Obama 'youth-quake' may bury McCain

If in this country you go to the kind of hotels I go to, kiosks, be sure you know what to expect when you order toast.

You'll get a slice of bread, period.

From Kisumu to Mombasa, this has been my experience.

But if what you really want with your tea is a toasted slice of bread, this is what you must say: "I'll have toasted toast."

Well, this week toasted toast is not even bread. It's a man: John McCain.

I know this because something suddenly occurred to me this week. McCain's opponent in the U.S. Presidential race, Barack Obama, is poised to cause an American youth-quake, a national eruption of the youth vote.

This is what might sink McCain on November 4.

Three weeks ago in Pennsylvania, the state that McCain has decided to turn into the "basket for all his eggs" because Obama has run him out of all other competitive states, some 50,000 youth swarmed a free Bruce Springsteen concert.

An online magazine, Philly.com told it this way: Springsteen had pounded through his second song as though his acoustic guitar was a pickax, then handed it off to an assistant. The rocker in rolled-up plaid sleeves slung another guitar over his shoulder and tossed out a raspy line that made clear to the wildly cheering youth how he feels about Barack Obama.

"We tried this four years ago," he yelled out. "This time we're winning." The crowd roared their approval.

"I don't know about you," the rock star continued, "but I want my house back, I want my America back, and I want my country back."

He had their attention. So he let out Obama's signature track that belts out on thunderous speakers each time the candidate romps onto a campaign stage, The Rising.

A huge part of Obama voters have been registered using such youth-drawing concerts.

Obama's youthfulness, transcendence of race and coolness have awakened the sleeping giant of the youth vote, Newsweek wrote this week.

Maggie, a student at Bradley University in Illinois, works nights. And on Saturdays, instead of sleeping in, she gets in her car and drives three hours to neighbouring Iowa to hunt votes for Obama, said Newsweek.