really resonated with us, and we are thrilled to be working with such a great leader.

"We are very excited to unite our chapter with two great Democratic candidates who will take the state in a progressive direction", said Tricia Connor, the Membership Coordinator and Vice President-elect of the College Democrats.

The College Democrats will be working hard to campaign for Markell and Denn throughout the summer and fall. We will be doing everything we can in order to reach out to students and get them mobilized around these two excellent Democrats. Though our age group is often largely overlooked by elected officials and candidates, Markell and Denn are actually making youth issues a priority. We look forward to helping elect these two excellent leaders!

Good News!

2008-04-29T07:42:00.003-05:00

After 30 years on the UD campus, the College Democrats have finally gained full funding from the University. This is huge! Until last week, the allotment of funds to partisan groups was half that of other groups in an attempt to keep the University from favoritism. However, in a joint effort with the College Republicans and College Libertarians over the past semester, we have finally proven our case. This is a huge step forward for UD, as it now recognizes the great potential for a more civic-minded student body. What does this mean for the future of the Dems? Better programming, more trips and programs, bigger name speakers, and free food! :) So look for some free pizza at this week's meeting among all our smiles of success!

Don't forget to buy a College Dems T-Shirt. There's no better time to sport your pride in the party! Come next fall and the Presidential election, everyone will have one!

Other news:
- On Tuesday April 29th at 8:30 in the Scrounge, a left-wing comedian named Lee Camp will be performing. Apparently he's appeared on Law and Order: SVU, so that makes me really want to go...
- We are planning a trip down to DC on May 10. We hope to possibly tour the Capitol and maybe go to the Spy Museum. If you are interested, come to our meetings to learn more or e-mail Liz at elcoyne@udel.edu and put something about College Dems in the subject!
- The Annual College Democrats/College Republicans debate is happening May 6th. Look forward to more details!

By the way, I crack up every time I see this video below. Maybe you will too:

Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early

It's certainly been awhile...

2008-04-23T12:25:00.003-05:00

Obviously, this blog has been somewhat abandoned since spring break. Please accept our most sincere apologies, as we suspect the multitudes of readers out there have really been lost without it... Also, look forward to this Pennsylvania voter's reaction to last night's election in the days to come!

Tonight we are hosting a big event - a panel discussion called Confronting America's Health Care Crisis. The panel will include:

-Matt Denn, DE Insurance Commissioner
-Marianne Palley, UD Political Science Professor
-Kathy Jarvis, Physical Therapist

This is a great forum to learn how current health care policies will affect you, especially for you graduating seniors! The forum lasts from 6:30 until 8:00 pm in Purnell 115, and I'm told there will be home-made cookies! We are asking that everyone please bring a donation to benefit Kerri Jarvis, who is currently fighting against the chronic pain disease, RSD. To learn more about this disease, check out www.rsdhope.org.

Also - if you haven't bought your new College Dems t-shirt yet, bring $10 tonight and you can pick it up. While canvassing in PA last week, we had several people take pictures of them and ask how they could get one. So get one while they're hot!

3:00 AM Ringing Phone Wars

2008-04-02T23:45:00.004-05:00

By Paul Ruiz,

I am getting so sick of 3 AM Ringing phone ads. It was creative to begin with, emphasized Hillary's "experience" at first, but now it's just so old.

There are two new ringing phone ads--one released from the Clinton campaign, and the response by the McCain campaign.

Just to portray humorously, lets put this sequentially:

Hillary Clinton's initial "Children" ad:

Barack Obama's response:

Hillary's Second Phone ad:

John McCain's response:

How many creepy old man voice overs are there?

Study Break with "Bobby"

2008-03-25T17:45:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow night we'll have a Coffee and Bagels study break at our usual meeting time (6:30 pm) in 320 Gore Hall. In addition we will be watching the movie Bobby about the excitement and people around the presidential run of Sen. Robert Kennedy 1968. It's one of my favorite movies, so you should DEFINATELY come! Here's the trailer:

See you tomorrow night!

The Media Sucks

2008-03-22T01:56:00.004-05:00

By Paul Ruiz

“New Race Problem”

That was the bold headline on a brightly lit television screen behind Anderson Cooper tonight on CNN. It was about Barack Obama’s recent comments to a reporter discussing his white grandmother’s reaction to African Americans in her time:

“The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn’t. But she’s a typical white person who — if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn’t know — there’s a reaction that’s been bred into our experiences that don’t go away, and that sometimes come out in the wrong way, and that’s just the nature of race in our society. We have to break through it. And what makes me optimistic is you see each generation feeling a little less like that.”

