Focus on Fla. highlights importance of swing votes

(By Phil Sandlin, AP)

First lady Michelle Obama speaks at a campaign rally at the University of Florida Monday, Sept. 17, 2012, in Gainesville, Fla.

Students at the University of Florida were greeted by not one, but two political figures Monday afternoon.

While Michelle Obama was gator chomping at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, George P. Bush was chatting up young professionals at the Swamp Restaurant. And although the two rallies were organized separately, both speakers reiterated the same message — head to the ballot box.

Their speeches emphasized the importance of the collegiate voice and the idea that every vote counts. This focus on reaching out to individual voters, as well as the parties’ constant visits to Florida, indicates just how valuable swing states are to the 2012 election.

In 14 of the last 16 weeks, President Barack Obama, Republican candidate Mitt Romney or one of their surrogates have been in Florida campaigning for votes.

During her 30-minute speech, Michelle Obama was so determined to persuade students to vote that she went off script.

“Pretend I’m not the first lady,” she told the crowd of about 10,750 people of all ages. “I’m like your mother. You’ve got to vote.”

Bush, son of former Gov. Jeb Bush, was singing a similar tune .6 miles away. The founder of Maverick PAC, a committee that caters to professionals between ages 25 and 45, said President Obama did a superb job with younger voters in 2008.

“What we at MavPAC are doing is trying to coordinate with entities like the College Republicans and going to hit college campuses in key battleground states,” he told more than 100 people at the restaurant’s patio.

For students who didn’t have class at the time, and many politically inclined Gainesville residents, 4 p.m. meant a chance to hear from either end of the political spectrum.

Marcus Motes, a business administration graduate student and supporter of the committee, said the Republican rally was important because it allowed students to see a conservative presence on campus.

“Additionally, the event helped to make the process more personal. Elections aren’t about mud-slinging TV ads and biased political commentators,” the 23-year-old said. “It’s about meeting people face-to-face, hearing their concerns and working for them to solve the issues.”

Motes has voiced his political opinion since he first voted in the 2006 congressional elections, shortly after turning 18. As a supporter of Gators for Romney, he knows the importance of voting in a swing state.

“To go with the true Floridian answer, we were all around in 2000 and saw Florida come down to 537 votes,” he said. “That’s eight votes per county. Every vote counts.”

At the Democrats’ rally across the street, the first lady also spoke about how crucial individual votes are.

“You all know a thing or two about close elections in Florida,” she said.

She pushed for all those in attendance to make their votes count, saying that about 36 votes per precinct made the difference in the 2008 election.

“I mean, think about that: 36 votes,” she said. “That could mean one more vote in your neighborhood, in your dorm. That could be a single vote in your apartment building.”

Marla Munro, a women’s studies student who heard the speech, said there is no reason why anyone who is able to vote should choose not to.

“Every single vote matters, and it is so easy to register, with voter registration groups at every turn when you walk through campus,” the 20-year-old said.

Volunteers at both rallies were ready to register potential voters. With clipboards in hand, they slithered through the groups asking, “Have you registered yet?”

Before closing, Obama and Bush thanked the volunteers at each of the events for pushing grassroots campaigns throughout the college town.

Katy Melchiorre, chairwoman of UF’s College Republicans and part coordinator of Bush’s event, said having prominent speakers attend rallies in smaller cities encourages people to vote.

“(It) lets them know their vote does matter — especially here in Florida where a handful of votes in each county could swing the election in favor of one candidate over the other,” the political science and telecommunication major said.

With that in mind, Melchiorre has taken her grassroots efforts beyond the campus sphere. The 21-year-old has knocked on doors, made phone calls and driven other volunteers to the local Romney victory office.

She will continue her efforts well into Election Day because she knows what’s at stake.

“The president that we elect in November will be the president in office when we graduate,” she said.

Both presidential candidates will be visiting the swing state this week.