I sat down and engaged in a conversation with two leaders of the Barack Obama campaign at Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois. This is an exact representation of how young people are thinking politically today. I confronted tunnel vision and did my best to set a few innocent naive souls straight. Maybe I came off arrogant but understand it's all just passion for my country.

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I see an importance in being knowledgeable and sophisticated when it comes to all aspects of U.S. politics, economics, domestic policy, foreign policy, international relations, etc. It is imperative that young people like myself have a grasp of all of these aspects because they affect our lives in ways we should be fighting to prevent. All of us should be waging war against the constructs that corporations and government try to place on us without our approval or consent. The reason they get away with it is because not enough people participate in organized dissent in America. Thankfully so, the Bush administration has impressed upon many in my generation the importance of dissenting patriotism.

I spend a lot of time on OpEdNews.com speaking with adults who are well-educated and professional journalists who make it their career to be informed people. I rarely (except for a few young people in the Kucinich campaign) go out of my way to have a meaningful conversation with young people to see what they think of politics in America.

I recently had an interesting exchange with a couple fellow Americans who are around my age and are the leaders of the campaign chapter for Barack Obama at Columbia College. I am one of the campaign leaders for the Kucinich campaign here at Columbia College. You might be interested to know how our back and forth exchanges went. Or, you might be interested to know just what do people around the age of 19 talk about when discussing politics and policies in America?

I have decided to give you the privilege of reading our little exchange. If anything, it will make you feel better about this generation of college students in that you will see while we may be disinformed and misinformed, we care and just need direction to get on the right path. (*Note: Our college was one of about five to actually hold walkouts to protest the Bush regime.)

KEVIN: I've kept my mouth shut so far but now I can't resist.

2013? Is that really what you and the supporters of this campaign are going to settle for in regards to Iraq? If we wait that long, we will never get single-payer health care. We will leave our troops there to possibly go into Iran next, a vote Barack "missed".

Please explain this to me or do me a favor...stand up for America and put pressure on Barack to change. We're talking about the future of America here. This isn't some campaign for homecoming queen.

ALEX: This just shows the immaturity of people who think like you. You need to do your research before you start making claims.

KEVIN: I reject the premise of your answer. All I can say is I tried. Good luck with Barack.

I thought our conversation was over as he had suggested I had a level of immaturity. But he continued thankfully.

ALEX: I find arguing things like politics and religion only damage friendships.

I find this an interesting out. If you throw friendship out as a reason for not being able to discuss differences, than how do you come to an understanding with each other?

KEVIN: I don't. If we can't talk about these things, what's the point of human life? I mean after all, the political structures are what we Americans are subject to daily. These leaders do things that damage and affect our lives. I am not going to be friends with people who wish to ignore reality. That's naive and ignorant. And that may be a sleight of hand against Barack but he's seriously misleading Americans.

I don't want a She-Bush and I don't want a man who prides himself on being able to decipher between Smart Wars and Dumb Wars.

I'm set free man. I feel great and never felt better. Everything I am fighting for is moral and ethical and what America should be doing. I make no judgments on you as a person, but I make judgments on Barack because he may become our next President and that will seriously affect us all.

KEVIN: By the way, I find it interesting how easy it is to put Obama supporters on the defensive but nobody dares put a Kucinich supporter on the defensive. Touche? Maybe. This serious stuff man. We're talking death and destruction.

2013? Hell no!

ALEX: I refuse to argue with someone who is obviously not viewing the whole picture. There are more people than just Democrats in this nation. This is America because we embrace the differences that we have not because we make them worse.

It would almost seem as if he is telling me that the gaps between poor and middle class and wealthy and upper class people should be accepted. I reject that notion entirely.

KEVIN: Not viewing the whole picture? Okay? What are you basing that statement off of? First off, I don't want to argue...I want to discuss. Now, let's see are you referring to these Barack Obama quotes:

"There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. "

"There is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and latino America and asian America - there's the United States of America."

"There's not a liberal America and a conservative America - there's the United States of America. "

Oh and my personal favorite...a classic from the 2004 Democratic National Convention:

"We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. "

It's not so much the fact that I resent Obama's audacity of hope but rather that I resent Obama's view of the audacity of nope and the way he seeks to characterize cynics in this nation who have good reason to be cynical. I have a long list that I seriously believe Barack fails to acknowledge.

I no longer consider myself to be cynical although on some days I get to be that way but through a message and platform that clearly stands up for the poor and middle class who should have all that the wealthy and upper class have, we get an America that all of us can be proud of.

Obama may not like that people are upset that we want our troops home by 2013, we want single-payer health care, we want to withdraw from NAFTA, we want to reject war as an instrument of policy, etc. but he does have to acknowledge that we have the right to challenge his "rock star" credibility.

