WASHINGTON – Even before President Obama sets out on the midterm fundraising trail this month, young Democrats in Washington, DC found an unusual way to raise funds – putting dates with young Democrats and Democratic figures up for auction.
Generation Obama Date Auction from Medill Washington on Vimeo.
Last week, young professionals organized by Generation Obama, a group founded in 2007 by the Obama Presidential campaign, put forward 25 dates with young progressives and some Democratic figures. For the more traditional set, bids were requested for a date with Virginia Congressman Jim Moran, and Alicia Menendez, a strategist with the New Democratic Network.
Jim McBride, the co-founder of Generation Obama, said the event was more than just about finding a great date and meeting interesting people. “What we are trying to do is get (young) people excited. A lot of the media is saying we shouldn’t be excited but I disagree. We want to keep people thinking about the midterms.”
McBride said that half of the funds raised from the bids will be given to the Fisher House, the charity which received the cash award President Obama received with his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, and the other half will go to the Democratic Vote 2010 election campaign. Bidders could choose from a list of campaigns, ranging from the re-election campaign of Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada, or the race being waged by Houston mayor Bill White to become Governor of Texas.
Before the auction, the 25 young professionals who were offering themselves as “auctionees” answered questions about themselves and described how they were being their own “Obama” by contributing to society.
“To tell you the truth, it’s terrifying,” said Brooke Stedman, the first person to be auctioned. On stage, before her bid, she talked about her belief in President Obama’s vision, her love of travel, and her multi-linguistic skills.
John Chu, who works with the Department of Energy, used his time on stage to moonwalk and do push-ups to woo female bidders.
“I felt like a piece of meat. No, I’m kidding. Everyone had a good time and got into the spirit of it,” Chu said. His efforts apparently paid off, as he was auctioned to one young woman in the audience.
“It’s for a good cause. And because you have your friends supporting you, it’s worth it,” Stedman said.
Earlier this year, a Harvard University poll, identifying voting trends among young voters in the midterms, showed young Republicans were more enthusiastic about the November elections than their Democratic peers. The poll also said that 41 percent of young Republicans would vote this fall, compared to 35 percent of Democrats and 13 percent of independents.
McBride feels that young Democrats want to be more engaged in the election. “Though we all want it to come faster, the change is happening. We also need to reach out to young people more and do events like this that get them excited.”
Stedman felt unsure that the energy among young voters in the midterms would match the Obama frenzy of 2008. “Obama was very unique in that he was able to bring together an entire generation and make them act. In the upcoming elections the candidates are not going to have the same amount of power and draw.”
But the general sentiment in the room was positive for the Democrats. “Whatever may happen in November, and I think we will outperform the conventional wisdom, I am very optimistic in the long term,” said Anjon Roy, a member of Generation Obama.