During my time campaigning for Obama, which began in late December in Iowa and will end tonight in what I pray will be a victory party in Philadelphia, all the people my age that I have met shared two sentiments: frustration and hope. Like any good child, we are frustrated with our parents. Let's face it: they and their generation blew it. In the 1950s, they inherited a country that was the world's leader in almost all respects and now we live in a country that appears to be on the decline. Yet, we are still hopeful that things can change because, unlike our parents, we did not mature in the tumultuous '70s and have not been around long enough to become permanently embittered by the cynical last three decades of Iran Contra, Monica Lewinsky and a hyper-partisan Bush administration.
Yet, for the first and possibly last time in our lives, a man is running for the White House who truly understands our frustrations and has the will to address them. Obama was born in 1961 and, with a child born in 2001, is younger than many of our parents. Since he regularly uses computers and BlackBerrys, he has a gut-level understanding of the power of technology and the challenges we face to keep America the world's technological leader. He is the only candidate ever to literally "brush his shoulders off" in response to the political attack ads. I don't say this to suggest that he is cool. In fact, I suspect that he is a little dorky and wonkish. I do, however, believe that a man who does many of the things we do is better able to understand and address our concerns.
His campaign rhetoric of moving past the politics of cynicism and creating a less partisan environment in Washington, D.C., often dismissed by pundits as mere platitudes, reflects this understanding. His campaign's effort to get a new generation of black and young Americans to cast their first votes today is an example of matching deeds to words. Win or lose, years from now historians will likely view this election as a turning point when both of these groups were finally empowered by presidential politics.
Obama's policies also offer him the possibility of achieving his ambitious goals. On foreign policy, he is the only politician around to lay forth a truly different approach from the disastrous one taken by the Bush administration. He has promised to bomb Al-Qaeda members in Pakistan even without that government's approval as well as speak truth directly to the leaders of governments unfriendly to America, face-to-face. These twin approaches - tough talk and action coupled with a philosophy that recognizes that we are strongest when we create more allies and fewer enemies - represent a new type of foreign policy that is unfamiliar to the current Washington elite.
His healthcare policy, which emphasizes cutting costs rather than a single-payer plan, is another example of how Obama can break out of the current political dynamic. His approach is a new spin on an old idea. Yet, it is one that could work since the promise of cheaper healthcare without mandates will attract Democrats and business leaders while placating most Republicans.
The possibility that Obama might gain traction on this issue is of particular relevance to college students, many of whom may lose their coverage in a few years after they grow too old for the parents' plan and can no longer rely on the University's plan either. If costs continued to escalate, our future employers may not be able to afford to provide healthcare for entry-level positions.
Many reporters this year have explained Obama's popularity among the youth by saying that he represents change. They are wrong; he is a change. Since the youth of any society is the engine for progress, our responsibility in this election is profound. Just as I have often asked my parents how they let the leaders of their generation fail so miserably, many years from now your kids or grandkids will ask you how the country became the form it will be for them. If you don't vote for Obama today, they're probably going to want a really good explanation for how, after watching your parents fail so miserably, you passed up the opportunity to create a better future for them. I know I would.
Adam Bradlow is a sophomore from Potomac, Md., and a member of Wilson College. He can be reached at abradlow@princeton.edu.
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