Since RG3 and Batman aren’t on the ballot to become the next president–much to the disappointment of some students included in a recent Scope mock election–we found that President Barack Obama would overtake his Republican challenger Mitt Romney by a healthy 15 percent margin. With the help of the history department, we surveyed 810 people (just under half the school).
Along with polling Langley students on their choice for the country’s 45th president, the Scope also took a look at some major young activists now furiously working for the two presidential hopefuls.
Young Democrats
Seniors Cynthia Ding and Jenna Smith like to talk on the phone – a lot. Ding estimates that she’s made about 250 calls since the beginning of the school year.
But Ding and Smith aren’t gossiping and swapping secrets. They’re calling on Northern Virginia voters, to persuade them to re-elect President Barack Obama.
As President and Treasurer, respectively, of the Langley Young Democrats Club, Ding and Smith are extremely active in politics and Obama’s campaign. Their main duties as club officers include canvassing, making phone calls and leading current events debates.
“I really liked getting involved this year, rather than just sitting around and complaining,” said Ding. “It’s been an interesting experience; you really get to know the electorate.”
“Everything is less abstract when you meet people who pay taxes, who have real opinions,” said Smith, who also worked for Obama’s Organizing for America campaign last summer for 20 hours a week, registering voters and helping with the campaign.
With the election coming up so soon, the two realize that there is no time to waste. “I feel relatively confident, but nothing’s for certain. Anything can change,” said Ding.
According to Smith, the canvassing efforts are going well. Of course, she and the other club members have encountered the occasional angry call recipient. “[When we call,] there’s a pretty wide spectrum of happiness and yelling,” she said. “Someone threatened to report me to the police once.”
Junior club member Tim Kostelancik added, “There’s always going to be the occasional Republican who’s overzealous about their cause, and they’ll shout you down.”
“I called one guy, and he pretended to have a seizure,” said junior member Jiho Kim.
However, for the Young Democrats, the positives more than outweigh the negatives. “While I was registering voters at NOVA Community College, I talked to a veteran about how much ObamaCare has helped him, and has allowed him to stay on his parents’ insurance plan. It was the most inspiring moment I’ve had,” said Kostelancik.
All four of the students plan to continue being involved in future campaigns. “Virginia is very important to the election,” said Kim. “I like having an influence.”
Young Republicans
“We’re going to meet Mitt Romney tomorrow.” Seniors Matt McCann and Brad Jeter say this so matter-of-factly they could be talking about the weather, or what they’re going to eat for lunch.
Of course, as co-presidents of the Young Republicans Club, they’re used to meeting such important political figures by now.
McCann and Jeter first became involved in politics in eighth grade, when they volunteered for the John McCain presidential campaign.
“Over the last four years, I didn’t really like the direction the country was going in, so I became more active,” said Jeter.
Their main duties as Young Republicans Club presidents are to coordinate phone calls and campaign volunteer efforts for the club’s 50 members.
“There’s a lot more young conservatives than you’d think,” said Jeter.
“We promote local activism and being involved. Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, you should be involved,” added McCann.
McCann also works as a field coordinator for Virginia Delegate Barbara Comstock’s campaign office, where he organizes canvassing and door knocking.
“We knock on the doors of a lot of really avid Republicans. They’ll invite you into their house and talk to you about how we need to turn the country around,” he said.
Thanks to their connections with Delegate Comstock, McCann and Jeter have had the opportunity to meet Congressman Frank Wolf, Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss and Romney himself – several times.
“Romney’s a big guy. He’s a lot bigger than you’d think,” noted McCann, who first met the presidential nominee back in 2009 at one of Delegate Comstock’s election fundraisers. “He’s also a really nice guy, more personable than he seems on TV.”
McCann and Jeter, along with fellow Republican senior Clayton Kennedy, most recently saw Romney when they attended a rally in Leesburg on Oct. 17.
As the election draws closer, the two are staying optimistic. “I’m confident for Romney. It looks like things are falling into place for him to win,” said Jeter.
Still, they have their work cut out for them in the remaining weeks before the election. “Working with Barbara Comstock, I’ve learned that you have to fight every day like it’s your last,” said McCann.
*Poll out of 810 Langley students. Data compiled by Neeka Eghbali, Susie Kim, and Katherine Rohloff. All results tallied by students and do not represent official results of any kind.