CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — President Barack Obama arrived here today on the final leg of his two-day college tour, pitching his message directly to the teenage and twentysomething constituency that fueled his campaign four years ago.
“Your generation is going to have push the generations in front of you to make sure they are making the right decisions,” Obama said. “Your generation will choose…the path we take as a country and it will effect your life in very personal and profound ways.”
That message hasn’t been an easy sell this summer. The campaign is battling widespread apathy, high unemployment and low job prospects for graduates, a marked contrast to the enthusiastic support and optimism Obama experienced in 2008.
In fact, the president wasn’t even allowed to hold the event at the University of Virginia. The school declined the campaign’s request to hold an event on its Charlottesville campus, citing costs, class cancellations, and logistical issues.