Standing at the John Kerry for President table in the lobby of the EMU, economics major Mike Barnard does a last-minute check to make sure he brought all the
flyers he’ll need for the two-day volunteer registration drive that is about to kick off.
“Help is on the way,” he says quietly, as he leaves to assume his post.
“Help is on the way!” responds Vote Blitzing team manager Matthew Strickland with a clap.
Oregon Students for Kerry, together with the College Democrats, registered 612 University students to volunteer with the Carry Oregon campaign during a drive on Thursday and Friday.
“That is unprecedented in campaign history at the U of O or any place,” said Michelle Dixon, student outreach director for the Carry Oregon campaign, which is supported by the Democratic Party of Oregon.
With thousands of potential voters on campus, using student volunteers to mobilize the vote is a central
strategy for both campaigns.
“Oregon is a battleground state,” said Tucker Bounds, Oregon communications director for the Bush/Cheney campaign. “Governor Bush lost to Vice President Gore in 2000 by just under 6,800 votes.”
Both campaigns have speculated that a well-organized student campaign could sway the election.
“Students can make the difference; students will make the difference,” Strickland said. “If we get out and vote, politicians will listen to our issues.”
Strickland, a political science major, said he has noticed increased student involvement in politics.
“I think you’re going to see that young people are involved in this campaign,” Strickland said just before the volunteer registration drive began. “I think you’re going to see that young people want their voices heard.”
The figures seem to validate his prediction. The number of volunteers recruited last week exceeded the goal of 500 by more than 20 percent.
“What we’re looking for in an average volunteer is 10 to 20 hours a week for the next five weeks,” Strickland said. “Five weeks to change the next four years.”
Strickland said the volunteers have served with enthusiasm.
“They feel empowered — that they have a voice in our country,” he said.
Besides traditional campaign methods such as holding signs and handing out flyers, Carry Oregon volunteers are encouraged to talk up John Kerry with friends and
fellow students.
“Truly the student campaign is to get students to talk to their friends and talk to their peers about why this is so important and get them engaged,” Dixon said. “The focus on student-to-student contact is really a priority.”
This strategy makes campaign volunteerism accessible to a wide range of students, according to Dixon.
“There is no typical volunteer,” Dixon said. “They are students from all walks of life.”
Though the Republican effort
on campus has been more understated so far, 535 University
students have registered to volunteer as Students for Bush on the Bush campaign’s Web site. However, UO Students for Bush coordinator Jarrett White estimates that
only 20 volunteers have been active during the summer.
“Once school starts, that’s when Students for Bush really kicks in again,” White said. “Our goal is to do everything we can to close the gap here on campus — because that’s our sphere of influence — and reach out to students.”
White said some students have expressed reservations about
publicly supporting the Republican party. “On this campus there
is a liberal ideology that is very open, and if you’re Republican you may not feel as open about your conservatism.”
Because of this, White said, public support for President Bush is an important part of the campaign strategy on campus.
“If you’re a Republican in this bastion of liberalism, it helps to see someone on the corner holding a Bush/Cheney sign,” he said. “We’re just out there in public to show support for the president.”

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