Anecdotal Evidence for Obama's Surge

Smart events that serve a dual purpose:

It won’t be a typical political fund-raiser, with a few hundred people seated at round dinner tables in a hotel ballroom. Instead, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois will address thousands of local college students and area residents in a Boston University arena tonight, as he hosts the official Massachusetts kickoff of his presidential campaign.

More than 5,000 supporters are expected to attend the fund-raiser at the Agganis arena, where Obama will make his first public appearance in the state since he announced his candidacy for president.

Organizers say the event, which has been largely planned by college students, emphasizes two main themes of Obama’s campaign: inclusiveness and grass-roots mobilizing.

Now I am not so sure about whether the focus on younger voters will pay off in the end. For decades, both parties have been trying to figure out how to mobilize younger voters. Even in 2004, after a massive effort to move younger voters to the polls, voters 18-25 still lagged far, far behind other age cohorts in voting.

Maybe Obama's found the magic pill, but initial energy is easy, long term endurance is hard. Afterall, this is the short-attention span, caffeine supported generation. Obama will need to stay new to keep these people working for him.