Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Has Obama Lost the College Crowd?

By Rebecca Difede
When Barack Obama first hit the political scene for his Presidential campaign in 2008, he received an outpouring of support from college students. Campus communities began to overflow with banners, flyers, t-shirts — all advertising the Obama/Biden platform. These eager, fledgling voters came out in flocks, rallying support for the young, hip Senator.

Obama’s emergence as a technological candidate also helped to give him an edge with the college crowd — having posed for several photos while checking his Smartphone, as well as his incessant presence on his Twitter account — as this generation is irrevocably intertwined with all forms of social media and the gadgets that go with them.

As fervor for the Obama campaign continued to grow on campuses across the nation, it became apparent that he was more than just a candidate to this new political population, he was a god. His speeches began to be quoted in Facebook statuses, whole clubs began to emerge just for the purpose of loving and supporting Obama, while his likeness was more commonly seen than the Nike ® symbol.

It was more than posters and screen-print t-shirts, Obama’s face was on Iphone covers, computer cases, shot glasses, gloves; his face was even emblazoned in rhinestones on sweatshirts and sweatpants. The man had ceased to be solely a participant in the political arena and became a celebrity, managing to steal the spotlight from such 2008 media magnets as The Dark Knight and the Twilight series.
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