And he is not doing enough for black people with his agenda. I will maintain that and can justify that quite well. He should be sticking up for their disenfranchisement at the voting booth. Instead, he voted against the objection to the official electoral ballot count in 2004. He should be speaking out against the Black Gulag, the fact that a majority of African-Americans disbelieve the official 9/11 account, impeachment of Bush and Cheney, and the Iraq War.

You can say that he is not being elected to serve black people but rather to serve all Americans but if you serve that select group, life in America would be 100% better because you fix the electoral system, repair the constitution, improve disaster response, address underlying reasons for poverty, promote worker's rights and the right to unionize, health care, and the reasoning for mass imprisonment of people. You protect our men and women by rejecting war as an instrument of policy and we have peace and can sustain our defenses and strength through diplomacy.

Again, what is the basis for your question? If it is simply the fact that by opposing Barack, I oppose a unified America there is something terribly illogical about that view. I do not think that is so but really...you levy a nice slam on me and say I do not get the whole picture. I need justification.

ALEX: Now, you're attacking me. That really is immature. I feel bad for you. I feel bad that you're so closed-minded that you haven't realized that there are Americans out there who are not Democrats.

KEVIN: Well, if we want to put labels on this, you're proving your ignorance and naivety from being put under the thumb of a candidate who is a slave to the corporations. He is fueled by corporate and special interests because how else would he raise 18 million?

I have yet to see you lay out any logic for what you claim. When you feel like doing so, let me know.

Your failure to respond effectively to my assertions should not be compensated for by claiming I've attacked you. That's cheap. It really is.

This is where our conversation stands. I am disappointed that he wouldn't talk about the many points I brought up. But I had another conversation. Perhaps you would enjoy this one with the media coordinator for the Barack Obama Campaign at the same college more. He works with Alex.

KEVIN: Are you certain that you support Barack Obama? After reading your favorite movies and books, I am not sure that you have found the right match.

Care to take this quiz to find out?

http://www.dehp.net/candidate/

CHRIS: I really dont think it matters what my opinions are ...the fact of the matter is...is that presidential elections are based solely on the most popular candidate. now with that being said... based upon the last senate elections this country has definately gone democratic... as we have all throughout history gone from a republican screwing up this country to a democrat fixing it.. but anyways...with this country being democratic right now the only possible candidates for president are Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton...they are the ones you hear about in the news every day ...now if a republican wins they cheated... no doubt in my mind.

Btw I took your little quiz and I only differ on two things and supposedly I dont disagree with Kucinich and only one thing on Gravel ...but these guys arent gonna win ..or rather have a chance of winnning so its basically like voting for Ralph Nader....sorry dude but you have no argument with me.

Im gonna have to stick with barack obama unless you can get Gravel or Kucinich some more money ... if you can do that ill vote for Gravel

Thanks kevin!

CHRIS: Well I am voting for my conscience. The stakes are too high anymore to be voting for the guy who should win. I mean think about it. You are admitting that our democracy is broken by saying you can't vote for the guy you want to win. If you can't vote for the guy who represents your views, what can you do? You have no power. You let a corrupt corporate system box you in to pick Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. I'm not saying they will be idiots---the ones you are forced to pick from. But they aren't the best of the bunch ever.

Don't blame Nader. Think about Gore. Think about Kerry. Think about their campaigns. What did they run on? Was it "anybody but a Republican"? What sense does that make? If they had won, what policies would they have instituted? They were calling for a slightly smaller version of what Bush was calling for.

Kerry and Gore were afraid to take on the corporations and get the people to rally behind them for real issues like single-payer health care and out of Iraq now or impeachment. Kerry wouldn't even challenge the stolen election in 2004. He clearly won but somebody told him to not challenge it. The Green Party candidate running for president had to call the recount in Ohio to find out the election fraud going on.

Why settle for so little when we could get so much more? The Democratic Party is going to be severely divided behind Obama or Clinton. Think about how weak that will make them when they run against a Republcan. There are moral, ethical, and principled people now in this nation---more than ever before. They see Democrats and Republicans as the same. And all Democrats do (or all the top three will do) is maintain the status quo---but is the status quo good right now? I don't think it is.

You need to look at Clinton's, Obama's, Edwards', Richardson's, Biden's, and Dodd's records see how easy it will be for Giuliani, Romney, or Thompson to frame the debate (which Democrats are horrible at doing) and how easy it will be to get them to be more Republican than Democrat rather than arguing that their progressive ideals that represent the American voters are correct.

