Welcome to Tufts, alma mater of the great Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.).
While few new freshmen hail from Medford or Somerville, we would bet most of you have heard of Brown. Following the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, members of the Tea Party helped deliver the seat into his Republican hands.
If you align yourself with Scott Brown, more power to you. But if you swing toward the progressive values of Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and President Barack Obama, then you are a friend of ours, and we need your help.
For those who came to Tufts aiming to immediately jump in and make a difference, your timing couldn't be better. For those who came to Tufts with no past political involvement, you are needed now. For those who came to Tufts with no idea of what to study and just want to focus on learning your way around campus, we have the same strong advice.
Join a campaign — and not just any campaign. Help us reelect Gov. Deval Patrick (D-Mass.).
While we can't help you cope with New England winters and we (probably) won't be your wingmen on Saturday night, early campus involvement is definitely the best way to learn the ropes around the Hill. Maybe you are even already aware of Massachusetts' bold and progressive governor. You may know about Patrick's defense of education, the environment and working families. He has been standing up to the corporate big boys since we were in diapers and has kept the Commonwealth a great place to live, work and (definitely) go to school. But this year, Republicans are focusing on state and local races — and especially on popular champions like Gov. Patrick.
Will we trust a Republican alumnus to represent Tufts in the political arena, or will we rally around Deval? The governor has led six months of job gains, defended marriage equality and passed serious education reforms to target the achievement gap. As one of the strongest local representatives of Obama's priorities, Patrick implemented insurance reform and ensured coverage for 97 percent of Massachusetts residents. Finally, he passed the nation's strongest greenhouse gas laws and the largest land conservation initiative in Massachusetts history — all while facilitating economic development projects statewide. Now is the time to defend the call for change that elected Patrick and Obama. They stood up for us, and now is the time that we stand up for them.
In the wake of Scott Brown's victory — and heartened by his work against healthcare, environmental responsibility and new consumer protections — conservatives are energized this year. Republican forces are pouring in special interest money from Washington, D.C., and the stakes are higher than ever. If you're a local, you'll know the Massachusetts state government controls legislative redistricting. A conservative governor would not only try to reverse Deval's work for our equality and freedoms but could help maneuver Massachusetts' national representation even further to the right.
Even if that's looking way too far down the road, there are other reasons to jump into campaign work. Even if you are only lukewarm on politics, you probably want to meet people outside your floor, freshman seminars and orientation group. Getting involved with a diverse and involved group of students will help you find your niche on campus, even if it does not end up being politics.
If you are more politically oriented, you probably want to learn how a good campaign is run, cutting your teeth with field organizing — the same way people like JFK, Rahm Emanuel and Obama began their careers. Deval's campaign is built on an intense and comprehensive field strategy, winning over voters door by door, friend by friend, vote by vote. If you've ever thought of getting involved in a race, the time is now.
This year, Patrick's campaign is the best place in the nation to learn the ropes. This race is so important that many of Obama's leading campaign architects are now hard at work for Deval. If you want to learn more about the President's operation, you may never get a better chance. Key operatives like David Plouffe are busy on the Patrick campaign, with much to teach eager young progressives.
And they need us.
Whether you want course credit for a campaign internship or would rather just spend a couple hours, we're looking forward to meeting you. Holler at us: DevalRunsTufts@gmail.com.
Josh Friedmann is a senior majoring in environmental studies and political science, and Ian Hainline is a senior majoring in political science. They co-chair Tufts Students for Deval Patrick.
