"Obama doesn't represent change, he represents the status quo," he says.
He is Peter. With long hair tied up in a pony tail, a flimsy
half beard and a post-grunge ensemble, this mild mannered radical looks
like the quiet kid who makes your coffee or maybe bags your organic vegetables. But don't let appearances fool you. This seemingly
sensitive shoe gazer has some teeth.
"I am opposed to U.S. imperialism. I am an anti-imperialist. I
don't support the United States government. I don't believe in the
legitimacy of U.S. authority or in its borders. This government
systematically supported slavery, genocide and land theft to get where
it is today."
And so it went. Peter refused to give me his last name. He also
refused us to have a camera anywhere near him. And fair enough. If the
Patriot Act were beefed up by ten pounds or so, people like Peter would
be the first one's to be hauled off by non-descript government agents,
never to be heard from again.

            Change: we've heard a lot of conflicting views on how to get it, even on what it should be.  Both presidential candidates have seized this abstraction in hopes of wooing the electorate. What better candidates to have standing at the forefront as symbols of change? Our next president could be a young, black man with a "funny" name (as he satirically describes). Or he could be an old, white guy with a record of military service... Obviously, voters are sure to be overwhelmed by these mold-breaking candidates...

            Most young people I've talked to, whether they are close friends or colleagues of mine- or strangers I shove my notepad in front of- see Obama as the only candidate for change. For them, this is no ordinary election (indeed, when was the last time we had an ordinary presidential election) because of its potential for substantive policy and attitudinal reforms within the nation. America's quarter-lifers have found their Alamo in Obama...

In my adventures through downtown Denver over the past few days, I'm constantly confronted with evidence of Barack Obama's connection to the youth vote. You can't throw a rock anywhere near the 16th Street Mall without hitting a DNC staffer, delegate, intern or a volunteer with a FaceBook account. Venture into the streets during the night and you'll hear drunken cries for OBAMA as if he were the focal point of a college tailgate. Once a name becomes a barroom battle cry, it is effectively fixed in the youth culture lexicon. (I mean, how often did drunk college kids cheer for the "Gorester" in 2000?)

            There is one thing you should know about me: I am an Iowan. You can take that many ways. I have a cultural...