Like other elections that have passed, the youth vote may be the margin of victory in 2008.

On the democratic ticket, Barack Obama, D – Ill., has attracted young voters throughout the primary and presidential election.

His Republican rival, John McCain, R-Ariz, has not had as much luck with the youth, but the question is whether young people will turn out to vote this time around.

“Working with students and being around students and myself being a student at one time, historically speaking, students have had low participation in politics and presidential elections,” PJ Gagajena, political science professor, said. “But I think, this year’s race had some youth participation because of what Barack Obama has brought in terms of energy, youthfulness, and hope.”

In a poll conducted by Time magazine 83 percent of people from ages 18 to 29 said that this election will have quite an impact on the country.

Furthermore, 46 percent said the Democratic party understands the needs of people like themselves and 74 percent say they have been paying attention to the presidential campaigns.

“The last time young people got galvanized was for Clinton in ’92,” Ellen Antoine, political science professor, said. “But I think if the numbers are right you got maybe almost double the participation, and it really made a difference in his election.”

In the 2004 election, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., attracted a majority of the youth vote of which 40 percent of 18 to 24 year olds turned out.

That election attracted the highest number of youth voters since the race between George McGovern and Richard Nixon in 1972.

“The democratic party has made a point of focusing on the youth and students,” Gagajena said.

The Obama campaign has organized youth directors for the purpose of getting young people to the polls.

There are also many other opportunities for young people to get involved in Obama’s campaign such as the Obama Fellowship Program or as deputy field organizers.

However, not all young people are convinced by Obama’s charisma.

“He makes very good speeches, but so does McCain,” political science major, Katie Tucker said. “I think Obama flip-flops a lot.”

Tucker is also one of many who are attracted to McCain’s recent pick for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.

“She has a lot of good morals and she also knows how to work her way to the top and get what she wants,” Tucker said.

Palin was virtually unknown before McCain propelled her to the national spotlight.

When compared to Obama, she is his perfect foil; she has been characterized as a hockey mom who loves mouse burgers and hunts caribou.

She stands for reform and traditional values, says the McCain campaign.

The McCain-Palin ticket did attract a spike in the poles after her speech at the Republican National Convention. This has subsided recently due to the current economic tensions.

Some have speculated that Palin was picked solely to attract the disgruntled Hillary Clinton voters and the youth vote.

“I thought McCain must be out of his mind, but now I do like her and I like her attitude,” Tucker said. “I look at her and I say: ‘I like her.'”

The Republican party is not focused so much on the youth vote as they are betting that many young voters will not turn out, says Antoine.

“People don’t count on them. Conservatives all think they won’t turn out and vote,” Antoine said.

Some students, however, feel that Palin’ appeal is not enough to win over the American people and gain enough votes to take away from Obama.

“I don’t think the gender issue should be a problem. I don’t think McCain made a good choice picking Palin,” Jessica Ramirez, communications major, said. “It was just to get more Republican votes, but I don’t think it will be enough to take away from what Obama has already gained. The Republican Party is full of contradictions, anyway.”

Others feel that the race is too close to call as of yet, but that each side has advantages that can tip everything in their favor, especially among youth.

“I think it’s close, but it could go either way,” Taylor McGowan, communications major, said. “After all, the first African-American man is running for president and has a pretty good shot at winning. I think McCain made a mistake chooisng her, but Palin can probably sway some voters, too.”