Barack Obama will make history in one week in no small measure due to the enthusiasm and commitment of America’s youth. The Obama campaign awakened a generation. To be sure, this campaign was aided by events surrounding the campaign, from a bungled and ill-considered war at the start of the campaign to a financial meltdown at the conclusion of the campaign. But the stability of his support among young people, largely uninterrupted throughout the year, and their growing enthusiasm is nothing short of remarkable and will influence American politics for generations to come.
It is, therefore, no real surprise to see both Obama’s margin and young people’s commitment to vote peaking going into the last week.