Can Falwell's University Tip Virginia To McCain?

[Pryderi]

Can Falwell's University Tip Virginia To McCain?
by Barbara Bradley Hagerty


On Sept. 10, Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. delivered a high-minded message to the students at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. The son of the late evangelical leader spoke of the students' civic responsibility to vote. Then he made an announcement.

"We are planning to cancel classes on Election Day," he said, his voice instantly drowned out by wild cheering. "Now I know what you care about," he observed, laughing.

It's part of a grand strategy to get Liberty's 10,000 students to vote in Virginia. The university will bus students to the polls, stage an all-day concert complete with food, and lift curfew so they can watch the results on a giant-screen TV.

For the past 44 years, Virginia has been a reliably Republican state. But this year, the presidential race is a tossup. Polls put Democrat Barack Obama slightly ahead of Republican John McCain.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95414732

[EstimatedProphet]

1. How many times will they have to vote to make a difference?

[Pryderi]

4. Once?

[EstimatedProphet]

15. 10,000 students in a state with a population of 7,642,884?

I know what you're saying, and we don't want to lose VA, but I think the assholes of Liberty U really overestimate their own importance - which they usually do anyway.

[Curtland1015]

2. I'm sure anyone who was going to vote at Fal-U was going to regardless...

...of if classes were cancelled.

I wouldn't be too worried about them.

[leftofcool]

3. Probably not but VA is a Red state and a large military based

state.

[FSogol]

6. Virginia is a purple State. We have a Democratic Governor and

will have 2 Democratic Senators after this election. Warner and Webb (both Democrats) are hugely popular with the military areas of VA. Northern Virginia and most of the exburbs are consistently Democratic.

[leftofcool]

10. We can only hope, but I would not get complacent

[spooky3]

12. I hope you will be working to get out the vote.

[leftofcool]

13. We don't live in VA

Many friends there but we are in the neighboring state and it is already blue, thank goodness

[spooky3]

11. and the NoVA Dems are mobilized to get out the vote BIG time

They know huge margins are needed here to offset more conservative parts of the state. That is what delivered Webb and Warner. People are being encouraged to vote absentee to avoid long lines and concerns about electronic voting machines. (I've voted already). The rules are very liberal about absentee ballots - you just have to be out of the county for part of the day (or in different VA counties from where they live), and many people in NoVA work in DC or Maryland and qualify. The lines were very long in 2004 and I expect them to be even longer this year.

A BIG difference from 2004 is that Obama is spending many $$$ and some time in the state. In 2004, we heard almost nothing from Kerry and Edwards because they were focusing on the bluer states - and has less $. A shame, since Edwards could have really helped them here. It will be very interesting to see if Obama's approach (and Dean's 50 state strategy), combined with the huge influx of contributions the Dems didn't have in 2004, will make the difference.

[No Elephants]

5. How many threads on Falwell students voting McCain does DU need?

[Pryderi]

7. I just heard it on NPR. If my thread offended thee please forgive :sarcasm:

[No Elephants]

9. Thanks for your concern.

[YDogg]

8. falwell's still dead, isn't he??

[leftofcool]

14. I hope so

[Blue_Tires]

16. lol

Liberty's 10,000 isn't even enough to negate the dems at UVA and VCU (state's largest school)