Here is my problem: does anyone really believe that Barack Obama is a racist? Because if you believe that, you’re simply ridiculous. It astounds me that people are incapable of looking at things in a broader context; how can we ignore that there still are racial biases in our society? And what harm does it do for a presidential candidate to not only be cognizant of those biases but raise the dialogue? Obama’s comments addressed his own grandmother’s attitudes, and though they were untactful, they were just. The fact that so many bloggers and talk show hosts can’t grapple with this reality suggests to me that they are either childish or possess ulterior motives to derail the Obama campaign.

But worse to me is the media coverage on the 24 hour news networks. CNN, MSNBC and Fox (<-to the LARGEST extent) have used the Rev. Wright story, and subsequent remarks by Senator Obama as fodder for either promoting a conservative agenda (in the case of Fox) or continuing controversy for the sake of politics (CNN, MSNBC).

This kind of baiting is wrong in an election where we should be discussing the issues. Networks want to discuss the horse race and we want to discuss the problems we face as a nation.

Had Sen. Obama explicitly said, ‘I am a racist’ then certainly the discussion should be about his personal moral character. But to run continuous loops of Rev. Wright’s sermons, gaffes, and “analysis” from otherwise biased persons does not serve journalistic integrity. The media is a self-fulfilling prophecy in this regard; they ask, ‘how will the media cover this story and what impact will it have on the campaign?’… well you tell me.

Honesty is dead; it’s all about reporting stories first, and obtaining the highest viewership. If you’re enlightened enough to realize this congratulations, you’re among the few who aren’t complacent to the dictates of the 24 hour news media nor their corporate masters.

Know that I’m not anti-media, I’m anti-constant punditry and horse-race coverage.

One final interesting note about the media and it's coverage of Obama, check out this video of Chris Wallace, host of Fox News Sunday, talking about FOX’s “Obama bashing” this morning:

I think I respect Chris Wallace... wow, this feels weird.

Our Political Pop Culture

2008-03-16T00:30:00.003-05:00

I'm trying to decide if it's a good thing. I really don't know.

If anything, it moves people to become more informed about candidates. And often, simple videos on YouTube are created out of reverence and passion for a particular person. I think it's great that we live in a society where we can express ourselves creatively and share our passionate feelings about another candidate to the world.

Here are some examples of what I'm talking about... mostly Obama btw... (I haven't really seen much from Clinton supporters.) That's perhaps because part of Obama's coalition is the youth vote, and they're the ones who know know about accessing, creating and/or posting viral videos.

I'll put up links so you can view ones maybe you missed:

Yes We Can by will.i.am, Feb. 2008 (4:30)
We are the Ones by will.i.am, March 2008 (3:00)- New
I Got a Crush on Obama by Obama Girl, July 2007 (3:18)
Obama Girl vs. Giuliani Girl by Obama Girl, August 2007 (3:07)
Vote Different by unknown, March 2007 (1:14)
Hott4Hill by Taryn Southern, July 2007 (2:44)

A lot of our pop culture has even slipped into the way candidates approach their campaigning styles. Check out this Hillary Clinton video that was a parody of the Sopranos series finale. Or how about Barack Obama on Monday Night Football in January 2007 (before his announcement)... it was a teaser.

2008 is going to be an election like none other. We've got the internet, mass communication and scores of young people interested and engaged in this election. I'm just a little nervous about this election becoming too much about our pop culture, and too little about the issues.

But what is Democracy except for entertainment.

Updates

2008-03-11T07:39:00.003-05:00

Here are the events we're looking at for this week:

Tonight, Tuesday March 11, SIPI is hosting a presentation of Kellie Dupree, a representative of EMILY's List, at 7 pm in the Perkins Gallery. EMILY's List is the largest grassroots organization in the country and is committed to electing democratic, pro-choice women to public office. Kellie will be talking about the organization while also addressing how you can achieve your political goals. If you are a graduating senior (male or female), she will also be talking about Campaign Corps, an intense program that places recent grads on targeted, progressive Democratic campaigns for the last 3-months of a campaign.

