Barack Obama, took a break from his busy campaigning schedule to participate in a conference call with 75 universities, including Florida A&M University.
Straight off the airplane, Obama phoned in to tell listeners from various university media outlets across the country why the upcoming Nov. 4 election is so vital. He said the conference call was just as significant.
“First of all this is an important call for me because one of the hallmarks of this campaign has been extraordinary involvement at every level of young people in colleges,” Obama said. “Voters in every single state have been involved. I think that there is a sense [of urgency] among the next generation of voters that we’re in a defining moment in history.”
He said voters needed to stay informed because the country is facing several problems, real change will be left up to voters to help create.
“We’re involved in two wars, we’re seeing the worst economic crisis since the great depression, and we continue to be dependent on foreign sources of oil that threaten our national security,” Obama said.
For this reason, the Illinois senator said, he thinks young people are becoming more involved in politics. Unlike previous ones, they realize the importance of this election.
“I think people recognize that if we don’t deal with these critical issues now, then at some point we may be too late,” he said. “That explains why you see such an extraordinary outpour of support and involvement not just with our campaign but with Sen. Clinton’s campaign and other campaigns throughout the year.”
Obama said people must do their part in November if they want a change.
“This is not an election to sit out,” he said. “This is one that is as important as any election you’ll probably ever participate in.”
Although he didn’t speak negatively about his republican opponents, Obama said young people should know who they are voting for and why.
“The choices are pretty stark between myself and Joe Biden and John McCain and Sarah Palin,” he said. “Hopefully young people are getting familiar with our various positions and track records and when they go to the polling place on November 4 they’ll be fully informed and ready to see history.”
To check your voter registration status, visit www.voteforchange.com and to participate in the Obama social networking site, visit http://my.barackobama.com/.