The Most Sought-After Young Man in Iowa

IOWA CITY, Iowa, Nov. 12, 2007 — -- Twenty-year-old Atul Nakhasi's bedroom is messy, like most other college students his age.

But in addition to an unmade bed, and laundry strewn around the room, Nakhasi's clutter includes handwritten notes from Bill Clinton, business cards of major political campaign directors and personally autographed books from Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

Nakhasi is the president of the University of Iowa Democrats, an organization he has been rebuilding over the last three years, from a crumbling club that attracted eight students per meeting, to a campus powerhouse, hosting events of thousands and attracting media from across the country.

The UDems, as they're more commonly known, have hosted six major candidates in the last four months.

After Bill and Hillary Clinton held a rally on campus in July, Nakhasi received a thank you note from the former president. And in August, after Biden held a book signing, he took Nakhasi out to lunch.

This extreme attention comes with a good reason — they're courting Nakhasi in hopes of getting an endorsement of the UDems, which could mean thousands of votes and volunteers for their campaigns.

"We're, essentially, the backbone in their volunteer efforts, in their setup efforts, in how the campaigns work at the fundamental level," Nakhasi said.

"Our influence is definitely great, and the candidates are looking for us to jump onboard and say, you know, 'I'm voting for you.'"

While Nakhasi's junior year has been filled with hobnobbing with presidential candidates, he also maintains a full workload for his major — biology, with a concentration in neuroscience.

That's right — the political game is just his hobby.

"You know, I tend to be on binges of politics and neurobiology every other week," he said with a laugh.

"Every few days, I get a call from a campaign, saying, 'you know, Sen. Clinton is coming in five days, are you ready to help out?' And I'm like, 'well, I have a biology test in four days, so, you know, I'll do my best!'"

Situated in the middle of one of the key states that selects who the presidential candidates will be, Nakhasi and his classmates have the unique chance to host many of the presidential hopefuls as they travel across Iowa.

The Iowa caucuses are less than two months away, and campaigns are charging through town at a frenetic pace.