Mizzou for John Edwards holds organizational meeting

By Campbell Massie

Published Oct. 9, 2007

Mizzou for John Edwards sponsored an organizing event Oct. 5 at The Heidelberg to plan out the semester's events and elect people to head the organization that supports the presidential campaign of former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C.

Junior Nate Kennedy, who founded the group, gave up his control on the organization to the new Executive Director Jordan Stein, Co-Executive Director Ashlyn Montgomery, Communication Director Libby Felts, Treasurer Marcy Tindel and Membership Director Aimee Koon.

Kennedy said he is now the "Get Out the Vote" captain and is responsible for identifying Edwards voters and making sure they get to the polls on Nov. 5.

Montgomery said the group's first meeting had a good turnout, which allowed the group to accomplish its goal. The group plans to go to Iowa on Oct. 20 to help canvass the area and spend time with other Edwards supporters, Kennedy said.

Iowa is important to the group because it is where Edwards's team is working on gaining support, Stein said.

The group would like to go up to Iowa about once a month but must work out fundraising. The members are working in collaboration with Edwards's supporters in Boone County. The group would also like to go to Iowa in January for an extended weekend for the Iowa Caucus, Kennedy said.

"It is basically getting the word out about Edwards and just being an extra set of hands," Montgomery said.

The next MU College Democrats meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Oct. 16, and the meeting for Mizzou for John Edwards will be directly afterward at an undetermined location.

The focus of the group is to bring supporters of John Edwards together and to support his issues. The group is working hard to improve numbers because "it is hard to judge where our numbers stand realistically," Kennedy said.