Wednesday, we will forgo our normal meeting time and place to attend this week's Global Agenda speaker. Andrew Revkin, Environmental and Climate Coorespondent for the New York Times, will be discussing "The Media and Climate Change". This event starts at 7:30 in Mitchell Hall, and the College Dems will meet in the entrance no later that 7:20 so that we may all sit together.

As always, anyone is welcome to come, especially new members!

My personal opinion...

2008-03-09T14:13:00.003-05:00

At the risk of sounding like I'm whining, I think it's time for Saturday Night Live to shut up.

No one laughed harder than me at the first skit, where Jorge Ramos et al brushed past Senator's Clinton's opinions in favor of cyclic, impressive sounding rhetoric from Senator Obama. It was honest, unexpected, and very funny. Last week still got me to smile with Tim Russert's quiz on hard-to-pronounce world leaders. It was less funny, and definately pushing the truth, but I thought Clinton's delivery of the show's famous "it's Saturday Night!" quip was a nice touch. Fast forward to last night, when a 3am phone call in Washington D.C. portrayed a harried, newly elected President Obama seeking help from Senator Clinton on international unrest. Fred Armisen plays Senator Obama as a fledgeling child who doesn't have the experience to turn on the heat in his own home, let alone deal with the responsiblities of his position. Could they really not have found ANY other way to mock the "3am Phone Call" ad?

Call me biased, but I found this most recent sketch as pretty far-fetched, and not at all funny. Maybe I'm being a sensitive Obama supporter, personally identifying with his campaign far more than I should. Or maybe I'm just unaware of SNL's past investment in presidential primaries. Either way, I think we get it, SNL. Move on.

Feel free to comment with your thoughts and outraged opposition...

Obama & Clinton beat McCain

2008-03-06T17:26:00.003-05:00

In the first national poll of presidential preferences, SurveyUSA asked 30,000 respondents in all 50 states, if the election were held today, who would you vote for.

The Results:
Both Democrats Beat John McCain

Hillary Clinton 276
John McCain 262

States Democrats Pick Up:
West Virginia, Arkansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida

States Democrats Lose:
Washington, Oregon, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire

View Clinton/McCain Electoral Map

Barack Obama 280
John McCain 258

States Democrats Pick Up:
Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia

States Democrats Lose:
Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey

View Obama/McCain Electoral Map

I'm always skeptical of national polls, but it's interesting that this is the first conducted in all 50 states for the general election.

Liberal?

2008-03-06T02:49:00.001-05:00

A couple cool videos I found.

Liberal? (30 sec.)

Conservative? (30 sec.)

Updates and A Question

2008-03-02T12:53:00.004-05:00

DON'T FORGET! Students in the Public Interest is holding the first "Politically Incorrect" of the semester this Tuesday March 4th at 8:00 pm in Trabant Multipurpose Room B. This is a good opportunity to discuss current events and listen to students with a whole range of political views. I know I'll be bringing my laptop in case any of you are the political junkie types than plan on sitting in front of CNN until the primary results come in. So get out of the dorms and spend some of that partisan energy!

Also, anybody care to guess how things will end Tuesday night? Comment with your predictions!

Don't Forget about Mike Gravel

2008-02-25T21:04:00.003-05:00

At Students in the Public Interest this week we briefly joked about how much better the Democratic Debates would be if Mike Gravel could participate. Remember his raucous behavior at earlier debates? I had all but forgotten about him...

Here's a fun video of him being very presidential:

Pull it Together

2008-02-22T13:12:00.002-05:00

We are divided. We are Clintonians versus Obamanites. Partisan policy versus Washington reform. The personal advocate versus the community organizer. And I don’t like it.

Despite how exciting this primary season has been, and regardless of which candidate any of us supports, it’s time to start looking at the bigger picture. The longer this showdown continues between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the more divided the Democratic Party becomes.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the Democratic Process. Let the candidates go on to compete in every state. Let those citizens and political junkies unfortunate enough to fall under the geography of a late primary finally have their day. Let that little state with twenty delegates speak as loudly as the one with four hundred.

I’m all for the political fever that seems to have spread to the most unlikely places. A toll-taker on the PA Turnpike asked me who I preferred, “Clinton or Obama?” Family members, usually outspoken opponents off all things political, have started e-mailing me New York Times articles. And in my three years with the College Dems, I’ve never seen more enthusiasm over our table at the mid-year Student Activities Night as I did two weeks ago.

