By Rynesha Snowden

I’ve never been interested in politics before, but seeing a Black man run for president made me pay attention. This election was the first one I was old enough to vote in, and I’m juiced that the candidate I voted for won. One of the main reasons I voted for Barack Obama was because I wanted to see myself, and my race, represented in the White House for the first time. I saw something special in Obama, especially with him being both black and white. I think his mixed background allowed him to appeal to a wider audience.  Another important reason I voted for him is because Obama reached out to young people. He showed us that he cared about us and our vote. And it obviously worked in his favor. According to the New York Times, more young people aged 18-29 years old came out to vote than for any election since 1972. And the overall youth turnout was estimated to be between 21.6 million and 23.9 million, which is up from 19.4 million in 2004. Obama reached the young people by running the most technologically aware campaign ever. He sent MySpace, Facebook and text messages, and there was even “Obama Girl” making videos to support him on YouTube. I think Obama being younger than previous candidates allowed him to be more aware of how young people interact with media, and with one another. He took the time and consideration to show young people that he was trying to identify with us, and that he was a part of us, and that means a lot to me.

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