Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Clarissa Unger has spent countless hours and dollars campaigning for presidential candidate Barack Obama, and last week Unger’s hard work finally paid off.
Unger, Colby senior and state president of Students for Barack Obama, watched Obama accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president Thursday evening from the floor of INVESCO Field in Denver.
Unger, who has donated her time to the Obama campaign during school breaks in Iowa and Obama’s campaign headquarters in Chicago, was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
The convention, which began Aug. 25 and ended Aug. 29, was the hub of politics last week, featuring speeches by top Democratic officials and late-night VIP parties.
But Unger’s favorite memory from the convention will be of neither. Unger will mostly fondly recall of the roll call vote when Kansas delegates voted six to 37 to elect Obama as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. Six delegates voted for Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Clarissa Unger, Colby senior, boxes medical supplies for Project C.U.R.E. as part of the first-ever Delegate Service Day at the Democratic National Convention. Unger said she was glad she had the opportunity to give back to the people of Denver in return their hospitality during the convention.
Unger could be seen on TV during the broadcast of the vote because she was seated directly behind and to the left of Kansas Democratic Party Chairman Larry Gates when he announced Kansas’ vote and gave a shoutout to the University of Kansas.
Unger said it was incredible to watch her party come together during that moment as Kansas’ delegates who originally supported Clinton changed their votes to Obama.
Clinton later interrupted the vote, putting it to an end, and Obama was selected as the candidate.
“That was the most exciting moment of my life,” Unger said.
Unger said she also enjoyed attending the joint Students for Barack Obama and College Democrats meeting in Denver, in addition to participating in the first-ever delegate service day.
Unger said she thought the convention itself ran smoothly and the party successfully communicated its message and goals to voters.
“Everything that needed to happen happened. Everything that needed to be said was said,” Unger said. “We came together as a unified party. I don’t think anyone can argue that at this point.”
She said she doubted the GOP would be able to outdo the Democrats’ convention.
“I think it’s going to be hard for them to show that — especially where our country is now and with George Bush and Dick Cheney there — that it’s not more of the same,” she said. “I don’t know. I really don’t have a lot of hope for them.”
She also said it would be hard for Republicans to top the Democrats in attendance numbers as well. About 35,000 people attended last week’s convention.
This week, Republicans are scheduled to participate in similar proceedings at their national convention in Minneapolis, Minn. However, the convention is on hold because of Hurricane Gustav.
Unger said she was still interested in watching the Republican National Convention’s broadcast. She said she especially wanted to see Sen. John McCain’s wife’s speech.
“She has nothing on Michelle Obama,” she said.
— Edited by Lauren Keith
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