Obama banks on campus strategy in Iowa

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By Dan Gearino | Sunday, September 23, 2007 1:03 AM CDT | () comments

AMES, Iowa — Thousands of college students like Barack Obama enough to show up for his on-campus speeches. The question is whether they will show up on caucus night.

Obama, the U.S. senator from Illinois, got thunderous applause Friday when he spoke on the lawn at Iowa State University. He complimented the Iowa State football team for its big win over Iowa last week, but then he made it clear he’s not taking sides.

“I’ve got to be careful because I need Hawkeye votes, too,” he said.

In interviews, students said Obama’s campaign has been the most visible and aggressive on campus. But it is unclear whether this strategy will do much good, especially next year when the caucuses fall on Jan. 14, the first day of classes after winter break.

The University of Northern Iowa also resumes classes on Jan. 14. The University of Iowa is the only state university still on break on caucus night; the spring term begins Jan. 22.

Obama told the Ames students he needs their help to overcome entrenched Washington interests.

“If you don’t step up, it will be business as usual,” he said.

The crowd was so large and the stage so tiny that Obama looked like he was floating over the thousands of supporters. He wore an open-collared white shirt that seemed to glow in the afternoon sun.

Elena Ballam, a graduate student from Orange City, said she’s sold on Obama because he seems to mean what he says. She also likes his background as a community organizer in Chicago.

“He’s very genuine,” she said. “He’s a good family man. He really cares about people as individuals.”

Obama trails Hillary Clinton in national polls, although he is in a close race with her and John Edwards in Iowa polls.

Calendar concerns

The doomsday scenario for organizers at Iowa State and UNI is if the caucuses are rescheduled for before Jan. 14. Iowa Democratic Party leaders have said they would move the caucus date up if other states challenge Iowa’s leadoff status. If that happens, most students would be in their hometowns, some of them in other states.

Iowa Democratic Party spokeswoman Carrie Giddins said the party is aware that an earlier date might harm participation by college students.

“We are taking into account the needs of as many constituencies as we can,” she said.

At the University of Iowa, where students don’t get back until Jan. 22, organizers hope students will end their break a week early. Students who live off-campus can come back whenever they want. On campus, some residence halls are open during the break and some aren’t.

Sen. Bob Dvorsky, a Coralville Democrat and Obama supporter, said Obama has a strong campaign at the University of Iowa, regardless of the challenges presented by the calendar.

“We’re trying to do what we can to get the word out to students to come back early,” he said.

‘A big leap’

Iowa State political science professor Dianne Bystrom watched Obama’s speech from her third-floor office window. She said Obama has special resonance with college students.

“He has positioned himself as an outsider,” Bystrom said. “And he’s young, so he appeals to a younger crowd. He’s different from most politicians than they’ve seen.”

The down side is that a big crowd on campus doesn’t necessarily lead to support at the caucuses. As a whole, Bystrom said, college students live up to their reputation for being an unreliable voting bloc.

“Going to a speech on a warm and sunny day is a lot different from going to a two- to three-hour caucus on a cold January night,” she said. “There is a big leap between those two events.”

However, she has seen a gradual increase in students interested in politics, although they remain a small share of the student population.

Iowa State will hold a nonpartisan seminar in November to encourage participation.

Scott County Auditor Karen Fitzsimmons looks at the youth voting from two perspectives, as an election official and as county coordinator for Obama.

Four years ago, she was county coordinator for another candidate who had strong appeal with college students: Howard Dean. She was disappointed when many of Dean’s college-age supporters didn’t show up on caucus night, contributing to his disappointing third-place finish.

But Fitzsimmons thinks Obama’s supporters are more likely to follow through than Dean’s.

“I get a sense, and so does (Obama), that these young people are going to show up,” she said. “That’s what we hope for, of course. Time will tell.”

Dan Gearino can be contacted at (515) 243-0138 or dan.gearino@lee.net. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.