Costner Campaigns For Early Voting At Colorado State U.
This story was written by Johnny Hart, Rocky Mountain Collegian
Actor Kevin Costner visited Colorado State Univeristy Tuesday afternoon to push early voting and the youth vote.
The star of "Bull Durham," "The Bodyguard" and "Swing Vote" is just one in a slew of recent celebrity appearances campaigning as surrogates for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama to influence college-aged voters to hit the polls.
"A united youth of America can be one of the strongest groups in the world," Costner said.
Costner, 53, traveled to Colorado to inform young voters on the implications of not taking voting seriously, saying that his generation was going to change the world and they didn't.
"There are those who observe and those who participate," Costner said.
Costner talked about depictions of young people as apathetic and inactive at the polls.
He jokingly gave examples of reasons students didn't vote on election night, including being hung-over and missing the date.
"If you work hard this week, then you'll have a reason to party next week," Costner said, joking with the crowd of students.
Although campaigning for Obama, Costner did not compel students to vote for the senator from Illinois.
"We're sick and tired of red states and blue states," Costner said.
"It's not how we see ourselves," he said in his speech.
Costner added in an interview, "I don't have to be against Sarah (Palin) and John (McCain) to be for Barack (Obama)," Costner said.
District 3 County Commissioner hopeful Roger Hoffmann, D-Loveland, has been on campus the past two days, attending the Costner event Tuesday and pushing local election issues on the Lory Student Center Plaza Monday.
"I don't think you can expect somebody to be involved in politics at all levels," Hoffmann said referring to Costner, who resides in California.
But Hoffmann, a fervent supporter of local issues and voting down party lines said, "You can't just rely on one man."
Approximately 20 to 30 students followed Obama volunteers to the Lory Student Center to partake in early voting.
According to volunteer and junior technical journalism major Collin Czarnecki, the crowd was chanting, "Vote early, vote Obama."
"I kind of wanted more, but it was good," Czarnecki said.
He said he believes students can relate to the Democratic nominee better than other candidates.
In reference to a remark in which Costner said Obama was made for the presidency, Czarnecki said, "It's in Obama's DNA. It's a good way to relate how everyone is connecting to him.