At street intersections and subway stations throughout Boston, Justina Young-ah White hands out literature on presidential candidate Ron Paul, a Republican congressman from Texas. She stands with a group of fellow supporters who wave signs and banners at passersby.  

“It’s so grassroots,” the 23-year-old graduate student says. “So many people are getting excited about Ron Paul. We’ve had a lot of success.”

Justina, whose mother immigrated from Seoul, first learned about the candidate through her boyfriend, who is very involved in politics. Her interest in his viewpoints grew after doing more research in college.

A few months ago, she decided to join a local action group through the social networking site Meetup.com. (Paul, an obstetrician and gynecologist who was an Air Force flight surgeon in the 1960s, has a robust online presence, with much of his support fueled by Internet networking groups and blogs.) Activities range from flying Ron Paul kites at Hampton Beach to showcasing Ron Paul presentations on a big screen in Harvard Square. Supporters highlight some of the key issues Paul supports: free trade, sharply lower taxes and small government.  

“[Ron Paul] believes that local government knows more than D.C. about what I need,” says Justina, the only Asian American in her 230-member group. “He believes in economic freedom and personal responsibility, which is what the American dream is all about. He’s a long shot — I’m not going to deny that fact — but I just want to get his message out there.”

 

Gary Lee, 22, works as a correspondent systems manager for the Barack Obama campaign. Day after day, he responds to the flood of e-mails written to the senator. Many write to express their opinions on certain issues. Some simply want to know when Obama is coming to speak in their town.  

“I’m on the front lines,” Gary says. “I get to see what people are saying, where they stand on the issues. I get to talk to so many people who are inspired by the senator. We make everyone feel that they have a piece of this campaign.”

Gary became passionate about public affairs during his years at the University of Southern California, where he majored in political science. With a résumé full of leadership experience and political internships, he applied for the position shortly before he graduated.

Inspired by the man who once worked as a community organizer, a university lecturer and a civil rights lawyer before running for public office to become the only African American serving in the U.S. Senate, Gary had been following Obama’s career ever since he spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2004.

Since June, he has been on board with Obama’s platform, which emphasizes issues such as ending the war in Iraq and implementing universal health care. 

When asked what his goals are for working on this campaign, Gary has one thing in mind: “I want to see Senator Obama win the presidency.”