Photo by Erin Fredrichs

Supporters listen as former President Clinton stumps for his wife, Democratic hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton, at a campaign rally at the University of New Mexico. The former president was in Albuquerque on Thursday as part of a campaign push before Tuesday's Democratic presidential caucus vote.

Photo by Erin FredrichsTribune

Tribune

Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton show some love for her husband, former President Clinton, at a campaign rally at the University of New Mexico. While Bill was the featured speaker Thursday, Hillary is expected to visit Albuquerque on Saturday to drum up votes for the state's Democratic presidential caucus.

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Katey Ghelfi was 4 years old when Bill Clinton famously sought the attention of young voters.

That was 16 years ago, when the soon-to-be president rewrote the book on campaigning and answered a question about his underwear on MTV.

Ghelfi might not recall that moment. But there she was Thursday at the University of New Mexico's Johnson Center, watching the former two-term president make yet another pitch for young voters.

"Personally, I came because I'm really excited that someone was here to attract college students," said Ghelfi, 20, a sophomore elementary education major at UNM.

Clinton and Sen. Edward Kennedy — the white-maned patriarchs of two of the best-known political families in the country — arrived in Albuquerque on Thursday as high-profile surrogates to the two remaining Democrat presidential hopefuls.

Both men — Clinton on behalf of his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, and Kennedy for Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois — issued messages aimed, at least in part, at young voters ahead of Tuesday's Democratic nominating caucus.

Young people are a target for both campaigns, much like they were critical for Clinton when he defeated President George H.W. Bush in 1992.

Obama in particular has mobilized younger voters in the first caucuses and primaries, while the Clinton campaign is hoping the former president can rekindle his past successes with college voters.

Thursday was one of several visits he has made to college campuses on behalf of his wife's campaign.

But unlike in previous elections, today's backpack-clad college voters see Clinton and Kennedy — both of whom could be grandfathers to many of them — more as historical figures.

"You hear the name Kennedy and think it's an important American family," said Matt Scarvie, 17, who ditched class at Sandia High School to hear Kennedy at the National Hispanic Cultural Center and, later, Clinton at UNM.

Speaking to more than 1,000 people inside a gymnasium, Clinton delivered an address that was part motivational speech, part college lecture.

He hit upon his wife's campaign themes — her experience, her universal health care plans, the urgency to improve the country's standing worldwide — while asking the young crowd to think about how issues such as the environment and economy affect them.

In particular, he outlined his wife's plans to "make a college education available to everyone," through more college grants, tax cuts to families with college students, and more opportunities to serve in AmeriCorps to earn money for college.

"The young people of this country deserve to know that their government is working with sound discipline, that grown-ups are acting like grown-ups," Clinton said.

Kennedy, meanwhile, spoke to about 200 people in an address aimed largely at Hispanics. He spoke in Spanish at one point, and talked of the 70,000 Hispanics who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But he also delivered a message that harkened back to the days of his oldest brother, John F. Kennedy, who as president sought to involve American youths in volunteer programs.

"We have looked in the eyes of the young, a young generation that said they're not interested in being involved," Kennedy told the overflow crowd. "There is one person, one candidate, one individual, who has the ability to bring together that enthusiasm . . . His name is Barack Obama."

Despite being of a younger generation, many of the college-aged voters in both crowds said they found relevance in what the elder statesmen had to say.

Dominic Longoria remembers as an 8-year-old watching election returns with his grandparents in 1992. It's his earliest political memory.

While Clinton might no longer be the young upstart he was then, Longoria, now 23 and a UNM political science major said, he attracts the attention of young voters from his pedigree as a two-term president.

"In my mind, he's still a rock star," Longoria said.

There was evidence Thursday that the need to reach out to young voters might be crucial to either Democratic candidate.

Scarvie, who skipped class with a buddy, said they were among the minority of students who cared about the presidential race. The November general election will be their first chance to cast a presidential vote.

"Honestly," said Scarvie, "I don't think my peers care — which is the sad truth."

Ghelfi obviously cared, ditching class to see Clinton.

It was apropos that it was a U.S. history class she left behind.

"This will be my first time voting," she said. "I'm excited to be part of history."