Nylon - November 2008 - (Page 64) young guns ERS. MEET THE NEXT GENERATION OF POLITICAL POW BY CHRISTINA HAN megan carpentier Location: Washington, DC Age: 30 Position: Political Blogger, jezebel.com/glamocracy.com isabel friedman Location: Wynnewood, PA Age: 18 Position: Field Director of Obama Campaign in Pennsylvania What are some of the advantages of working on the Obama campaign? Being a part of a movement with historic significance. Young people love Obama, but do you think he can win over older voters? The strongest advocates are the youth, especially in persuading and helping the older voters get on board. Children are talking to their grandparents about Obama, and that’s one of the biggest and most effective ways that we can get older voters to vote for him. What is the biggest misconception about young liberals? That we’re supporting blindly or that we’re naïve. Or, we’re just supporting Obama because he’s the cool guy. We’re a generation that has grown up in a broken system with eight years of Bush, yet some people think that we’re not smart enough to see this and make a choice. What is the biggest difference between blogging and print journalism? My experience as a blogger has been that I can write nearly anything I want about nearly anything that interests me, and have it appear to readers pretty much exactly as I initially wrote it. Do you struggle with objectivity while attempting to report on the campaign events? I actually find that I struggle with being opinionatedly unopinionated when things get really controversial or ugly, because I find the mechanics and semantics of political dogfighting almost more interesting than what candidates are saying. Due to the Internet and its importance in this election, how different is the race to previous yearsʼ? Before, people had to care enough to take the extra step to find information, and many didn’t. The fact that so many people really care and are personally invested in this election says a lot about what people feel is at stake for them. I hope that people stay engaged and interested in what the government is doing for them and on their behalf long after November 4. stephanie youngblood Loction: Sacramento, CA Age: 25 Position: Program Director for the Sacramento Young Republican Federation What do you think is the biggest misconception about young conservatives? People tend to think that they are just conservatives because they are trying to be like their parents, yet there is never anything said about young Democrats. I do not see why it is okay to be a young Democrat, but if you classify yourself as a young conservative, people think it’s just because your parents conditioned you to think that way. What is the most difficult hurdle the McCain campaign must overcome to win this election? Probably appealing to the special interest groups that Obama already has sewn up, and getting those groups to see that McCain is not out to get them, and is actually trying to help them to get jobs and not have to be on welfare for the rest of their lives. Meghan McCain writes a blog about her adventures on her fatherʼs campaign. Does this help him reach young people? It gives a closer insight into his life, and portrays him and his family as normal people, which is important because the people of America want an elected official that they can identify with, not another celebrity president. mather martin Location: San Francisco, CA Age: 25 Position: Northern California Field Director for the Clinton Campaign How do you feel about the election now that Hillary Clinton is no longer a candidate? I’d be lying if I said the mourning process was over, but it’s clear we would all be a lot more upset if we end up with four more years of the same with McCain and Palin in office. Do you see a future for yourself in politics? Ultimately, though becoming a campaign manager and a general political go-to girl and Renaissance woman is my goal, I’d also like to go back to my original impetus for pursuing politics, which was fundraising—something I watched my mother do growing up. What made you want to work for Clinton? It was an unexpected opportunity coupled with a 15-year love and adoration for Hillary that I’ve maintained ever since my mother took me to meet her in San Francisco when I was 10. mosheh oinounou Location: Washington, DC Age: 26 Position: FOX News Producer What are the most important issues of the 2008 election? This election is about the economy, energy, and change. In fact, the Republican ticket has adopted a lot of the same lingo as Obama-Biden, i.e. change, change, and yes, more change. Do you think this election has been different in terms of younger people turning out to vote? The election has already seen young people making their mark: Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee partially because of the youth vote in Iowa and other primary states. What do you say to people who accuse FOX of having a conservative slant? I view myself first and foremost as an objective reporter whose mission is to get the straight facts to viewers. You have a news section and an entertainment section. I think there is a place for both types of programming in cable news, and most viewers will probably say the same thing. They vote with their remote controls. 64 social studies http://jezebel.com http://glamocracy.com
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