Young Dems Host Former Gov. McAuliffe and President Obama
By Taya Coates
coatestm@vcu.edu
A crowd of nearly 2,000 supporters roared as former Governor Terry McAuliffe arrived at the heart of the VCU Monroe Park Campus on Saturday, Oct. 23. In coordination with Young Democrats at VCU, McAullife hosted a rally at Cabell Library featuring Virginia Democratic leaders and a special guest, former President Barack Obama.
Fellow Democratic candidates Del. Hala Ayala and Attorney General Mark Herring were present to endorse McAullife for Governor as well as former Gov. Ralph Northam, Virginia Speaker of the House Eileen Filler-Corn, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, U.S. Reps. Donald McEachin and Bobby Scott, McAuliffe’s wife, Dorothy McAuliffe, and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine.
Each official had a different fond memory of working with the former governor to share, emphasizing McAuliffe’s personal dedication to making Virginia a better place. After praising McAullife for the highlights of his successful term as the 72nd governor of Virginia from 2014-2018, such as reducing unemployment in every city in the state, the Democrats changed their tone.
To discourage voters from supporting the opposing candidate, Governor Glenn Youngkin, speeches followed the pattern of turning to the defensive. From Youngkin’s controversial support of abortion bans to the January 6 insurrection, the Democrats shined a bright light on every one of Youngkin’s far-right-leaning viewpoints. DNC Chairman Harrison threw out the most direct statement, calling Youngkin a “fanboy of Donald Trump” and McAuillife later cosigned the statement, referring to his opponent as “Donald Trump in khakis” which garnered large applause from the crowd.
All the things I learned helped me analyze the strategies used by these politicians. I felt like I was in the know."
Honors freshman Rachel Z.’s previous learning experiences provided her context to form an objective viewpoint at the event. She shared, “all the things I learned..helped me analyze the strategies used by these politicians. I felt like I was in the know.”
The supportive crowd showered McAullife with applause as he revealed his plans for the next four years, including raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2024, securing the state as the first to hit record lows for COVID-19 cases, and paid sick leave. Former President Obama closed out the program, emphasizing the importance of voting to create real change. When an audience member booed in response to Youngkin’s name, Obama stated, “Don’t boo, vote.”
According to McAullife, over 60K Virginians had already cast their ballots by the day of the rally. There was no word on what percentage of that figure is enrolled at VCU, but with a student population of 30K, the school has the power to dramatically impact that figure from students alone. This condensed population becomes even more influential in local elections that affect the areas on and surrounding VCU’s campus.
Honors students have been working to spread awareness about the immense voting power the university holds through VCU Votes, “a network of VCU students, faculty and staff members dedicated to promoting voter engagement on campus.” During the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters, Honors students enrolled in a topic course to jumpstart the social media presence of the organization. Although the course is no longer available at this time, the organization still stands with the foundation built by the Honors community.
Although the election did not turn in McAullife’s favor, his effort to collaborate with Young Democrats at VCU will not be forgotten by the university community. On that Saturday, the buzz around the rally fostered discussions all around the entire campus about the importance of the upcoming election. Showing up and showing a group that their vote matters is sometimes all it takes to empower citizens to contribute to their government. That everlasting gift is exactly what all of the officials in attendance chose to give VCU that day, and that impact will last a lifetime.