UNC students stump for 1st black president

From the presidential elections to his NCAA Tournament bracket UNC students' efforts helped President Barack Obama secure two very different wins this year.

And the enthusiasm among students continues even after the president's first three months in office.

Justin Rosenthal co-president of the UNC Young Democrats" said the organization remains optimistic about Obama's agenda.

""Most students on campus understand that his job is going to be long-term" he said. Although we fought so hard to get him in office" it's going to take some time to see some action.""

Rosenthal said the Young Democrats have stayed politically active even after the elections. They have lobbied at the N.C. General Assembly"" and are in process of releasing a progressive publication called ""The Blue Print.""

U.S. Rep. David Price" D-N.C." said in an interview that the president knows that he is going to have to take bold steps to sell his plans to the public and continue gaining their support.

""I feel that Obama will have a warm spot for North Carolina" Price said. He knows the state came through for him big time said Price.

Price and other Obama supporters consider the stimulus package to be the president's biggest achievement.

Presidents don't usually achieve that in the first two months of their presidency" said Isaac Unah, political science professor at UNC.

A poll done by Public Policy Polling shows that 54 percent of the people in the state approve of Obama's efforts so far.

But some on campus are not convinced of his plans.

Jason Sutton, administrative vice president of the UNC College Republicans, said most students on campus are not politically aware enough to realize the consequences of their decision in electing Obama to office.

He said the stimulus package is going to double the national debt in 10 years.

It was hard for the College Republicans to make students aware of these facts during the elections and gain support for Republican candidate John McCain.

Obama was sort of a dream candidate for the youth" especially compared to McCain Sutton said.

He said the Young Democrats used eight years of pent-up frustration well. The College Republicans hope to do the same thing when President Obama runs for re-election in 2012.

From next year we will do our patriotic duty now that we aren't playing defense anymore" he said.

For Vivek Chilukuri, former co-president of UNC Young Democrats, whatever happens in the next election, it is a memory from a cold January morning in Washington, D.C., that will stay with him.

He remembers walking out of the Metro at 4 a.m. to attend the presidential inauguration and seeing a line of people a mile and a half long outside the National Mall waiting to get in.

There's not many things that can get college students out of bed at three in the morning" he said. I said ‘Wow" something special is going to happen.'""



Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.