"Ah, youth, that fickle force in politics."

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN/AP: Campaigns focus on engaging young voters
March 5, 2007


Analysts say it was Facebook that turned out thousands of young people for an Barack Obama rally at George Mason University a few weeks ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Ah, youth, that fickle force in politics. Young people bring energy, passion, creativity and technical wizardry to the presidential campaign -- everything, it seems, except impact on Election Day.

With their Web logs, Facebook profiles and college rallies, the 2008 presidential candidates are lavishing attention on a group that displays unbridled enthusiasm early in the campaign but tends to lose interest when the voting starts.

For all the star-studded voter registration drives featuring the likes of Madonna and Sean "Diddy" Combs, more than half of the people in the United States age 18 to 24 who are eligible to vote typically are no-shows on Election Day. By comparison, some 70 percent of those 45 and older cast their ballots, according to the Census Bureau.

So while young people are front and center in spreading the word on candidates, it still is the Sinatra generation that is rockin' the vote.

"We have a long way to go," said Ben Unger, field director for PIRG New Voters Project. "Even if we had an equally engaged population as senior citizens, there's tons of room to be made up." One impediment: People 18 to 24 are highly mobile and hard to reach even with relaxed absentee balloting rules.

Voter turnout among young people rose in the 2004 election to 47 percent from 36 percent in 2000. It is an increase in motivation that candidates hope will build this time and last until November 2008....

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/05/young.voters.ap/index.html

[ShortnFiery]

1. Us Oldsters are on board too!

I'm pushing 50 and when I look and listen to Obama, I feel hope for our future. :hi:

[JeffR]

2. Sinatra generation??? 45 and older???

Nancy Sinatra, maybe.

[ShortnFiery]

3. Yes, Frank was a little too old for us 45-50 crowd ... maybe not for the early born baby boomers

nearing the big six-zero? BTW I have to be gentle with my big brother this June who will be reaching that milestone. ;)

[JeffR]

6. I'm a Sinatra fan

But strictly as a "retro" thing.

This was probably written by a 23-year old AP reporter who can't distinguish Herman's Hermits from Gang of Four.

[DemBones DemBones]

9. I don't think many 60 year-olds are Sinatra fans.

I think we're talking octagenarians and older here.

[ShortnFiery]

11. Whoa, you're correct.

Come to think of it, my older brothers were into Gene Pitney and Jan and Dean.

Thanks for updating me.

[ElizabethDC]

4. The interesting thing is

I'm a college student at a campus that's very politically active, and the majority of students that I know are supporting Hillary (yes, I poll my friends regularly). Obama also has quite a few fans, however, and they're quite a bit better organized and visible on campus.

[MADem]

5. OK, I have said this elsewhere on DU and I need to say it again

I have a sick feeling that the YOUTH VOTE is being heavily targetted by the GOP. I've seen more references to College Republicans in the newpaper, on tv, on the internet these days, and it's troubling. Hell, back in the day, no intelligent college student would ADMIT to being a Republican--it was a sure way to guarantee you wouldn't be doing any dating (I guess that's a quaint concept, too).

It would not surprise me at all if the GOP strategy is to tap into the South Park Snark, the Adult Swim "You Old People are Fucking Idiots" themes, the "I Wanna Get MINE" attitude that is coming to the fore, ironically, as a direct result of a GOP attack on Social Security and other benefits. The tendency to be greedy, selfish and disrespectful is unsurprising when one feels as though their future is not bright, their potential security in old age under attack, that they won't have as good a life in terms of earnings, ability to buy a home or a nice car, to travel, to enjoy life, as their parents. The GOP tells them "Get YOURS--fuck the poor, the weak, the needy. Sink or (Adult) SWIM!! It's YOUR money--to hell with social programs!!" and there is a subset of people, little Roves in training, who completely buy that crap. They buy into the conservatism, and they've totally tossed the 'compassionate' veneer.

The question, then, is, will the GOP do better at both recruiting the young, and MOST IMPORTANTLY... GOTV-ing them?

They do one helluva job with the Fundies, from church buses picking up folks and taking them to the polls, to having people who commit to dragging "x" number of people out to vote. It's a definite CONCERN. As we know, the fundies are disillusioned, which could depress turnout in that sector. They need to make up that subset of voters somehow, somewhere. And the increased presence of these cretins on college campuses suggests to me that they're looking for suckers at colleges and universities in a Big Way.

[ShortnFiery]

7. No Way!

South Park is Libertarian if any bent. Plus, becoming more informed and intellectual is usually a path toward becoming more LIBERAL. There are exceptions (AEI Ghouls) but that's the natural progression (evolution) of enlightenment.

O'Connor became more progressive with time because, a high intelligent and basically compassionate human being is drawn toward altruism.

Yes, yes this rules out the smarmy like Thomas, Scalia, Alito and Roberts. However, truth be told, there may be hope for John Roberts to moderate his opinions a little more toward the center. The rest of them are hopeless.

IMO, no worries about "the lion's share" of Undergraduate College Age Kids (under 25), like my teenagers - they never disappoint to rebel and question every damn thing. :hi:

[BL611]

8. The Republicans are much

better organized and funded on campus' than the Democrats, the college Republicans is a huge, very well funded organization, strongly connected to the Republican power players. By contrast college democrats have very poor organization and coordination, and not a fraction of the funds to operate on.

[ShortnFiery]

10. Tis true,

But if it's anything like when I was in college, the Republicans are the quintessential FREAKS. Usually those whose mommy and daddy can send off to Europe during their summers. They haven't had a minimum wage job EVER, their comedy shows suck and *they smell bad.* <tongue-in-cheek>

I don't fear much because Republicans lack a sense of true camaraderie and personal friendships outside of an authoritarian atmosphere. If you've ever stood up to one, face to face, they often fold like a cheap suit, i.e., they're used to getting their way.

No, I find it difficult to believe that smarmy jerks like Horowitz and Weiner are going to have a large following on College Campuses. However, the Neidermyers who do go for that type of authoritarian calling, are sometimes quite intense, if not dangerous. That point is taken. :hi:



http://www.tigersweat.com/movies/animal/house02.wav

[MADem]

12. I've seen them on campuses where no self-respecting student would ever ADMIT to such an affiliation

back in the day. It's rather discombobulating. And it IS a cause for concern, I would wager.

[ShortnFiery]

13. I'm sure that you are more up to date than me since

I have no children presently in college, my degrees earned in 82' and 90.'

Believe it or not, and despite our unfortunate past interactions, I'll take your word for it that their (Republican College Organizations) numbers are increasing.

Yes, it is discombobulating ... disturbing even. ;)

I will do more research on this area since I admittedly am NOT up to date.

Thank you. :hi: