Dean's 'Sleepless Summer' Awakens Young Voters 'Bands for Dean', Web Efforts Target Collegiate Electorate

Author: Katherine Doorley

After the frenzy of gathering information on Dolci, Weybridge House and the Otters at the activities fair, students may have found in their possession a slip of neon green paper announcing "Bands for Dean" at Higher Ground in Winooski. Middlebury students, however, were not the first to be targeted by a growing outreach program initiated by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, M.D. to attract younger Americans - and their votes - to his campaign.

"Bands for Dean" is a simple concept: Dean's fundraising committee finds local bands to play at a coffeehouse or in a small club and charges admission, the proceeds of which go to fund the Dean campaign. On a basic level, "Bands" is a new way to aid the Dean fundraising effort. The fact that there exists a fundraising technique specifically geared to a younger segment of the population, however, makes the Dean campaign unique. "Bands" is not the only example of the campaign's focus on young voters. Dean's recent campaign outing, the "Sleepless Summer Tour," designed to spread his message all over the country, was seemingly geared towards a younger audience such as t-shirts with concert style tour dates on the back. Dean, arguably more than any other candidate from either party, has been heavily courting the youth vote, and with good reason. Eric Davis, secretary of the College and professor of Political Science, pointed out in an interview with The Middlebury Campus, "There are demographically a very high number of first time voters for the 2004 election. What we're in now is the baby-boom echo generation." This being said, statistics from the 2000 election indicate that only about 32 percent of people in the 18 to 24 year-old age bracket actually voted in the election. By reaching out to the youth voters, Dean is attempting to tap into a large number of Americans who might not otherwise get to the polls on election night.

The Dean campaign has labored to establish ways in which the youth of America can become involved. Part of the doctor's effectiveness in rallying the youth vote is due in part to his Web-based campaign. The Dean Web site now has a separate page devoted entirely to attracting younger voters. Capitalizing on the success of Students for Dean, which had 184 chapters around the country as of July, the new Web site has established blogs for supporters to talk to each other, a ride board to help interested students find transportation to events around the country and even created buddy icons for his supporters to add to their instant-messaging programs. According to the Web site, which is up and running even though it won't be officially launched until Sept. 15, the goal of Generation Dean is to "[prove] that young people deeply care about the future of their country." According to one of the founders of the Middlebury Chapter, Anna Kasupski '04, the organization has been able to attract a large number of potential voters in part because "it's accessible to youth and a part of the grassroots movement going on across the country."

Though the Web site and the grassroots tactics can account for part of Dean's sought-after attention from young people, these don't tell the whole story. To garner the support of young voters, the Dean campaign has needed more than flashy advertising and seeming compassion or interest, and it is the former governor's stances on issues that are of importance to young adults that has enabled him to earn their allegiance. Davis noted, "We know from polls, which were taken last spring at the beginning of the war [with Iraq], that there were more reservations about the administration's war policy among younger voters than there were amongst middle-aged and older voters. Dean, being the most outspokenly anti-war of the candidates, had a natural appeal to young voters." While he may be best known for his criticism of the Bush administration and the war with Iraq, other parts of his platform seem to strike a chord with college-age voters.

Addison County Volunteer Coordinator for the Dean campaign Amy Morsman said, "There is much more to Dean than his criticism of Bush's foreign policy. He stands for fiscal responsibility and social justice. Historically, not many politicians have found it easy to pursue both of these goals, but Dean has a record as governor that shows his commitment to both of them.

College students are particularly interested in issues of social justice. Looking towards graduation, students are also aware of the need to find a job and be able to pay the bills, so they can appreciate Dean's call for fiscal discipline."

Dean's health care policies interested Andrew Feinberg '04, a co-leader of the Middlebury College chapter of Generation Dean. "Healthcare is a really big issue for me," Feinberg stated. "The fact that [Dean] is a doctor makes him a bit more credible on that issue than the other candidates." Feinberg continued, "Dr. Dean really sticks up for what he believes in. To have a Democrat running for President that the NRA is a fan of symbolizes an ability to think beyond party lines. The traditional Democratic reactionary candidate isn't going to win. We need someone who can triangulate effectively." Moving past the specific issues, even Dean's campaign image has been helpful at attracting attention from youthful voters.

"Listening to political debates, only one [candidate] sticks out. A lot of [the Democratic] candidates are saying the same thing," said Kasupski.

Morsman highlighted one of the campaign's lures for young people, pointing out, "Everybody keeps telling young adults that they are our best hope for the future. Well, by getting young people involved in local community efforts as well as a national political campaign, Dean is showing them that they really can make a difference. They feel useful, and they like that."

Whatever the result of the Dean campaign, young voters will likely agree that the former Vermont Governor has made his presence heard.

"Regardless of what happens to Howard Dean, whether he's the Democratic nominee or not, whether he is President of the United States or not, he has demonstrated the way in which the Internet can be used for political organizing and raising money. That will set the bar for whoever is running for President in 2008," commented Davis.