On October 1, I had the privilege to come to Rutgers to see a screening of 18 in ’08, a documentary produced by David Burstein, a Haverford College freshman. The documentary’s purpose: to get out the youth (18 to 24 year-old) vote and tell politicians how to make it happen.
Burstein and friends interviewed over 60 elected and former office-holders: Congressmen, Senators, Governors, mayors, state legislations and Presidential candidates, as well as activists, campus leaders, journalists and political consultants but thankfully, only one celebrity Richard Dreyfuss. If Burstein, et al. had to include a celebrity, Dreyfuss was an excellent choice; in Mr. Holland’s Opus, he played a music teacher beloved by more than two generations of high school students.
18 in ’08 is not a “Rock the Vote” appeal to youth. It includes the words of many current students and recent graduates of varied political persuasions; that makes it more real-life to college audiences than celebrity appeals. 18 in 08 does an excellent job of explaining the obstacles to youth voting, which included:
The right to vote is under-appreciated and taken for...