Actor Jason Alexander has been stopping in swing states across the country, campaigning for President Barack Obama. And, he stopped Wednesday in Tallahassee to talk to young voters about why it’s important to vote in the presidential election.
“Fired Up! Ready to Go! Fired Up! Ready to Go!”
A group of Florida State University students chanted a slogan that’s famous among President Barack Obama’s campaign, as they waited for Jason Alexander to arrive.
He’s an actor whose most notable role is George Costanza, one of the four main characters of the TV show “Seinfeld.”
Alexander has recently been touring the nation to campaign for Mr. Obama in swing states, like Florida. That includes making a stop in Gainesville to the University of Florida, but before that, he came to Tallahassee to talk to FSU students:
“And, then over the weekend, I do the Miami and Broward area as well. And, I’m going to talk to the old Jews. Some of them think he’s [Obama] not pro-Israel. He’s very pro-Israel . I have to bring them over from the other side,” he said doing a bit near the end, as the crowd laughed.
Alexander says he understands that his celebrity is what’s helping draw crowds at campaign events. But, he says more than just an actor, he’s a citizen of the United States and it’s crucial everyone vote in this election. And, Alexander says it’s especially important for college students to early vote.
“Do take advantage of the vote now in Florida. Go to where you can get an absentee ballot. Do it early! Why," asked Alexander. "So, that on election day you can actually help volunteer and get other people to the polls. You don’t want anything to go wrong on Election Day.”
Quoting figures from a recent book written by Greg Palast, he says he does not want a repeat of what happened leading up to the last election:
“In the last election, in the one that we won big. There were basically a combination of 5-million votes and voters that were basically thrown away. Five-million votes because the other side is actively trying to get rid of them," remarked Alexander. "So, we need a huge turnout in order to make sure that no matter how funky they play with the rules, we still have the numbers to prevail.”
Alexander says he does not believe that Mitt Romney’s policies will be right for the country, and says college students should pay special attention because if Romney is elected, it could cost them years down the road if they don’t vote for Mr. Obama.
As of noon Wednesday, Floridians have cast 76,000 ballots in the presidential race. And, now that the voter registration deadline has passed, both Obama’s and Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s campaigns are focusing on winning as many votes as they can in Florida.
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