'Kid for Kerry' ponders 2008 role

[Truthiness Inspector]

Saturday, March 31, 2007


Ilana Wexler has a dilemma. The Hillary Clinton for President campaign wants her to chair its Students for Hillary committee. At the same time, several of her friends are stumping for Barack Obama and want her to join their team. But if Wexler, 15, has her way, Al Gore will declare his candidacy, and she'll endorse him.

It figures that Clinton et al would covet the Ilana Factor: Three years ago, she was a plucky 12-year-old who started a grassroots organization called Kids for Kerry and addressed the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Sporting a crown of curly red hair and an effervescent smile, Wexler became an instant celebrity during the three-minute speech that followed Obama's historic keynote address. Now, she's in demand again, an indication of how politicians are seeking support from the 76 million Millennials, as the generation born between 1980 and 2000 is called -- even when, like Wexler, they are too young to vote.

"My goal was to get younger children -- my age -- aware about politics," she said. "I was very passionate about it."

Wexler is a freshman at Berkeley High, where she takes classes in the communications arts and sciences division. She still has the glow and enthusiasm she exuded at the July 2004 convention, still thinks politics are thrilling and still tends to gush when she talks. Health care and education, she said, are the big issues she would push if she were an elected official.

More at link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/31/MNGSCOVGGQ1.DTL

It's a great article, and what a remarkable young lady! Nice to see that she is still so involved.
:toast: