Nixon campaign courts students for internships

As the November election nears, Missouri’s Democratic Jay Nixon For Governor campaign is tapping into a network of left-leaning, politically involved Washington University student workers and volunteers.

Through a spate of e-mails, announcements before classes, and meetings with political organizations, campaign operatives for the Missouri Attorney General-turned-Democratic gubernatorial nominee have courted Washington University students for unpaid internships.

The campaign’s effort has been ongoing since last year, but has accelerated in anticipation of the election.

“There is a real energy on college campuses to get involved in the political process,” Oren Shur, a Nixon campaign spokesman, said. “We’re making a special effort to reach out to students at Wash. U. and at campuses across the state, because the students usually provide the energy.”

Shur estimates that hundreds of students across the state have become involved in the campaign to varying degrees. Depending on their availability, students work anywhere from four hours to 70 hours weekly.

Opportunities within the campaign have ranged from public relations to get-out-the-vote efforts to fundraising, depending on student’s interest and the campaign’s needs.

Despite the election less than two months away, the campaign is looking to take on more interns.

“There are still plenty of phone calls to make and plenty of doors to knock on,” Schur said.

Nixon, who served in the State Senate from 1986 until being elected State Attorney General in 1992, has made two unsuccessful bids for the United States Senate. After Republican incumbent Governor Matt Blunt announced he would not seek reelection, Nixon decided to compete for the open spot.

Nixon has outpaced his Republican opponent, U.S. Representative Kenny Hulshof, in fundraising by more than $1.4 million.

Nixon is a product of the state’s public university system, graduating from the University of Missouri in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and with a law degree in 1981.

Nixon holds traditionally liberal views on key issues and favors expansion of the state healthcare system and making college more affordable.

While it is unorthodox for state campaigns to try to utilize activist potential on college campuses, the Nixon campaign has not been deterred in its efforts at the University, where many students who live out of state vote in Missouri.

The campaign’s attempt to seize on student enthusiasm has also included trips to Saint Louis University, the University of Missouri and other campuses across the state.

University students have responded to the Nixon camp, as several students have signed up to work for the next few months.

Danny Gaynor, a junior who planned to intern with the campaign this fall, said he saw an internship with a gubernatorial campaign as a more authentic opportunity than working for a presidential nominee.

Although Gaynor did not work for Nixon because of school credit issues, the idea of working for a local campaign did not deter him.

“I’m a hardcore, serious independent and I wanted to get exposure to a campaign,” Gaynor said. “I would have worked for anybody, but I thought presidential campaign work would be trivial.”