Senator Barack Obama has an overwhelming lead over Senator John McCain when it comes to college newspaper endorsements.  According to CDA's internal tally, Senator Obama currently leads Senator McCain by a spread of 74 to 1. 

This spread is not surprising however when you consider the policies that each candidate represents.  Young people now realize that they have to pay the price of eight years of failed Bush economic policies - policies that John McCain would continue.  It’s become increasingly harder to secure loans to attend college, and the job market for college graduates is getting smaller.  Now more than ever, young people understand that we can’t afford four more years of the same; they understand that Senator Obama will bring us the change we need.

Scroll down to see our tally of newspaper endorsements:

Barack Obama: 74

• The Arizona Daily Wildcat, U. Arizona
• The Daily Bruin, UCLA
• The Daily Nexus, UC-Santa Barbara
• The New University, UC-Irvine
• The Orion, California State University - Chico
• El Vaquero, Glendale Community College
• The Daily Californian, UC-Berkeley
• The Central Florida Future, University of Central Florida
• The Stetson University Reporter, Stetson University
• The Iowa State Daily, Iowa State U.
• The Daily Eastern News, Eastern Illinois University
• The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern U.
• The Daily Illini, U. Illinois
• The Northern Star, Northern Illinois U.
• The Decaturian, Millikin University
• The Indiana Daily Student, Indiana U.
• The University Daily Kansan, University of Kansas
• The Louisville Cardinal, University of Louisville
• The Amherst Student, Amherst College
• The Berkeley Beacon, Emerson College
• The Tufts Daily, Tufts University
• The Justice, Brandeis University
• The Harvard Crimson, Harvard College
• The Tech, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• The Sophian, Smith College
• The Point News, St. Mary's College of MD
• The Bowdoin Orient, Bowdoin College
• The Bates Student, Bates College
• The Life, Central Michigan University
• The Voice, Washtenaw Community College
• The Michigan Daily, U. of Michigan
• The State News, Michigan State University
• The Michigan Journal, U. Michigan - Dearborn
• The Minnesota Daily, U. Minnesota
• The Mac Weekly, Macalester College
• The University News, St. Louis University
• The Maneater, U. Missouri
• The Davidsonian, Davidson College
• The Duke Chronicle, Duke University
• The Lamron, SUNY-Geneseo
• The Binghamton Prospect Magazine, SUNY-Binghamton
• The BU Pipe Dream, SUNY-Binghamton
• The Cardinal Points, SUNY-Plattsburgh
  
• The Chronicle, Hofstra University
• The Columbia Daily Spectator, Columbia University
• The Cornell Daily Sun, Cornell University
• The Miscellany News, Vassar College
  
• The Daily Kent Stater, Kent State University
• The Independent Collegian, U. Toledo
• The Miami Student, Miami University
• The Post, Ohio University
• The Oklahoma Daily, U. Oklahoma
• The Rocket, Slippery Rock University
• The Swarthmore Phoenix, Swarthmore College
• The Pitt News, U. Pittsburgh
• The College Reporter, Franklin & Marshall College
• The Daily Pennsylvanian, University of Pennsylvania
• The Daily Gamecock, U. South Carolina
• The Pacer, U. Tennessee-Martin
• The Optimist, Abilene Christian University
• The Daily Texan,    U of Texas - Austin
• The Et Cetera, Eastfield College
• The Daily Campus, Southern Methodist University
• The Daily Utah Chronicle, U. Utah
• The Flat Hat, College of William and Mary
• The Mace and Crown, Old Dominion University
• The Middlebury Campus, Middlebury College
• The Daily Evergreen, Washington State U.
• The Badger Herald, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• The Daily Cardinal, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• The Advance-Titan, U. Wisconsin-Oshkosh
• The Lakeland Mirror, Lakeland College
• The Parthenon, Marshall University
• The Daily Athenaeum, West Virginia U.

John McCain: 1

• The Daily Mississippian, U. Mississippi

By Katie Naranjo on November 2, 2008 8:16 PM

From the Huffington Post:

by Katie Naranjo

Young people in Florida are kind of a big deal. A native of Texas - a reliably red state - it's refreshing for me to see all the excitement surrounding our Democratic process in the hottest (literally it's a beautiful 77 degrees today in Miami) battleground state. In Miami alone, the Obama campaign is working with seven campuses, and they're mobilizing over 35 statewide! With nine dedicated full time youth vote staffers in the state, students in Florida are turning out at much higher rates than expected!