So it’s tough for me to say that we need to start anticipating the end of all this commotion. I wish the scene at this University (once named the fourth most apathetic in the country) was always rich with interest and discussion and debates. However, the more energy we put into Clinton versus Obama, the farther we get from our true goal as Democrats. We need to refocus and start organizing around the Democratic Party. Will you tried-and-true Clintonians and you passionate Obamanites (by the way, I think made up these terms…) be willing to support the very candidate you have grown so accustomed to opposing? Because we need to look past all that if we are going to start off on the right foot against John McCain.

We can enjoy the political fervor without turning against one another. We can disagree without ruling each other out. I was a Democrat long before I chose which candidate to support, and I’ll continue to be one after. As Democrats, it’s time to start pulling it together. We need to support one candidate in the general election, and both of our choices are strong. So stop the hate.

As for the College Democrats – I look forward to the general election, when we will sit together and watch a debate and again (hopefully) be unified.

Hit the Ground Running!

2008-02-20T10:59:00.004-05:00

Well, UD's Spring Semester has finally begun and the College Democrats have hit the ground running. Americans are more excited about politics than they have been in decades, and the scene in Delaware is no different. If you're as excited as we are, come to a College Dems meeting and get involved!

Tonight, Wednesday February 20th, at 6:30 we will hold our first meeting of the semester in Gore Hall room 320. We are playing a Clinton/Obama trivia game for prizes, and there will be snacks as usual. Want to learn more about the College Dems? Tonight we will begin discussing big plans for 2008, including the 4th Annual College Democrats/College Republicans Debate and a possible trip to Washington DC! Don't know much about politics? The best way to learn is to get involved! NEW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!

As you can see, the Smart Blue Hens website recently got a face lift. Let us know what you think about our new appearance and please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions!

Democrats Attract Latino Voters with First Debate Conducted in Spanish

2007-09-09T20:46:00.000-05:00

Tonight Univision hosted a Democratic Presidential Debate in Coral Gables, Florida. This debate was historic due to its status as the first presidential debate in history to be conducted in Spanish. Questions were asked in Spanish while the candidates wore earpieces and heard the questions in English. The candidates responded in English which were then translated into Spanish in order to attract an increasing Hispanic population in the United States, especially the growing Cuban population in Florida.

With the increasing number of Spanish speakers in our country, it would be a weak strategy to ignore this constituency. While the Democratic candidates agreed to participate, every Republican candidate, with the exception of John McCain, ignored Univision's invitation to attend the Spanish-language debate on September 16. Though a majority of anti-Castro Cuban Americans mainly residing in Florida identify with the Republican Party, I think it's safe to say that we will start to see this population shift to the left. With the increasing amount of debate on the immigration policy differences between the two political parties, this predicted advantage is large enough to elect a Democrat instead of a Republican in 2008. Univision is the largest Spanish-language network in the United States. Coincidentally or not, the Democratic candidates have been more lenient towards amnesty and have not been as much in favor of ideas such as a fence around the U.S./Mexico border or more stringent requirements to become a permanent resident. It is unclear whether the Republicans are afraid to answer the important questions about immigration directly to Hispanic voters, but the decision to turn down a debate that was targeted toward the nation's largest minority cannot be jusifited. The Democrats' decision to participate in the Spanish-language debate represents the exponentially growing influence of Hispanic voters and their ability to truly make the 2008 elections historic.

A Thought on Iraq

2007-09-03T15:06:00.000-05:00

As reported in the New York Times today (September 3), George Bush took a trip to Iraq to visit with the troops and now sees the potential for a phased pullout. Although I cannot deny that this is a step in the right direction, it has been a long time coming. It is infuriating that it took so long for George to realize the lack of purpose that our troops are serving over there. They are spending time protecting American no-bid corporations and protecting our oil fields because there is little that they can do to protect the Iraqis. Although the logic of stay the course holds if we can assure ourselves a better standing with the world, we have to realize that imperialism breeds anger, and occupation will only strengthen anti-American sentiments across the Iraqi public. We have to turn over command of both the Iraqis and our troops to the foreign government, and begin to look at phasing the troops out. This will allow for self-determination for the Iraqis and the Middle East will begin, in the eyes of the world, to be a region where we (the US) will help but not dictate their course. Reconstruction over imperialism.

Time to Go

2007-07-16T22:49:00.000-05:00

For those who do not know or remember me, I was a member (indeed, a board member) of the College Democrats during my time at UD (2002-2006). I was a frequent contributor to this blog in its early days, and I hope that you guys keep it going in the coming years.

