While some express political views through debate, others do it through poetry.
On Saturday more than 250 people of all ages and ethnicities came together for one purpose - to slam the president.
Slam Bush is a national rhyming contest in which poets and MCs step up to the mic to spew their views about the president and his policies. It was held in swing state cities to encourage youth from the underground hip-hop scene to vote, according to the Slam Bush Web site.
The event, sponsored in part by the League of Pissed Off Voters, came from an idea in an essay by hip-hop historian and DJ Davey D in the book How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office.
"It's important to get our name out and show there are alternatives to traditional politics," said Alex Adams, president of the campus chapter of the League of Pissed Off Voters. "There's more than one way to get the word out, especially for young people."
Adams encourages students to come to Politics and Pancakes, held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Young Voters Alliance at 134 Harvard Ave. The League of Pissed Off Voters is also working on getting voter guides out by early October.
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"Our big goal is putting out voter guides because our biggest complaint from people is 'I don't know who to vote for,'" Adams said.
While some citizens may still not know who to vote for, it was clear the poets and MCs at Saturday's event were not going to be pressing the Bush button this November. Sixteen contestants spoke about how Bush has disappointed them with his policies on everything from war to women's rights.
"Essentially, he wasn't the elected president," said MC So and So, who made it to the final round. "He doesn't represent the common people. He's a disgrace to the country in a lot of ways."
The poets preached to the crowd on a moonlit night outside of the Omni Roots performances space. A 6-foot figure wearing a three-piece suit and a rubber Bush mask accompanied the poets on stage.
Cyrus Gould, organizer of Albuquerque's Slam Bush, made sure other elements of hip-hop culture were at the event. The Ultra High Frequency Dance Crew entertained the crowd with pinwheels and stalls, while DJ B-Phonic spun beats.
While every contestant earned a grip of cheers and hollers from the audience, it was clear one poet won them over.
"A lot of the poetry-slam community sees me as a political poet," said local slam artist Aaron Cuffee, winner of the event. "I felt like I had something to say about the effects of (Bush's) policies, and so I decided to enter."
Cuffee said he was hesitant to enter the contest, and he was shocked when he won. The grand prize was $500 in cash, which Cuffee said he would put towards rent and a trip to Miami to compete in the national battle for a chance to win $5,000.
Besides a quick visit from the police due to volume levels, organizers and participants agreed the Slam Bush event was a success.
"It was great to see so many people come out," Cuffee said. "I go to most of the poetry slams, and I didn't recognize 10 percent of people there. It'd be great to see them keep coming out to poetry slams."
