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Youth vote vital
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Heather Smith, Executive Director of Rock the Vote, called Super Tuesday’s youth vote “the most electrifying moment in
Regardless of whether or not it was the most electrifying, no one can doubt it was groundbreaking. In almost every state primary the number of voters ages 18-30 doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled compared to the 2000 and 2004 elections.
The consistency of the youth vote has a sketchy past. The election history books tell us that the hype dies away fast. Will the generation of microwaveable meals and internet shopping stick this one out for the long run? Chrissy Faessen from Rock the Vote told WoW “definitely.” “Young people have turned out and increased their turn out from years past. The momentum is there, the movement is growing, and we see it continuing through the election.” Peter Levine, a research scholar from the
Charles Dunn of Regent University’s School of Government, however, says that he must “pour salt” on the influence of the youth as this election continues. Looking back, Dunn says the youth have been an inconsistent bloc whose votes should be welcomed by candidates, but not banked on for consistency.
One thing is clear, after Super Tuesday they’ve proven they shouldn’t be ignored.
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Topic: Campaign 2008, Front Page, The Nation |  |
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Keywords: Rock the Vote, Super Tuesday, voter turnout, youth vote |  |
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Less is more
The fate and future of the USA is in his hands?!
In terms of the total number of eligible voters in that demographic, what percentage actually showed up at the polls?
The reason I ask, is that many registered voters pretty much skip the preliminaries (primaries) and show up for the big dance.
I still contend that although the number of younger voters will increase, they probably won’t turn out in enough numbers to decide the election as a demographic.
I doubt they’ll be decisive, but they may well be significant, moreso than in the past. Obama has a real appeal to young people, more so than either Kerry or Gore did.
(Gore might have it if he were running today because of his newfound celebrity, but he didn’t in 2000.)
I hope they stay in after Obama loses to Clinton but I fear they’ll fade out and not care about the Clinton v. Huckabee race in November. But at least it’s nice to see them get excited about the presidency the way they did with McCarthy and McGovern.
One thing is for sure. They are vastly, as a huge majority, liberal socialsits at such a young age.
Llama, I would be willing to bet the younger set(>30) are more conservative than the 30-60 demeographic. In my experience they seem to think for themselves and they don’t really like the socialist agenda.
“thinking for yourself” in college means being a liberal, socialist, pro-choice femi-nazi.
plainly and simply, that’s all i get shoved down my throat, both from prof’s and from fellow students.
#7: plainly and simply, that’s all i get shoved down my throat, both from prof’s and from fellow students.
Obviouly, you are not attending the right schools. Go to Bob Jones University. I hear they have braces on their brains.
you [possibly purposely] missed the whole point.
the idea is that my university is trying to put braces on MY brain.
conform it to fit “norms.”
while telling me i’m “thinking for myself
I bereave the chirrens is our future…
We have been hearing about the impending youth vote explosion since I was a youth myself (and my youngest offspring is now voting herself) - it hasn’t yet materialized.
This primary appears to have had an unprecedented youth turnout. But it does remain to be seen whether it continues into the General Election.