Derrick Ashong, 32, was just supposed to drop his friend off at the primary Democratic debate at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on January 31; his serendipitous last minute decision to stay and rally for Obama proved to be one that many will not soon forget.

While rallying for his favorite candidate, Ashong was being pummelled by an unrelenting reporter asking for the reasoning in which he was supporting Obama. The reporter was caught off guard when Ashong actually had some intelligent and legitimate reasons to back up his decision.

Not looking like the typical political junky, Ashong is an entrepreneurial band member, actor, public speaker and hopeful business tycoon looking to put together a media business called Take Back the Mic, which is an effort to use niche marketing to bring music and other media to a global market.

Coincidentally, this impromptu interview (which initially gained him six minutes of television fame that is currently thriving on YouTube, along with an additional five minutes of encore time that was requested from his viewers who now total over 1 million) demonstrated the exact power of viral marketing that he hopes to use for his company and band.

A lot of political analysts think that Obama's image that is perceived by younger generations of voters is much like Ashong's...very hip, trendy and rock-and-roll. Having someone like Ashong certainly helps to reach out to and marry the two worlds of politics and pop culture.

I think it is wonderful so many different types of people that represent our blended culture know what is going on and have a fantastic opinion based on facts, not just emotion. I feel it is working to involve youth in one of the most incredible (and undoubtedly historical) times in US politics.

I remember when MTV was getting onto the young ones through means of commercials, imploring them to vote. Now, I think one would be hard pressed to find a person of legal age who can't wait to vote. It makes me feel a little more secure in knowing that more people are taking a vested interest in our country's future.