Stationed in Miami, I am working with students at the Florida International University and University of Miami. On Wednesday I began canvassing with students to get out the vote and to encourage students to volunteer on Election Day - and they are answering the call. The number of students signing up to volunteer is smashing our sign-up goals, and college campuses are turning out to vote at an even higher rate than young professionals! Indeed, early voting in Florida has been flooded with so many people that Gov. Christ extended early voting from 7AM to 7PM.

A few more encouraging trends to report: the traditional notion of Cubans voting Republican no longer is the norm, especially with young Cubans in college, and the numerous stories of students changing their parents or abuelo's (grandparent's) opinions are just one sign that Florida is not only in play, but that youth are changing the dynamics of the game.

However one problem remains prominent: early vote locations being under-staffed and lines are long. Most students relayed stories of waiting 2 to 3 hours to vote early. Nevertheless, students won't be deterred this year - not when the stakes are this high - and the Obama campaign is proactively addressing the wait by entertaining voters and having staff support available to answer questions and provide information.

Needless to say, I am no longer in Texas Toto. Young people are fired up and this year the Democrats are going to win!

By Katie Naranjo on November 1, 2008 9:25 PM

From the Huffington Post:

October 8, 2008

By Katie Naranjo on October 8, 2008 4:51 PM

From the Huffington Post:

September 12, 2008

At the College Democrats of America (CDA) Convention in Denver, young voters proved that we’re ready to change the political landscape as we know it.  Students from across the country engaged experts on issue panels ranging from the environment, faith in politics, new media to hip hop’s influence on our political culture.  Students also participated in campaign trainings directly designed to assist with preparations on college campuses for voter registration, mobilization, protection and turnout.  We know that young voters recognize the generational theme of this historic election. That’s why we left Colorado clear on our goals for November 4: Register, mobilize, turnout, and elect Sen. Obama.

Washington pundits have always written young voters off - assuming that we won’t turn out on Election Day.  But we’ve already proven why this year is different.  With Senator Obama as our voice, young people are more motivated and empowered than ever to have their votes counted. In the Democratic primaries, over 6.5 million young people voted - up over 100% from 2004.  Young people are voting overwhelmingly for Democrats, and our record-setting turnout in the Iowa Caucuses helped launch Senator Barack Obama’s victory in the Democratic primary.  College Democrats across the country are confident that the trends we’ve seen are not a fluke.  We’ve been on the frontlines of registering and organizing voters, educating our generation on the issues at stake and why this election matters.  Young people feel connected to politics again - the issues are too relevant and the times are too tough.  We know the problems and the solution. This year the youth will show up and vote for Senator Obama.



Our plans for this election are ambitious - but we have no intentions of falling short.  College Democrats will register and mobilize thousands of new student voters in key swing states across the country.   State by state, precinct by precinct, CDA’s “Precinct Project” aims at harnessing the excitement of this presidential year to maximize turnout for the entire Democratic ticket.  We want the center of attention at every student activity fair to be the voter registration table.  We want to bring the election to our peers and engage them about the issues and the candidates - from the presidency to the city council.  

But there are still serious hurdles for college students when it comes to voting rights.  Voter suppression poses a major hurdle to college students as they head for the voting booth.  Voter ID laws, a lack of ballot boxes on college campuses, and confusion regarding residency requirements prevent thousands of students from exercising their right to vote.  This has been a major concern of the College Democrats since 2000, and one we will continue to fight for in this election.  One of the highlights of our Denver convention was when students enthusiastic to put an end to voter suppression planned detailed, state-by-state education campaigns and learned how to petition their state officials and registrars of voters to obtain early voting locations on their campuses.   

If the College Democrats Convention has demonstrated anything, it’s that not only are college students valued hands on Election Day for phonebanking and canvassing, but we are a strong and increasing constituency in the Democratic Party.  We are growing, we are fired up and we are working as a unified force to elect Senator Obama and the rest of the Democratic ticket.  This year, students are turning out to the polls in record numbers - representing 25% of the primary vote - and this trend will only increase in November.  Students are here.  Students are listening to the candidates.  Students are educated on the issues. And most importantly, students recognize that in more than any time in recent history, this is a generational election. Politics is relevant to the youth again.  We now know what it feels like to be invigorated by a candidate who represents our concerns. We proved the pundits wrong in the primaries. And we’re going to prove them wrong again on November 4. Vote Obama.

By Lauren Wolfe on September 16, 2008 12:16 AM

(Cross-posted at HuffingtonPost.com)

Thanks to the Democratic Congress, today the interest rates for federal student loans will decrease 0.8 percent.