Why run two parties if the two are going to constantly agree to maintain this status quo that gradually shifts to more disaster every single day for Americans where they feel powerless, demoralized, and suffer from ignorance and naivety? Let's just have a dictatorship. Why not?

CHRIS: First off all ...I think barack obama would make a great candidate for the us and the world ..i only disagree with him on a few issues that im very sure has a better grasp on then I do. So I am voting for my conscience. YES our democracy is broken and if you think its going to change by one person voting for a candidate that has no popularity, you are living in a fantasy world.

Now as far as my republican comment i was refering to the last senate election ...I think this will have a great influence over the next election. The reason why democrats like kerry and gore did not stand up against the corporations (i.e. Republicans) is because they have the most power in this country .... you want to know why clinton got impeached and not Bush... its a strategic move by the democrats to not impeach bush because if they fail to do so they will lose popularity because the republicans like rupert murdoch control the media ...and i dont care what you say ...if you control the media you control public opinion.

oh and another thing... the reason why Kerry or Gore did not win was because ...and this is known... the company that makes the voting booths in places like ohio and florida have CEO's who are republican and are also funded by the Republican party.

The green party may in fact have called the recount in ohio however did that get them any popularity or votes?

I agree that this country should not be a two party system... I agree that americans SHOULD be able to vote for the candidate that best represents them ...however you and I both know that voting for a candidate no one has heard of is just counter productive. I think this election year we have some candidates (hillary and obama) that will fight for the things you want. Obama is a young senator who opposes any kind of corruption in government ...isnt that what you want? did you know that all of the campaign money that Barack Obama has raised has been from individuals and not from corporate interests? Go ahead vote for whom you would like to vote for ... im just saying ...its a popularity contest.. and i think that if you really looked at the candidates who have a fighting chance of winning you will say that there is one of them who is against corporate rule. a democracy ruled for and by the people.

with all that being said I wish we could live in a government where your president suits your needs but do you know how hard that is in a country so culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse as america is. with all those things people have very different opinions of america.. it would be very hard to get a president that would be perfect for america because there are so many different ideas in america as to WHO would make a perfect america. Im sorry but this is the world we live in. I think barack obama is a good medium for america and he's the best candidate that we have got right now.

KEVIN: Kerry and Gore lost because the black voter was disenfranchised. That’s an issue your candidate should give more attention to. Barack should be front and center in the fight against voter disenfranchisement because it affects tens of thousands of underprivileged Americans. It’s a kind of apartheid we allow this country to maintain.

Whether the Green Party gained more popularity does not matter. What matters is that the Green Party called the recount and not Kerry.

Voting for a candidate and supporting a candidate no one has ever heard of is not counter productive. For one, it keeps the dialogue open to many issues and ways to solve those issues rather than limited to two people’s views on how to reform or not reform America.

Hillary and Barack are not fighting for anything I want. They are willing to accept that our troops will be in Iraq until 2013, they are willing to be hostile to Iran and not respect them in a diplomatically respectful relationship, they do not want to take on insurance interests so I can have single-payer health care, they do not want to withdraw from NAFTA or the WTO, they do not want to stand up for the poor or middle class for FEAR of pissing off the corporations. There is more but basically...we are getting more Bush. It may be blue but it’s still Bush. They are a bit more restrained...I give you that. But they maintain the status quo and fail to engage the American people who want real change.

Culturally, racially, and ethnically, you make a good point here. But the flaw is that if you helped all of them out under the umbrella of measures put in motion to protect and improve the survival of the poor and middle class, than you are able to improve the life of America in general. When so many poor and middle class people are struggling to survive, that puts a burden on this nation. It weakens us as a country. Education is weak, health is weak, financial stability is weak, etc. All of these weaknesses result when people like Barack and Hillary refuse to take on the corporations for fear of losing their job.

By the way, when the Democrats run someone like Obama and Hillary, they face the prospect of a Nader because they fail to pick up on issues that are important to Americans universally. It's their fault when that guy "spoils" the election.

CHRIS: According to the 2000 Census only 12.3 percent of America was African American, therefore it is statistically impossible for Kerry or Gore to lose an election based on the African American race alone. The african americans had their vote disenfranchised, yes, I do not disagree that point however this is not the reason why kerry or Gore lost the Election, rather it had more to do with Kerry and Gore not standing up for themselves for fear that they would ruin their political careers. Bottom line is Neo Conservative Republicans run this country, they have the most money, they run major television networks and therefore have the ability to brainwash the American people into believing what they want you to believe.

But anyways getting back to your points... popularity is what wins elections so wheither kerry or the green party did the recount is irrelavant to what we are discussing.

Yes having many parties and candidates does open dialouge to America however dialouge is not what wins elections.

