Obama, Blazing Trail Across U.S. Ahead Of Midterms, Will Rally At USC
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President Barack Obama is returning to a constituency that helped deliver him the White House in 2008: American youth.
This go-around, he's hoping to create positive momentum for Democratic candidates embroiled in tough midterm battles.
He will rally on University of Southern California's McCarthy Quad on Oct. 22, one of several university stops he's making across the country this month. Obama is expected to speak at USC at 1:30 p.m. The gates will open at 10:00 a.m. The event is free and open to public. Organizers promise "airport-like security."
Obama will reportedly appear alongside Calif. gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown and incumbent U.S. Senate candidate Barbara Boxer.
The President has had unprecedented success appealing to young voters, and began reaching back out to his supporters this fall. On Thursday he appeared simultaneously on MTV, BET, and CMT and answered questions on Twitter. One of the tough questions for Obama is whether or not youth still care what he has to say.
By most accounts so far, his adopted children still love him, despite being skeptical of Obama's ability to create jobs for them. The Washington Post evaluated the event this way:
"During the 60-minute telecast, audience members asked tough questions (some tougher than others) through star-struck smiles, suggesting perhaps that Obama is a president they still adore, even if they haven't felt the change he promised two years ago."
As was also noted by The New York Times on Friday, the War in Afghanistan is not a crucial issue for these voters. The Post wrote: "Strangely, not one question was asked about the war in Afghanistan -- a conflict that started when many of these audience members were still flipping on MTV after school to watch Britney Spears videos on 'TRL.'"
An NYT/CBS poll confirmed Americans' deprioritization of the war - only 3 percent of those surveyed listed Iraq of Afghanistan as the most important issue facing the country. Unsurprisingly, most people are worried about the economy.
Obama was in Boston Saturday after stops at Maryland's Bowie State University, D.C.'s George Washington University in recent days. He has scheduled appearances at Ohio State University and University of Minnesota later in the month.
At USC, Obama is expected to encourage attendees to vote in the midterms, which are more often ignored by voters because a Presidency is not at stake. Strong shifts in voter sentiment have many pundits predicting a Republican surge in Congress, a trend Obama is trying to counter by increasing Democratic turnout at the polls.
He has work to do, as his support base is waning even among young people. The Houston Chronicle reported:
"An Associated Press-mtvU poll released Wednesday found that 44 percent of students approve of the job Obama is doing as president, significantly down from the 60 percent favorable rating he received in a poll in May last year."
The USC stop could be a key litmus test for how well young voters are responded to the President's renewed efforts to reach them.
