Obama’s New ‘Gen44’ Campaign

Knowing he must once again capture the under-30 vote this election season, President Obama has launched a fund raising campaign called ‘Gen44′. Short for Generation Forty Four, this mission intends to gather young voters to mobilize and support Obama’s reelection campaign.

Take a look at the video message from President Obama that appears on the site’s homepage: 

“Because the best advocate for this campaign isn’t me, it’s you.” – perhaps the most important line in that video. Obama is calling on the young voters who got him elected in ’08 to do the same thing again. And this time he wants them to bring their friends. He knows that voter turnout will not be as strong this time around (for both parties), and knows that he must fight hard to win that demographic again.

While the message of this campaign is great, there are a few things that a lot of people may overlook. First, what exactly does Gen44 stand for? It could represent the fact Obama is our forty-fourth president, or could reference to the target audience of this campaign, which are voters under the age of 40. Regardless, it may cause some confusion among young voters. Another thing people may overlook is the fact that this campaign is a fundraising tactic. While it does give young voters the amazing opportunity to volunteer with the campaign, the first option to click on the website is to donate money. It is also framed by Obama as a fundraising initiative. While fundraising is obviously essential to any election, young voters may be slightly unaware of the real mission of this program.

What are your thoughts on this new campaign? Let us know!


This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Mackenzie Krott