By Leah Reis-Dennis
Published: June 2, 2008 12:00

Traditionally, the older generation has dominated politics. The 18- to 25-year-old group lags in historic voting records, leaving monumental decisions in the hands of those who may not have our concerns in mind.

Lately, however, this trend has lessened, partly in thanks to nonpartisan “get out the vote” groups such as the national Rock the Vote campaign and the Oregon-focused Bus Project. The appearance of a charismatic politician who is capable of relating to the younger set has also helped get the college crew to put down the Xbox and think about the ballot box.

Yes, I am referring to Barack Obama.

While on the streets, canvassing for Obama, I found a new kind of politics and an unknown Eugene. I discovered that politics consist of more than ballots. True, voting matters and elections eventually come down to numbers, but the process of spreading a message and uniting voters toward common goals is just as important.

I have witnessed and participated in political discussions during the past few months that have surprised me.

As a 16-year-old I cannot vote, but I can encourage my peers and fellow citizens to do so. With this in mind (and a rather empty looking community service log in hand), I set out with a friend (in lovely April hail) for our first, four-hour long canvassing stint.

After instruction from my mom to avoid kidnapping, we arrived at the Obama office, received a briefing on canvassing procedure and got our mission: knock on the doors of potential Obama supporters to get them to register as Democrats, enabling them to vote in the May 20 primary.

Hoping for an area friendly to inexperienced canvassers, we chose to walk the downtown and University of Oregon campus. Wishful thinking. I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say we weren’t so successful.

While we did manage to register four people (only three of whom were on our list to begin with), we found ourselves wandering through dorms, knocking on the doors of silent sorority houses, approaching a fraternity house (from which we fled, my mom’s warning in mind), and winning an invitation into an incense-laden apartment filled with psychedelic-mushroom paraphernalia. Not the best neighborhood for two 16-year-old girls.

A month later — feeling a little more politically savvy, more confident in our ability to knock on strangers’ doors without giggling and motivated by urgency of the looming primary — we set out again. The day after Obama’s unannounced visits to Prince Pücklersand other local hot spots, the political energy in Eugene was tangible.

When we hit the streets of southeast Eugene, we received positive reactions. Our Obama shirts and stickers drew horn honks and whoops from down the street, and, in the heat, we welcomed an invitation to cool our feet in a kiddie pool.

We did hit some unusual houses. A Russian woman listened to me speak for about a minute, only to motion for a pamphlet and say, “No English.” And we enjoyed speaking with a friendly but ineligible Canadian.

But the most memorable houses we visited were those where we engaged in substantive conversation. The opportunity to connect with someone face to face, whether discussing the candidates’ health care plans or simply lamenting the sizzling temperatures made up for the unresponsive residents who blared their music in an effort to drown out the doorbell.

As we continued our trek while discussing people, politics and prom, it dawned on me that the campaign had inspired the kind of politics in which everyone, regardless of age, can get involved. We all have something at stake, especially my generation.

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Leah Reis-Dennis is a junior at South Eugene High. Submit a comment for this column, or see her slideshow.