Official Participant in the Youth Media Blog-a-Thon

From: WireTap

Being a PolitiCorps Fellow with the Bus Project means that I have completed a ten week long political boot camp summer nerd-off. I’ve learned how to knock on doors, talk to voters, create effective messaging and get volunteers interested in being part of the action.

It also means that most of my friends are political geeks who have spirited debates about state house candidates, love to look at polls and share canvassing stories from the weirdest doors we’ve knocked on all across the country. It appears that the political geek class is growing during this election season (or at least becoming more vocal). Often inspired by Barack Obama and the thousands of other young people who are absolutely integral in ushering in change to this country. This is exciting for a number of reasons and inspired by Obama himself I would like to clearly list three of those reasons here:

Political nerdery no longer has to mean a bunch of men sitting around talking about polls and targeting and how to get “those people” to vote. It still often occurs around a pitcher of beer, but it also means brainstorming silly, innovative ways to get others involved and make the whole political process more interesting.
Young people are going to control this whole process soon. I’ve been hearing this for years, but it wasn’t until I entered the work force post-college that I really understood how true it is. Soon we will hold the jobs (if we don’t already) that map out candidates advertising, web outreach and field strategies. This means that we get to make elections look the way we want, moving them beyond being an obstacle you have to overcome to make it into office.
Politics isn’t just about getting good people elected- although that helps. Politics dictates how we live our lives: who we can marry, how polluted our environment is and how prepared we are for the future. Getting people excited about good candidates, about becoming a candidate one day and about creating policy that makes our neighborhoods, cities and states better is necessary to making politics work. More people involved = better ideas becoming reality.
This is all why I get so excited about what can happen in a potential Obama administration. Hopefully the movement will continue and evolve past getting Obama elected to keep neighbors talking to each other about the future and what we want it to look like.

One great step in the direction of politics as fun and integral is Trick or Vote. The Bus Project’s brainchild that has spread to forty cities this year, Trick or Voters like to say: “You may be too old to trick or treat, but you’re never too old to trick or vote!” On the one night of the year that people are expecting to open their doors to strangers, Halloween, volunteers knock on doors and remind folks who might not, to vote. This is proven to be the most effective way to get people to vote- asking them face to face. It also is a great way to connect an American tradition with something that makes America stronger and more inspirational. Let’s get out there in these next two weeks and beyond!
—Alex Berke