In preparation for the upcoming midterm elections, David Plouffe, the chief campaign organizer of President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, spoke on Wednesday during a rally hosted by the Blumenthal for Connecticut Campaign and the Wesleyan Democrats (WesDems). Supporting Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s bid for Senate, Plouffe implored college Democrats to generate the same vigor seen two years ago amidst a tumultuous political climate.

“It was a great event and it was really interesting,” said event organizer Emilie Kimball ’11, an intern for Blumenthal’s campaign. “A lot of people think midterms aren’t important, and [Plouffe] brought that into perspective. He sort of revolutionized campaigning by doing things from the bottom up and energizing college students. It was really interesting to hear him talk about the election on a big picture scale.”

Plouffe, who successfully oversaw a major grassroots movement known as “Organizing for America,” noted that Obama won the presidential contest by a six-point margin, largely thanks to the droves of voters younger than 30, including a large coalition of first-time voters.

“Politics is all about numbers,” Plouffe said.

Plouffe acknowledged that his party faces a difficult challenge from the Republican Party, while discounting any threats the Tea Party might pose.

“[The Tea Party is] not a true grassroots organization, [but merely] a group of traditional Republicans coming out to vote,” Plouffe said. “They’re not knocking on doors. They’re not even really making phone calls.”

Although many agreed that the speech contained little more than typical campaign rhetoric, the organizers received positive feedback about the event.

“I did enjoy it, and I think most people there agreed that there weren’t a lot of new points, but I think it was really interesting to hear his perspective about running the Obama campaign,” said WesDems President Ryan Smith ’11. “I think it was pretty insightful to have him bring in his own personal experiences into that. People were really appreciative of the opportunity to hear from such a great political mind.”

According to Smith, 40 to 50 students attended the rally.

“I was nervous about attendance because David Plouffe could only meet with us on Wednesday, which is the first day back from fall break, but it was great because a lot of people came,” Kimball said. “[Professor of Government] Elvin Lim actually canceled his class so students could go to [the rally].”

Former Wesleyan student and state representative Matt Lesser was present at the rally. Plouffe’s wife, Olivia Morgan, is also a Wesleyan alumna.

Blumenthal is the Democratic candidate for the Senate seat currently held by retiring Senator Christopher Dodd. A Quinnipiac poll released on Oct. 14 demonstrated a 54-43 percent lead over former WWE executive and Republican candidate Linda MacMahon.

WesDems, along with Kimball, are planning additional events to prepare for the November elections. Next week they plan to campaign door to door in Middletown, supporting all Democratic candidates in local and state elections.

Smith expressed hope that students will remain politically active this year.

“The overarching message was to get ourselves and other people out to vote, and that definitely extends to Wesleyan students,” Smith said. “So I hope people, whether it means registering here or through a mail-in vote, will follow through on that.”