In the months leading up to this week's Democratic National Convention, the Obama campaign has been sharply focused on young voters.
At least half of the President’s six campaign visits to Colorado this year have been to college campuses, including stops at the University of Colorado in Boulder Sunday, and at Colorado State University in Fort Collins the previous week.
"We fixed the student loan system that was giving billions of dollars of taxpayer money to banks. We said let’s give it directly to students. And we were able to double grant aid for millions of students," Obama told the crowd of supporters at CSU.
College students were a critical part of the President’s victory in 2008, and state Democratic Party chair Rick Palacio is confident that will be the case for this election.
"There’s no lack of enthusiasm amongst young voters - it’s not about enthusiasm," Palacio says. "It’s just ensuring that as many young people as possible really know the difference and understand the clear differences between Mitt Romney and President Obama."
The convention runs Tuesday through Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper is scheduled to address the convention crowd during a prime-time slot Wednesday night.