This week, the Pew Research Center released a survey looking at the Millennial Generation -- some media outlets have mischaracterized the data to claim that Democrats are losing young voters and that young voters are up for grabs.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Millennials continue to be liberal and pro-government, two attributes notably lacking from the Republican Party, its leadership and the policies that it pursues. Young people are frustrated with government and at times frustrated with President Obama and elected Democrats -- but our frustration comes from the left. We are the wired generation and the pace of progress is not what we are used to.
Millennials first distinct political memory is Bill Clinton's Presidency and the defining moment of our generation is 9-11. We have never known a world without the Internet; we talk to our peers through gchat and text messaging. We are the most diverse generation this or any other country has ever known. We are making our way in one of the worst economies any generation has ever experienced and we have lost too many of our peers in wars spread across the globe.
Our experiences with domestic and global events mirrors that of technology - they are vast, sweeping and fast moving -- and we see the world as no other generation before us. These experiences have shaped our political belief system and nothing has happened to change that.
Millennials have been coming to the polls in steadily increasing numbers since 2004 and overwhelmingly support Democrats. Given the strength of this trend it is premature to declare that there is a reversal before we see actual evidence at the ballot box.
In fact, we demonstrated our commitment to Democrats again in the Massachusetts special election, just weeks ago. While older voters flocked to Republican Scott Brown, young voters cast ballots 58-42% for Democrat Martha Coakley.
Exit polls in Massachusetts showed that young people favor the Democrats health care plan with 55-40% support and have the strongest overall support for President Obama of all age groups with 67% support.
In 2008, 52% of young people came to the polls and voted for change in a historic election. We were driven by our commitment to issues like marriage equality, health care and job creation and we believed that our vote would create an America that works for us. We are driven and sometimes impatient, but we are not so fickle that we will abandon our ideals because they have not yet been fully realized.
And it is no wonder why. Millenials who care about issues like equality, choice, the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, health care and green jobs are the antithesis of the Tea Party ideologues that have taken over the Republican Party. Tea Partiers rally with almost exclusively white crowds waving signs filled with hate in cities across the country. As Meghan McCain pointed out, the Tea Party Movement represents "innate racism." She agrees that is "why young people are turned off by this movement." The Republican Party is not offering solutions or creating jobs. The party of "No" does not answer the questions that concern our generation.
Does this mean that Democrats can automatically count on young people to come to the polls and vote for them in November? No. Millennials need to hear clearly what our party stands for. We learned in the 2009 Virginia and New Jersey Gubernatorial elections that young people are like any other voting group: we will stay home if no one reaches out to us. Democrats need to proudly declare our support for equality and show how we are fighting for the economic opportunities that will create bright futures for young people in all corners of America. Millennials are a generation of tolerant, forward thinking citizens committed to creating a country and an economy that allows every American to achieve success. Democrats are with us on the issues that matter most and with a renewed investment they will see results on November 4th.
Crystal Strait - President, Young Democrats of America