The post below is a piece I felt compelled to write, perhaps to give other with similiar thoughts the courage to speak out, perhaps just to give those who wish to speak on this issue talking points. Either way, I hope readers take something of value away from this piece.

Keep up the good work, fellow College Dems, as you head into the 2008 election!!

Call it flip-flopping if you must; I’d call it evolution of thought, a change of ideas based on facts, contemplation, and evidence collected over time. Though I’ve resisted my liberal tendencies thus far, I can no longer continue to support our massive troop presence in Iraq. It is time to bring our men and women home, to refocus our efforts back to the real war on terror, to find Bin Laden and bring him to justice, and to play nice with our allies once again in order to deal with growing threats around the world.

Recommitting and refocusing on the war on terror necessitates that we leave a small force in Iraq to deal with the Al Qaeda threat that has developed since our invasion, though many of the groups that claim alliance do so just for the hope of financial support from the worldwide group. While we need to make sure Iraq does not become a haven for international terrorism, most Iraqi nationals do not want these outsiders there any more than they desire a continued American presence. Many “insurgents” tolerate the terrorists because they have a common enemy in what they view as a much more powerful occupying force. Still, a select group of American Special Forces could probably see to this issue and greatly diminish the image that we are there for permanent plunder.

Up to now, I have relied on the fear and the belief that if we left, Iraq would descend into total chaos. Everyday in the news, I see evidence that such a state of affairs already exists, and that the risk of it increasing is in no way diminished by a massive American presence. The “surge” might have worked if we had done it in earnest or earlier in the conflict; however, a creeping surge this late in the game was ill-fated from the start and should not be allotted much more time to fail; the lives of our soldiers are too valuable for that. While I would like nothing more than success or, at the very least, a clear change in Iraqi fortunes, increasing our numbers merely served to reinforce the idea that we are there for good, creating more enemies and catalyzing even more chaos, which is seemingly the only true force dominating the nation as a whole at this time.

Quite possibly, Iraq may break apart if we leave; it may also break apart if we stay, as support for the Americans is yet another issue that divides rather than unites the Iraqis. At the very least, a greatly decreased U.S. presence will force the hand of the Iraqi government either into the success that we cannot create for it or final failure, perhaps leading to something new and better. We simply cannot divine the future – but we cannot control it even if we are there. As such, the risks to our troops simply outweigh the benefits.

Risk – a word with new meaning since 9/11; a recent report stated that the terror threat from Al Qaeda has grown yet again and that they are preparing another attack on the United States. The war in Iraq has not diminished or even really addressed this threat. Rather, it has taken our eye off of the ball; we live in risky times and cannot afford further distraction. As Russia seems content to escalate old tensions, Pakistan continues to refuse to fully cooperate against the Taliban and the hunt for Bin Laden, Iran and Turkey threaten to expand the Iraq conflict into a regional war, North Korea remains unstable, genocide continues more or less unchecked in Darfur – the threats to international peace are everywhere, including within our own borders. With all of our resources tied up in Iraq, how can we expect to act as a superpower and world leader? How can we meet the needs of our own people and deal with our own domestic challenges as we struggle to do so for a nation whose prime minister already told us that we are “free to leave”?

And so, while my support for our troops, our brave men and women in uniform remains unwavering (and should not be questioned because of my position, but alas, we live in an area where the patriotism of all dissenters is doubted), I can no longer support their massive presence in Iraq. The time has come for us to go and to bring our soldiers home, to disengage them from a dangerous civil war where the mission is unclear, the end game undefined, and the original purpose blurred by years of changing platitudes emulating from President Bush and his cronies who dominate our foreign policy and have steered it down a reckless and self-aggrandizing path.

Upcoming March Events

2007-03-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

March is International month! Here's what we have planned!

Wednesday March 7
Professor Guy Alchon, from the History department, is giving a speach about the Iraq war as it relates to the past conflict in Vietnam. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend!

Wednesday March 14
STAND, the University's newest RSO, is coming to speak about the current problems in Darfur. This is the perfect opportunity to ask questions and further clarify for yourself what's really going on in the Sudan! Find out what you can do to help!
We are also going to be decorating posters and getting organized for the anti-war rally in DC on the 17th. Definately come out - nothing's more fun than liberal artwork!

