Sweet Briar College’s Young Democrats get the word out for Barack Obama

Though none of the three are old enough to vote in the upcoming election, Amherst County residents Bree, 5, Neeko, 7, and Thunder, 14, all lent their particular abilities to the Obama campaign on Saturday, as three Sweet Briar College students canvassed a seven-mile loop near the school — on horseback.

The grassroots effort, aimed specifically at tallying existing support for presidential candidate Barack Obama, was a success, according to Lucy Hankinson.

Hankinson, president of the college’s Young Democrats, said she was thrilled to get the horses involved in the effort.

“We really want to do all we can,” she said.

Hankinson, along with fellow students Lindsay Mills and Lindsay Eneguess, stopped at about 30 homes in the Sunset Drive and Main Street areas of Amherst.

Hankinson said most people reacted to the visits with surprise, but were generally pleasant.

“Little kids came out and petted the horses,” she said.

Others waved banners, or just stared.

“They were just pleasantly surprised, I think.”

Hankinson, a senior at Sweet Briar, said when she came to the school there were only four members of Young Democrats, compared with the 20 currently signed up.

Mills, a senior, has been involved with Young Democrats for about a year, she said.

When she heard about the horse idea, she jumped at the chance.

“I thought it was cool,” she said.

What reaction did she expect to get?

“Interested,” she said, “or kind of confused, like ‘uh, what are you guys doing?’”

Others in the group, assisted by members of Amherst County Democrats and other volunteers, took a more orthodox approach, walking, bicycling or driving to their target homes.

Hankinson said volunteers visited upward of 300 homes, and that about half of the voters her group encountered supported Obama. The other half supported John McCain.

The conservative influence in Central Virginia, Hankinson said, didn’t faze the group.

“We’re really excited about finally getting to participate,” she said.

And though there’s some rivalry between conservative and liberal groups, Hankinson said the point is to get people politically active.

“We’re working a lot with the College Republicans to just get people registered to vote,” she said.

“It’s not about the party. It’s about educating yourselves on the issues and voting according to your beliefs.”

Hankinson said the groups have registered more than 100 people to vote so far this year.

“We don’t necessarily care how you vote so long as it’s something you legitimately believe in,” she said.