(Now, this is partly Danbury related since there is a Young Democrats branch starting back up in Danbury and the College Dems are around at Western Ct. State Univ. In any event, it's always great to see young people eager to be involved in the political process so sit back and enjoy this cross post from my other site, ConnecticutBLOG)


With the midterm elections less than eight weeks away, The Connecticut College Democrats held their organizational kickoff event at the University of Hartford. In an attempt to rally young people to get involved in the election process, students from different colleges and universities across Connecticut came together in an impressive show of solidarity and support for the Democratic Party.

The crowd of over 100 was treated to some of the best speeches to date from the various progressive candidates running for federal and state office.

Those in attendance include the following:

Chris Murphy: candidate 5th Congressional District.
Joe Courtney: candidate 2nd Congressional District.
Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz.
State Comptroller Nancy Wyman.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.
State Treasurer Denise Nappier.

Using their words wisely, each of the candidates running for federal office highlighted on a different topic or concerns which younger generation will be forced to address in the foreseeable future.

Discussing the out-of-control debt the Bush administration is accumulating for the next generation, Ned Lamont used his time to speak out against the rising cost of the war, the effect our present actions will have on the world for decades to come. Lamont also brought up the record-number of people who came out to register before the primary and why it's important for young people to get their friends to register to vote.

Fresh from his national Democratic rebuttal to Bush's weekly address to the nation, Chris Murphy took to the stage and was clearly honored with the show of support from the young crowd.

Technically still a Young Dem himself, Murphy made a point of emphasizing the need for students to get involved in campaigns by volunteering their time towards door knocking, phone banking and helping out in other aspects of the "ground game."

Using Nancy Johnson's latest attack ad, which Murphy described as "something out of Battlestar Galatica," Murphy also drove home the point that the Republicans will do everything in their power to shamelessly smear Democrats at all costs. Based on that analysis, Murphy again stressed the need for the young people to assist in helping the Democrats win the "ground game" which is the key to winning in November.

Of all the candidates who spoke Saturday, Joe Courtney made the biggest impression on the audience and really hit the nail on the head with his detailed analysis of the out of control Republican majority. Calling the Republican-controlled Congress "asleep at the wheel," Courtney energized the crowd with a passionate speech that emphasized why it's critical for the Democratic Party take back control of Congress and bring a sense of check and balance back to Washington.

After the speeches, various workshops were held by the Young Dems to help train students in different aspects of volunteering for campaigns. One of the workshops was on blogging and the impact it has on politics.

I along with the great Spazeboy and MLN's Jon Kantrowitz babbled talked about how to use blogging as a political tool and the different ways one can get involved in the newest form of political communication. It was the first time I ever addressed a crowd on the topic and hopefully I didn't put anyone to sleep.

Big thanks to the College Democrats for inviting me to their event and allowing me to speak to their audience. It was very encouraging to see so many young people eager to get involved in the political process. After leaving the event, not have a great sense that the Democratic Party has a great future in Connecticut.

Here's a video roundup of the main speakers at the event. Enjoy!