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Candidates seek youth vote
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Presidential candidates are courting a group that seems to have bounced from political apathy: youth. Young people didn’t just become fans of Obama on Facebook or friend Ron Paul on My Space. They voted, too.
In Iowa, the number of voters under age 30 tripled compared with 2004. Young voters comprised 22% of the total Democratic vote and gave victor Obama 57% of their votes. Young GOP voters were slightly less dedicated, but they still made up 11% of the GOP vote. Mike Huckabee pulled 40% of their vote, twice what closest competitor Ron Paul won.
Hillary Clinton’s supporters were aged in comparison (over a third over age 65), so she scrambled to change her tactics in New Hampshire. Bill Clinton told MTV the Clinton campaign was correcting its mistake of not seeking youth. Hillary Clinton employed daughter Chelsea as a campaign companion, emphasizing change, dreams, and “delivering the kind of possibilities that will give each of you the chance to live out your own hopes.” Obama still got 61% of the voters between the ages of 18 and 24, but didn’t do as well with voters under 40. Clinton eked out a victory, telling MTV News, “”My support among young people will grow.”
John McCain’s straight talk draws young people, too, the New York Times says. Rachel Sklar of the Huffington Post said John McCain may be getting older, but his supporters have stayed the same age. Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and John Edwards don’t fare as well with youth.
Ned Ryun, chairman of Madison Youth Project, isn’t surprised that young voters are making a difference this year. Madison Youth Project relies on young campaigners to elect conservative, pro-family, pro-life candidates like Sen. Tom Coburn, Rep. Mike Pence, and Sen. Jim Demint. Ryun told WoW, “Young people are very passionate, very motivated. When they get moving in the right direction it’s hard to stop them.”
Pundits predict that youth enthusiasm is ephemeral. Ryun said getting involved will just increase their motivations: “They walk away and they realize, … not only did I just become involved in the political arena, I made a difference. It motivates, inspires and makes them want to do even more. You give them a taste of success and it builds.”
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Since the voting age was changed way back (70s? late 60s?), almost every election as been the one where the young people finally get out and vote in significant numbers. It hasn’t happened yet.
I would love to see it (other than the fact thet they tend to vote for more than we can afford - out of their inexperience with their own finances), but I won’t go along with predictions oof a grand youth vote. I will wait until it happens, if it happens.
Wasn’t it on Jay Leno that Gov. Huckabee said, “There’s a great need in this country, to elect someone who reminds them of the guy they work with, not the guy who laid them off.”?
Perhaps he was seeking the young blue-collar vote there. But I don’t think he was seeking the mature vote with that line.
Jonah Goldberg, in an op-ed, responded to Huckabee’s comment this way: “He’s largely right — and shame on us for it.”
Most employers don’t enjoy cutting employees off. It’s a tough decision. We want a presdient who can make tough decisions. The prospect that he “feels the pain” of losing a job will not necessarily preserve actaul jobs in the real world, unless of course he expands the government to hire more people.
With the youth being so very far left wing because of their youthful ignorance, if they ever come out to vote, they will vote almost exclusively liberal socialist which would not be good for anyone in the end.
LLama, I havent seen much data out there. Perhaps you have. What I’ve been told is that so many youth have been the victims of divorces. How many times has my own daughter innocently said to a playmate out in the yard “Oh look, your Daddy’s home!” to hear back “Oh he’s not my Daddy, my Daddy’s in (other state)”
These kids crave stable lasting marriages. They’ve been let down by divorce culture. A certain generation will never unquestioningly admire the Presidency due to Bill Clinton’s antics and the continual coverage it got in their late childhood/adolescence.
The Madison Youth Project reminded me of Buckley’s YAF or the Young America’s Foundation and the guest lecture series it hosts on campii across the nation.
More power to’em!