Your living in a fantasy if you think that we can just get out of Iraq. We messed up in Iraq therefore we have to take as much time as it takes to solve things as peacefully as we can. It very well may take to the year 2013 to solve things in Iraq. This is the reality that the next candidate will have to deal with.

oh and the reason why the democrats are not standing up to Bush is because its a political move by the democrats ... as I think I Have already stated. People in America for the most part look at bush and think "oh bush messed up again ..what can I do...oh well wait till 2008" If people really wanted bush out he would have been out by now.

Im sure alot of Americans really want to legalize pot, end corporate crime that they dont know exists.

People dont care about issues that dont effect them directly. the majority of americans dont smoke pot and the majority of americans dont own corporations and Im sorry to say that not enough people REALLY TRUELY care about the enviornment because otherwise we wouldnt be driving cars and be living in a society that caters to our needs versus a society that only caters to itself.

While I agree with alot of Nader's and other candidates stances their solutions are unrealistic for America right now. Why is Barack Obama so popular without any corporate funding? Individual americans must believe he can do things for america.

By the way I dont think Iran is an issue ... I think barack obama was saying that if a country was going to attack us and we could not seek any other peaceful resolution we would have to fight back. If someone was fighting you.. wouldnt you defend yourself?

Now I dont think Iran is a threat to america because why would this guy come to American and offer to pay his respects to those who lost their lives on 911. I dont know about you but if i hated a country or a person I would want to stay away from them... I wouldnt go to their country thats for sure. I think the president of Iran knows that the way he is portrayed on television and in the news media is a false representation... hence the reasoning for coming to America. He is a very smart guy and he brought up alot of points in a 60 minutes interview that I agreed with. Iran is a non issue. We have more nuclear weapons then any country in the world. America should be Afraid of America and if I was the president of Iran I would be scared of America too.

BTW barack Obama has historically stood up for the poor... he started a grass roots organization on the south side of chicago in fact.

KEVIN: We could be out in three months right now. All we have to do is refuse to fund the war, tell the President that money already appropriated should be used to bring the troops home, and emphasize that the war is over. We get Muslim peacekeeping forces and UN peacekeeping forces to help stabilize the region. We stop trying to divide up their oil and force restriction on it. We stop trying to rig the Iraq economy. After we do that, the Iraq government will be able to focus and assist the peacekeepers in pinning down the insurgency and stabilizing the chaos in Iraq. With our troops gone, targets will be gone so that Iran won't be attacking us for destabilizing its borders and Iraqi freedom fighters won't be attacking us for disrupting their security.

Where did this legalizing of pot and corporate crime fighting come from? Is this your view of Dennis Kucinich? That he is just for fighting corporations and smoking pot? What a simplistic disinformed view.

We'll see how Iran goes. But he has already voted yes for a couple measures that antagonize Iran. He has allowed for some of the path to war in Iran to be waged. By not speaking out more vocally against using war as instrument of policy with Iran, he definitely is part of a problem. And he should be speaking out more about privatization of Iraq oil too. That and partitioning will keep us engaged in war for a long time.

Anyways, has Obama ever been homeless? There's the important thing. And is he really doing anything to restructure the systems that keep poor people and middle class people down? If he is really for standing up for people and giving them hope, he would be for canceling NAFTA, single-payer health care, a new WPA to put people to work rebuilding our infrastructure, and he would be bringing our troops home now. After all, many of the soldiers were told they could get to college if they served. They weren't told they would be fighting a phony war.

I like your thinking though and its very rational. Thanks for talking to me. I'm not saying you are wrong. But I sense frustration. It'd be great to get around it, wouldn't it?

CHRIS: Yeah, I guess you were right to begin with

I have a newfound respect for the media coordinator as he engaged me and tried to talk with me so I could sort out the reasoning behind his support for Obama.

It is my newfound quest to make sure that all young people who are voting can justify who they are voting for in a logical and reasonable manner. I want to see thinking and not just emotion. I want to see people standing up for what they believe in and picking candidates because that candidate matches his or her views. If people cannot explain why they are voting for said candidate, than they should rethink who they are voting for.

Nobody should vote for anybody because he’s black. Because she’s a woman. Because he or she is a Democrat. Because that person is not a Republican.

Our system is a wreck as it is and some of it has to do with people who do not or cannot justify their vote. They vote for whoever because some talking head on the television said this person would be good. Wrong.

OpEdNewsians...Let’s lead the way in taking back this democracy. I’ll work on my generation. You work on yours. And so on and so forth.

Authors Bio:
Kevin Gosztola is managing editor of Shadowproof Press. He also produces and co-hosts the weekly podcast, "Unauthorized Disclosure." He was an editor for OpEdNews.com