Besides endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Senator Elizabeth Warren for President, Cardinal for Warren canvasses, phone banks and talks to locals at the Palo Alto Farmers Market every week.
The student-led group, whose undergraduate chapter is headed by Chloe Stoddard ’21, aims to not only support the election of Warren as the next president of the United States, but to also provide “accessible opportunities for students to engage with and learn about the [political] process and advocate for what they want in the governmental process.”
When asked why she first got involved with the group, Stoddard said it’s because Warren “has a policy for everything.”
“She’s the candidate that I’ve always wanted in the sense that she’s very professional — she really cares about the issues that people are experiencing and she’s showing that through the work that she does,” Stoddard added.
Stoddard is open about her political involvement, but addressed the hesitancy of some Stanford students to get involved in political activism. She noted that in recent years, the politics on campus have affected some students personally and for that reason, students are less inclined to get involved for their own mental and emotional health. Knowing this, Stoddard said another one of Cardinal for Warren’s goals is to “make safe, exciting community-based spaces where people can feel like they can safely engage in this type of [activism].”
Cardinal for Warren currently holds phone banking sessions every Thursday night, most recently on Oct. 10 at FloMo dining, and has co-hosted events with Stanford Democrats, including their debate viewing party on Tuesday. The group also consistently has a presence at the Palo Alto Farmers Market, where it tables and talks to community members. The group hopes to expand the number of venues they attend around Palo Alto, and on Saturday, they plan to begin canvassing the area as well.
Cardinal for Warren isn’t the only connection Stanford has with the Warren campaign. Nicole DeMont ’13 currently works as Warren’s California State Director. In her role, DeMont manages Warren’s California campaign in an effort to reach voters all across the state, which she said is key in deciding the Democratic nomination.
DeMont said she got involved with Warren’s campaign because she “loved that [Warren] was so bold in her policy plans. To me, her mantra of ‘big, structural change’ indicates that she understands the depth of the challenges we face as a country and has a plan to make government work for regular people again, not just those at the very top.”
DeMont echoed support for Cardinal for Warren, emphasizing its role in providing students with direct access to the political process.
“There are so many ways Stanford students make societal change,” she said. “Volunteering with the Warren campaign is an opportunity for students to have a direct impact on the direction we want to take as a country.”
Contact Ella Booker at ebooker ‘at’ stanford.edu.