Anybody who says that youth don’t have a role to play in politics needs to take a look at Evan Draim. At 17, the Alexandria, Virginia native hasn’t even started his senior year of high school but has landed a role as a delegate at the Republican National Convention at Tampa, which wraps up today. Of the over 2,000 delegates there, Draim is the youngest.
Politico’s Alexander Trowbridge brings us this profile of the activist teenager, following him as he rubs shoulders with party bigwigs, charms reporters and just takes in being a part of history. And, as the cameraman likes to remind us, he manages to do it all without socks. What a boss.
He’s even busier behind the scenes. According to a Washington Post profile, Draim is chairman of Young Ambassadors for Allen, where he works to line up the youth vote behind Virginia Republican Senate hopeful George Allen. He also takes AP courses, is on the swim team, and finds time to chill with friends. Impressed yet? No? To get the nomination to be a delegate at the RNC he called almost 700 people who were registered to vote for the position. Damn.
“I think I have a unique story to tell and a unique perspective to bring to the Republican party,” he says. It’s clear that he’s passionate about the conservative platform and believes that by taking part in the race he can make an impact.
What’s impressive is that he doesn’t see himself running out of gas any time soon. He makes the case that getting an early start means that he’ll become even more of an activist as he grows.
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