The Justice

Media Credit: Photo by Daniel Ortner / the Justice

The 2008 presidential election feels like it has been going on forever. Many are tired of it even before the parties have nominated their respective candidates. Perhaps the election did start ridiculously early, and maybe we are tried of it. However, that's no excuse to sit this one out.

Another common phrase I've heard in recent conversations: "I'm still figuring out whom I'm going to support. I still need to do some more research." That's all well and good, and I applaud people for making a careful and well-informed choice, but the window on a great opportunity is closing. The time to pick a candidate and get involved is not next summer or fall; we shouldn't simply support the nominee of a respective party once the process is completed. Getting involved in the primaries is essential.

New Hampshire, one of the most vital states in the nomination process, is less than one hour away from Brandeis. Their primary is likely going to be Jan. 8, before we get back from our winter break. So finish your research, pick a candidate to support, and take the amazing opportunity to have your voice heard in a place where it really counts. Get some people together and spend a Saturday or Sunday canvassing. The times are too urgent simply to express support for a candidate without taking that support to the next level. If you do sit the primary out, you have no right to complain about having to vote for the lesser of two evils in the general election, and if you doubt what a small dedicated group of people can do to really make an impact on the primary, just take a look at what a group of students has done for Sen. Barack Obama's campaign.

Since we started Brandeis for Barack last March, we've been in constant contact with Obama's New Hampshire office. Through the initiative of one of our members, we were able to sell tickets on campus to an Obama rally in April. With this rally, as well as T-shirt sales, we were able to bring in 85 Brandeis students and raise over $2,000 for the campaign. We brought the New England college coordinator to speak on campus, phone banked for a rally in Maine and ran an issue presentation on campus, and we went canvassing and volunteered at events in New Hampshire.

On each trip, we've collected several new supporter cards identifying people who intend to vote for Obama in the primary. We brought a group to hear Obama receive the endorsement of Governor Deval Patrick in Boston Common last week, adding to a crowd of 10,000 people.

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