Saturday March 17
We will be accomanying other UD students in a bus trip down to Washington DC to participate in the March on the Pentagon. Not only will we be protesting the 4th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, but we will be commemorating the 40th anniversary of the historic 1967 march on the pentagon. If you are interested in attending, please e-mail Liz at elcoyne@udel.edu ASAP - spots are filling fast!

Wednesday March 21
Coffee and Bagel study break and farewell before a much needed Spring Break. Come out and relax amid a hectic week of midterms!

The UD College Democrats meet weekly on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm. Our new meeting room is Sharp 120 on the north green. Don't forget to bring any current events that you'd like to share, and any spare change you may want to donate to our Relay for Life team!

New members are always welcome!

Next Meeting

2007-02-19T08:15:00.000-05:00

Just a quick heads up to all of you Blue Hens out there:

Our first meeting of the semester will be this Wednesday at 7:00 PM! We will be meeting in Trabant Multipurpose Room B!

We have LOTS of activities already planned for this semester, including movies, speakers, and an anti-war march on Washington. As always, there will be pizza and lots of familiar faces at the meeting. Can't wait to see you all there!

It's Official: Barack Obama For President in 2008

2007-02-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

This morning in the Old State Capitol of Springfield, Illinois, U.S. Senator Barack Obama announced that he will be seeking the Democratic Presidential Nomination in 2008. Thousands of people awaited Barack's announcement in the sub-freezing temperatures to witness a historic moment for the most charismatic and inspiring candidate since John F. Kennedy.

Obama chose this very location to follow the footsteps of the sixteenth President, Abraham Lincoln, who made his famous "House Divided" speech in 1858. Trying to respond to the excitement of the audience, Barack announced "It was here, in Springfield, where North, South, East and West come together that I was reminded of the essential decency of the American people - where I came to believe that through this decency, we can build a more hopeful America". He then continues "And that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America."

Obama spent his childhood in Hawaii and later attended Occidental College and Columbia University where he received his B.A. in Political Science in 1983. In 1985, he became a community organizer in urban Chicago. He attended Harvard Law School in which he became the first African American to be elected president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. Upon graduating from Law School in 1991, Obama worked as a civil rights lawyer and taught consitutional law at the University of Chicago.

In 1996, Obama became an Illinois State Senator representing Chicago's 13th district. Obama ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000 but lost to Bobby Rush, a four-term incumbent. In 2004 Barack Obama won a successful bid for the U.S. Senate in Illinois. This same year, he delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. This famous speech showed America what would later become his campaign message for the Presidency: an undivided America living the American Dream.

There has been an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm and support for Barack Obama from college students across the country. What started as a facebook organization, Student For Barack Obama is now a nationwide grassroots organization that aims to convince college students to join the movement to make Barack Obama the next President of the United States.

Senator Obama has been criticized for not having enough experience. Obama acknowledged that even though he has not been a U.S. Senator in Washington for long, he knows the city enough to turn it around. He also added that "People who love their country can change it."

Barack Obama is one of the most charismatic and exciting presidential candidates in history. As successful as Obama has been, he is equally genuine in his words and in his actions. The Senator wants to end partisan bickering and take on the true issues of our society, such as education, energy needs, health care, governmental corruption, and the Iraq War. As I heard him pledge to act in a bipartisan way and to represent all Americans, I realized that this is what we truly need in our next President.

Blue Hens and Elections

2006-11-08T23:39:00.000-05:00

It's a great week to be a Smart Blue Hen! In the past 72 hours, Democrats took control of the House and the Senate, Donald Rumsfeld resigned as Secretary of Defense, and we finally have a woman in the position of Speaker of the House. Here in Delaware, the hard work and campaigning of the College Democrats proved fruitful as we watched many of our favored candidates pull in decisive victories.

On Election Day we traveled down to the State Party Headquarters in New Castle, leaving Newark at 9:30 in the morning and spending most of the day doing visibility, canvassing, and phone banking up until the polls closed at 8 pm. It was an exciting operation and we were surrounded everywhere we went by like minded volunteers. Of course, the culmination of it all was cheering alongside our fellow Democratic Delawarians at the big returns party in Wilmington that evening.

Despite it all, the best part of this whole election season was campaigning across the state with the rest of the College Dems. It was the hours we spent stickering children, dropping literature, and generally getting lost in our weekly travels that finally gave way to Election Night's victorious speeches and celebratory balloons. We learned about the political process through our actions, and met and some really awesome people along the way. And so, it was our combined efforts since the start of the Fall Semester (and in many cases before then) that made Tuesday's outcome so sweet.

