2008 Woodie Awards
Group supports Obama
Ashley Edwards
Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: News
The Kentucky primary may be weeks away but one presidential candidate is already campaigning on campus.
Representatives from the Barack Obama campaign have been raising awareness on campus since November.
Jordan Turner, junior from Denver, Colo., and president of Murray State Students for Barack Obama, said he was inspired to get involved in the Obama campaign after hearing Obama speak at the Democratic National Convention in 2004.
"I just looked at the guy and was like, 'This is the kind of greatness that skips generations,'" Turner said.
After that, Turner did further research on the candidate and read both of Obama's books and biography.
In November he created a Facebook group for his organization, Murray State Students for Barack Obama. He used the group to upload information on the campaign, inform students of officer positions available and brief students on the organization's goals.
"During this primary season, if you look back across the numbers in every single state in which a primary has occurred, voter registration has surged," Turner said. "People are really passionate about this, and really adamant."
Turner said he thinks the surge in registered voters is a result of Obama's initial followers.
"I think the Clinton's have had their base for a long time, and so if you look at where Obama has been strong, it has been among new voters and among disenchanted Republican voters that have switched back over," Turner said. "So our hope is obviously to tip the scale in Obama's favor by registering new voters because he's obviously favored among them."
Turner said the Obama group has been working with school officials to arrange a program where students can earn college credit by assisting with the campaign.
"There are some people who have put in some incredible time door knocking for us and stuff so we obviously want them to be rewarded," Turner said. "So we've been talking to school about making this a one hour internship."
Representatives from the Barack Obama campaign have been raising awareness on campus since November.
Jordan Turner, junior from Denver, Colo., and president of Murray State Students for Barack Obama, said he was inspired to get involved in the Obama campaign after hearing Obama speak at the Democratic National Convention in 2004.
"I just looked at the guy and was like, 'This is the kind of greatness that skips generations,'" Turner said.
After that, Turner did further research on the candidate and read both of Obama's books and biography.
In November he created a Facebook group for his organization, Murray State Students for Barack Obama. He used the group to upload information on the campaign, inform students of officer positions available and brief students on the organization's goals.
"During this primary season, if you look back across the numbers in every single state in which a primary has occurred, voter registration has surged," Turner said. "People are really passionate about this, and really adamant."
Turner said he thinks the surge in registered voters is a result of Obama's initial followers.
"I think the Clinton's have had their base for a long time, and so if you look at where Obama has been strong, it has been among new voters and among disenchanted Republican voters that have switched back over," Turner said. "So our hope is obviously to tip the scale in Obama's favor by registering new voters because he's obviously favored among them."
Turner said the Obama group has been working with school officials to arrange a program where students can earn college credit by assisting with the campaign.
"There are some people who have put in some incredible time door knocking for us and stuff so we obviously want them to be rewarded," Turner said. "So we've been talking to school about making this a one hour internship."
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