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Last month's rally for Barack Obama at the University of Mary Washington proved to be full of extremities: from scorching sun to pouring rain, and from cheering masses to angry protesters to some disappointed volunteers.

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Vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden strikes his best Captain Morgan pose.

Experience as a campaign volunteer gave former columnist his first real foray into politics.

Date published: 10/9/2008

BY MATT CAMERON

As I was standing in a glorified mud pit in the middle of the University of Mary Washington's Ball Circle, listening to Barack Obama speak his message of hope and change to an audience of 26,000 very diverse people, I couldn't help but think of what a remarkable few months it has been for my personal political development.

By volunteering for the Democratic campaigns of Obama and Senate candidate Mark Warner, I've been able to participate in this historic political moment and have a direct impact on the future of America.

Standing in the rain and mud on that Saturday night two weeks ago may have been my definitive introduction to the world of big-time politics, but it is a breakthrough that has been years in the making--and one that became truly possible only two months ago.

BRANCHING OUT

I've had fairly strong liberal convictions for quite a while, but after the sad demise of MyLine, where my monthly political column "Left Field" made its home, my actual involvement in the world of politics was stifled.

For weeks, I contemplated how to channel my political energy into something productive, until--lo and behold--one day I noticed that an office building on U.S. 1 in Stafford County was covered with "Obama for President" signs.

This was notable for two reasons: Seeing just one Democratic sign in highly conservative Stafford is an event, so seeing a building covered with them was positively startling; and the building was only about five minutes from my house, on a major road that I drive down basically every day.

I looked on the Obama campaign Web site shortly after that event and, sure enough, it listed a campaign office as having been opened in Stafford. This was the opportunity I had been looking for, so I headed down to the office to commence my career as a campaign volunteer.

YES, WE CAN(VASS)

Volunteering has consisted mostly of calling prospective voters whom the campaign has identified as Democratic or "undecided," to gather information and, if possible, persuade them of the virtues of the Democratic cause. This might sound like a fruitless endeavor, but I have been surprised at how receptive some people are to these unsolicited campaign calls.

GET INVOLVED Even if you're too young to vote, here are a few simple things you can do to get involved with this year's election. Phone calls: You can do this from a campaign office or from home, now that both campaigns have released online phone-banking tools that allow you easy connection to voters. Good campaign calls consist of gathering information about voters' favored candidates for the upcoming presidential, senatorial and congressional elections, as well as talking to them about important issues and answering any questions they might have about a candidate. Canvassing: This is a step up from phone calling, since it involves actual face-to-face contact with voters. Once again, it's important to ask voters whom they plan to support and what issues are important to them so that the campaigns can target those specific topics in the future. Engaging people in discussion about the candidates is much easier face to face, since it offers a more personal way of communicating beliefs and ideas. Hosting a house party: As a part of their grass-roots efforts, both campaigns have promoted campaign house parties for local neighborhood supporters. Often these occur on the night of a debate or other campaign event (such as the August conventions) that people might be interested in gathering to watch together. These parties can be organized through an office or on your own--just make sure that people don't forget that politics can, in fact, be fun. Attend a rally: While it's not likely either candidate will be coming back to Fredericksburg this campaign season (although rumors about a McCain appearance have been flying), there will be other gatherings in Virginia that will be worth attending if you want an up-close-and-personal look at your candidate. Also, look for senate and house candidates to be in the area more often in the coming weeks. Get educated: If you don't have time to volunteer or don't enjoy talking politics with other people (it can get dicey sometimes), there is one more extremely important thing you can do: learn about the issues that will be affecting the country and make an informed decision about which campaign you feel better addresses those issues. The single most vital aspect of American democracy is an informed electorate, and you can do your part by reading newspapers, checking campaign sites and watching debates to learn what the candidates stand for. --Matt Cameron REGIONAL CONTACTS Virginia Democratic Coordinated Campaign Office 915 Lafayette Blvd. Fredericksburg, Va. 22401 Office: 540/322-1236 Campaign for Change Office (Obama) 261 Cambridge St. Fredericksburg, Va. 22405 Organizer David James: 571/839-0709 DJames@vaobamaforchange.com Fredericksburg Regional Victory Headquarters (McCain) 150 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 213 Fredericksburg, Va. 22406 Office: 540/479-1888 Field representative Kevin McNulty: 202/507-0841 kmcnulty@rnchq.org VOLUNTEER GETS SNUBBED DURING OBAMA RALLY BY KYLE FALKENSTERN Sept. 27, 2008, was a day I'll never forget. Barack Obama was in Fredericksburg, and I was able to volunteer at the rally. When I heard the news, I was ecstatic--I would surely get some sort of special treatment for volunteering. This was going to be awesome! I arrived at the rally about 1 p.m. and got right to work registering voters and handing out "tickets" to people waiting to get into the rally. I worked until about 5 p.m. and was promised that, if I worked another hour, I would definitely get into the rally. An hour later, I tried to enter and was denied at both entrances. I, somebody who had worked tirelessly all day in the sun and rain, wasn't being allowed in? How had that happened? I repeatedly told the personnel at the entrances that I had been promised entry, and showed them my volunteer badge. How had this day that had been going so great turned into this horrible mess? I ended up getting stuck in the crowd outside the rally about 100 yards away. This rally was one of the most horrible examples of organization I had ever seen. I lost a lot of respect for Barack Obama and his campaign that day. While this incident won't sway my vote, it most definitely changed my attitude about volunteering for the campaign. I have not volunteered since, and I don't have plans to in the near future. Kyle Falkenstern is a senior at Stafford High School. OBAMA ISN'T THE ANSWER FOR ALL BY NIKKI JACKSON Barack Obama is widely portrayed as the candidate of choice for the youth of America. If this is the case, however, America's youth is clearly making an uninformed decision. Obama says he is a representative of change--but not all change is good! His soft stance on the military and record of supporting tax increases are issues that should concern both present and future generations of voters. As a teenager, I support John McCain both for his character and for his stances. McCain's policies promote and reward productivity, whereas Obama's policies promote expensive government red tape and the welfare state. In addition, I am very pleased with the choice of Gov. Sarah Palin on the ticket. Her strength in the energy field is impressive, and her aggressive approach to cutting out pork-barrel spending is what we need to protect my generation and our children. I truly believe McCain's objective is to help the U.S. become a stronger and better nation than it already is. He has showed by his actions and words that he will bring together the best people and policies from both parties. When I look at McCain, I see a man who has proved himself in the past, and has showed he has the ability, knowledge and policies to be the best president of the United States. Nikki Jackson is a freshman at Riverbend High School.

Date published: 10/9/2008