Of course, meeting Senator Joe Biden at the returns party was pretty exciting...

Only 27 more days...

2006-10-11T18:43:00.000-05:00

Election day is quickly approaching us and all I can say is that the political environment looks fantastic for Democrats right now. I don't want to get too confident about our success as 27 days is a long time in this campaign environment, and as we've seen in the past few weeks things can take a change for the better or for the worse in an instant. Democrats shouldn't be overconfident about taking back both Chambers of Congress, but right now, Democrats are leading Republicans by 21% among likely voters. I have been following this campaign-season very closely and I am getting eager to see the outcome of all this.

There is a lot at stake in this election and I can sense that it is going to be a referendum on the Bush Administration's policies on the Iraq War and the dissatisfaction with the current Republican-controlled Congress. The approval rating for Congress recently dropped to 28%, which is the lowest it has been in over a decade. There are liberals, conservatives, and others across the ideological spectrum who are dissatisfied, and we need to cross our fingers that they will show up at the polls. The Foley Scandal has brought the GOP down even further; there is increasing evidence that shows that the Congressional leadership (including the Speaker of the House) deliberately covered this up. Republicans tend to say that their party values morality, but due to this scandal, the conservative base might just stay home on election day...

The Democrats only need 15 seats to take back the House and 6 to take back the Senate.
Read about some key races at: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/elections/keyraces/map/

Democrats Unite at Annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner

2006-09-20T20:56:00.000-05:00

The Annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner took place in the Rollins Center Ballroom at the Dover Downs Hotel & Conference Center on Monday, September 18. More than 1,000 people attended, and I can honestly say that I've never seen more Democrats in one room.

I had the opportunity to hear what the Delaware candidates and public officials had to say about the future of Delaware, and it was the first time that I've seen all the Democratic statewide candidates at one event. The speakers included New Castle County Executive Chris Coons, Wilmington Mayor James Baker, Governor Ruth Ann Minner, U.S. Senator Tom Carper, Keynote Speaker and U.S. Senator from Colorado Kenneth Salazer, Candidate for Attorney General Beau Biden, Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn, State Treasurer Jack Markell, Lieutenant Governor John Carney, Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives Dennis Spivack, and U.S. Senator Joe Biden.

Although the candidates had different speeches, they all had a similar message: Democrats are the ones who should be representing the people of Delaware. After bonding with fellow Democrats and listening to all these prominent speakers, I felt extremely proud to be a member of the Democratic Party.

Democrats ARE organized, mobilized, and ready to take back our country!

Save Darfur Rally in NYC

2006-09-19T23:29:00.000-05:00

The Princeton Review recently named the University of Delaware the fourth most apathetic campus in the nation. However, if the editors who bestowed upon us this bragging right were sitting on one of the buses headed to the Save Darfur Rally in New York City this past Sunday, I daresay we would have been bumped down a notch or two on the apathetic ladder. Donning Save Darfur Tshirts, courtesy of Hillel International, and clutching signs, 92 University of Delaware students joined the impassioned masses in Central Park for the second of two major Save Darfur rallies in the past six months. Coming from various religions and ends of the political spectrum, the students traded in their differing views for stickers, buttons, and slogans- all asking for the United States to pressure the United Nations to send in peacekeeping troups to the Darfur region.
More than 400,000 people have been killed so far in the genocide of the people in Darfur, which is being carried out by the Janjaweed, an Islamic milia group backed by the Sudanese government in response to requests from groups asking for better equality in government. The horrific atrocities are continuing unabated, despite a deadline for peace set by the government of Sudan and one faction of the militia.
An estimated 25,000 people showed up to the NYC rally on Sunday not just to voice their outrage over the immensely cruel and tragic loss of human life, but to ask President Bush why he will not uphold his promise of fighting terror in a region now defined by the word.
As members of the generation who will soon be asked to provide answers to such questions, we have no right to maintain ignorance of the situation. I often hear students say, "it's so hard to keep up to date on things like this in college." It should be the opposite. In a place of higher education, where the goal is to create informed and critical contributors to society, we should be especially aware. Now we, as members of a declared political group, must not only maintain our awareness, but increase the awareness of others. Or there will be worse consequences than a bad rating from Princeton.