What does this mean in the real lives of students? Though President Bush has no problem spending billions in Iraq, American students can barely scrape enough money together to go to college. With college costs having skyrocketed in recent years, the average college student now graduates with $21,600.* That's not the best way to send America's best and brightest into the world. Luckily, decreasing the interest rate on student loans is one of the many ways that Democratic leaders in Congress have addressed increasing college costs.

In addition to interest rates, students will now be permitted to borrow an additional $2,000 in unsubsidized federal student loans each year. Previously students could only borrow $3,500, but this year they can borrow up to $5,500. These federal loans typically have lower fees and interest rates than private loans.

It's important that the next administration places a high priority on addressing the needs of college students who are struggling to support themselves financially. Building a well-educated workforce that isn't burdened by excessive amounts of debt is part of building a strong economy.

Senator Obama and his family know this issue well. He and his wife often talk about how they were only recently able to pay back student loans. Thanks to two recent best sellers, the Obama family is now student debt free. If running for president and writing a best-selling book or two is the only way to pay off your student debt, things are not looking good for the rest of us.

It is imperative that we make higher education accessible in this country. Today's interest rate decrease is a start. And with Barack Obama in the White House, we'll have a president who truly understands the burdens of student loans, and we'll see even more progress.

* = For a student graduating from a public university in 2006. Source: Project on Student Debt.

By Lauren Wolfe on July 7, 2008 6:17 PM

With the youth vote surging this year, we are expecting a very large attendance at the annual College Democrats of America Convention. So if you want to go to Denver, start planning now! Here are the details: The CDA Convention begins Friday, August 22nd. Most of the CDA portion of the programming will be over by Sunday, August 24th but lots of events will continue through the Democratic National Convention. Both events will officially end on Thursday, August 28th.

Everyone is encouraged to stay for the College Democrats of America Convention (which will have most of its events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and for the Democratic National Convention (which begins Monday and ends on Thursday). For those who were at our 2004 CDA Convention which overlapped the Democratic Convention in Boston, this year will be exactly the same. During the Democratic National Convention we will host all sorts of panels, parties, and events.

Registration is limited and housing is even more limited. If you have housing options available to you in Denver, secure them now. Know a friends couch you can stay on? Great. Otherwise CDA has dorms that will be available for students from Friday, August 22 to Thursday, August 28th. Prices and registration are up on on www.collegedems.com.

Also, we've made this fun video: http://www.youtube.com/v/CC6WX_Qc5pU&rel=1

See you in Denver!

By Lauren Wolfe on March 19, 2008 5:15 PM

Hello and Welcome to a brand new College Democrats website – and with the site a new blog and videos with stories from across the country, a newsletter to let you know what we are up to, and podcasts that you can listen to on your way to class.

CDA is expanding upon its efforts in hopes to truly get input from across the country. If you have a story, a video, or a podcast from your campus that you want to share, let us know. We hope to feature as many stories as possible from schools from all fifty states. Keep checking back for daily updates, download our podcasts and spread our videos on Facebook and MySpace. Keep up the momentum, mobilize the vote, and get ready for November 2008!

By Lauren Wolfe on February 6, 2008 2:36 PM

A number of leaders in the College Democrats have recently been published in the Huffington Post.

Check out CDA National Council Chair, Iraq War Veteran, and Bowdoin College Senior Alex Cornell du Houx's front page featured blog post about his views regarding the disastrous, war in Iraq. Click here to read it.

Also be sure to check out National Political Affairs Director and Truman State Senior Sam Hodge's remarks on the Housing and Urban Development Secretary, and on the cronyism mentality of the Bush Administration. Click here to read it.

Finally check out CDA National President Lauren Wolfe's commentary on the 2007 National Convention, and on the increasing importance of the youth vote. Click here to read it.

By Katie Naranjo on November 13, 2007 6:24 PM

One of the most exciting Democratic presidential candidates, John Edwards, will be speaking at the 2007 CDA Convention!

During the Convention, Senator Edwards will be bringing his campaign directly to us. Senator Edwards has shown a commitment to engaging the youth of America and our issues. And we are very excited that he is joining us in Columbia. To learn more about the John Edwards for President Campaign, visit http://johnedwards.com

For more information on CDA '07 please visit us at http://convention.collegedems.com

Sign up now to take advantage of the low-price early registration and to secure your place to see Senator Edwards.

Be on the lookout for more convention announcements.

By CDA on April 19, 2007 7:21 AM

I wish there was something I could write here to express the incalculable loss to the family and friends of the students murdered at Virginia Tech this morning. Over thirty students were killed by a gunman in the worst shooting in modern US history. There are things we can do to help prevent atrocities in the future, but for now let's take a moment of silence in honor of those lost today. Our hearts go out to you.

By CDA on April 16, 2007 9:08 PM