WMNF Sean Kinane - USF St. Pete students react to their volunteer experiences on New Hampshire presidential campaigns

Click this link to listen to the audio recordings of our students' interviews:

https://www.wmnf.org/usf-st-pete-students-react-volunteer-new-hampshire-presidential-campaigns/

WMNF's Sean Kinane:

USF St. Pete students react to their volunteer experiences on New Hampshire presidential campaigns

 

 

Senator Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday; the second- and third-place finishers, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, also earned delegates with their strong performance.
They had help on their campaigns from political science students from the University of South Florida at St. Petersburg.
Peyton Johnson, a senior majoring in political science, volunteered for the Sanders campaign.

“I think we accomplished what we came to do. And we touched a lot of voters. I am really confident going into Super Tuesday that we will be able to maintain the momentum that we have here.
“And when we go back to Florida, I know a lot of us have plans to continue to canvas and phone bank and intern in those offices, because we feel so strongly that Bernie Sanders will be our next president.”

SK: What was it like talking to voters in New Hampshire? What were some of the issues that were important to them? And when you met Bernie Sanders supporters, what were they supporting him for?

“Mainly, in New Hampshire, I was talking to a lot of people who were still undecided. I mean, it was so ironic for me to talk to voters who were two to three days from going to the polls and not having a decision yet.
“Because in Florida, most of us know going in, you know, a week, two weeks before. But because there’s such a grassroots movement here, they get to see the candidates all the time. But, I think that it was exciting, yet heartbreaking at the same time, to hear what the Trump administration has done and how it has impacted some of the voters here in New Hampshire.
“We talked to a lot of people who have family members who have reached their cap for Medicare and have medical bills piling up. And their parents are sick and they can’t get help. Or they have student loans that are so high that they can’t pay them anymore. And it was heartbreaking. But it also reassured me that the votes that we got were genuine and not just because they were just trying to beat Donald Trump. That they actually believed in candidate Sanders’ policies.”

Listen:

USF St. Petersburg class will travel to New Hampshire to work on 2020 presidential primary campaigns. By Seán Kinane / WMNF News (30 Jan. 2020).

SK: As someone who worked on a campaign that won the state what can you say about the experience, and what you look forward to going forward?

“The experience was, I think the best word to use is ‘euphoric.’ I have never worked in a campaign that everyone was so excited and had so much faith in someone that they didn’t know. And for us to be fighting in the rain, in the cold, in the snow for someone who we didn’t know really said something about American democracy.
“And I learned a lot about a process, and how really grassroots organization really impacts each and every one of our lives. And I think one of those takeaways that your vote really does matter, especially here in this state. Also, in Iowa. Bernie won the popular vote in Iowa and he won the popular vote here. And I have confidence that he will go on to win the electoral college and become our next president.”

But not all the USF students worked for campaigns that did well. First-year political science student Manuel Rodriguez volunteered for former Vice President Joe Biden, who came in fifth.

“I mean, I was expecting it. Because just seeing how the other students were talking about their campaigns, I knew that not a lot of resources were going to Iowa and New Hampshire. And he’s definitely prioritizing in Nevada and South Carolina.
“So, I wasn’t disappointed. I knew was going to happen. When I talked to voters, they were pretty much all set, until you got to the undecided. And the undecided had a bunch of different options. So, it’s really hard to concentrate, you know, them onto one voter.”

Listen:

SK: When you talk to voters, especially voters who said that they were supporting Joe Biden, what were some of the issues that were important to them?

“The number one issue, I think for everybody across the candidates, was to get this guy out of the White House. But definitely, that was an appeal to Biden. A lot of people, including me, feel like he has that electability factor. So, that was definitely number one.
And then number two, they just wanted somebody who would just be a good, decent, honest, caring person. And I can tell you that, for a fact, when I met him the first time, and I shook his hand, I definitely — I knew him, and I hadn’t even met him. That’s the feeling that I got from him.
“And I know he’s like that with every single person. I know he can work with people.
“He knows, he understands suffering because he experienced suffering. And he knows how to connect with humans. And I think those are the feelings that people get from him. That’s how he connects to people.”

SK: When you talk about shaking his hand, is that something that happened in New Hampshire? And if so, describe what happened.

“So, this was the first town hall that I had worked with the three other Biden people. We had basically set up an event in Concord for him to come speak at a local Town Hall public event. So, one of the other students was like, ‘Oh let’s go take a photo with him.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, okay.’
“But there was this long line. We had to push through and we’re pretty small people compared to the rest. So, we pushed through. And then I got to take his hand. And I immediately just got this warm presence as if, he’s there, I’m there. He knows what he’s doing. He loves what he’s doing. He doesn’t seem like a politician. He just seems like one human talking to another human talking about what both care about. And immediately I got that vibe, which tells you something about the person. And yeah, it was really special.”

Jazzy Duarte is a senior majoring in environmental science and policy at USF St. Petersburg. She volunteered in New Hampshire with the Klobuchar campaign.

“It was kind of insane. So, we were just doing some poll visibility throughout the day. So, just sitting outside of the polls, getting everyone excited about voting for Amy. And then we headed over to Concord where they were having the victory party.
“And we just walk in and we see the TV with the results on, and we were just like ‘Oh my gosh, she’s in third place! Do we start freaking out right now or what?’ And it was just really exciting.
“We felt the excitement in the room from all the people, like the staff, the volunteers, the supporters. Just so proud of her because it was a moment that she definitely deserves.
“She was one of those candidates that not everyone believed was going to make it. And she always talks about it in her speeches how they didn’t think she was going to make it through her first state in announcing her candidacy. And then now they didn’t think she was going to make it to summer. But here she is, pushing through New Hampshire, and then going to go to Nevada and South Carolina.”

SK: You probably spoke with a lot of voters. What was it about Amy Klobuchar that they told you that changed their minds? And maybe, I might specifically ask if anyone mentioned the debate?

“Yes. So that was a huge thing. When we were like making calls, being sure that people knew about everything with Amy Klobuchar, they said that the debate was the big turning point for their vote.”

Listen:

SK: And finally, what were some of the issues that people said were important to them?

“So, we got a lot of issues. I think that the biggest one was defeating Donald Trump. That was a huge issue that people just wanted to combat.
“But then also just having someone in office who’s actually going to make change.
“Some other issues that people directly classified: healthcare was something really big. Climate change was a big one. Education was a big one.
“So, I think just talking about all of those simultaneously while trying to advocate for Amy’s campaign was really, really big. And just seeing how much she’s developed as a leader on the candidate stage. And seeing how well she is doing public speaking. But then also talking with her constituents and seeing what they really need. And how she can effectively do that while in office is something that’s transcending among everyone else.”

The professor of the course is Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan. The students are blogging. You can read it here. And here is a link to the course blog.
Three Democratic presidential candidates have dropped out since polls closed on Tuesday: Deval Patrick, Michael Bennet and Andrew Yang.
Florida’s presidential preference primary election is March 17. The deadline to register to vote or to change your party is Tuesday, February 18.