Young Voters Continue to Come Through For Obama

Young voters continue to show they will play a crucial role in determining the next President of the United States.

They also continue to show that they are overwhelmingly behind Barack Obama.

In South Carolina, 68% of voters aged 18-29 supported Obama. Voters in their twenties and thirties made up a combined 30% of the total vote and nearly 67% went to Barack Obama.

Another interesting statistic: 52% of Southern white voters in the 18-29 group voted for Obama compared to just 15% of their grandparents (age 60 and older). While the reasons for this dramatic generational shift can be argued, I see a lot of hope in these numbers. The South, once plagued by division and discrimination, is slowly becoming more tolerant and inclusive.

Barack Obama's South Carolina Victory Speech will go down in history, like Iowa, as a watershed moment in American politics.

His message of unity, hope, and change is resonating for young people across the country who are tired of partisan gridlock and politics as usual.

We are showing that when we have a candidate and a movement we believe in we are ready to do more than complain; we are ready to caucus, to canvas, to organize and vote.

On February 5th, students and young professionals across the country will be making their voices heard. In California and Colorado, New York and Alabama we have the chance to make America become what we want it to be, what we have drifted away from over the past few decades.

As Barack Obama eloquently put it tonight: "The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders. It's not about rich versus poor; young versus old; and it is not about black versus white. It's about the past versus the future."

With re-energized and re-engaged young voters joining this growing coalition, the Obama movement just moved one step closer to that future tonight in South Carolina.

Comments

[weddedgay]

It is not just the 'young'. I'm over 60 am totally committed to the future Obama talks about. He is correct to charchterize the election as past vs. future.

Billary did not start the politics of division, Newt and the Repugs did that. However, as good as Billary was in combating them, unfortunately they have become them.

If the Clintons are the candidate(s) we will just have eight more years of divisiveness for sure. With Obama, there is a very good chance we will not.

No doubt, I'll vote for the future.

[LAShores]

Hillary is the wrong person for the job!
Several points to make:
Experience means nothing if you don't have judgement and a set of principles to guide you. Political experience is only one aspect, and in my opinion a small one. I lost respect for Hillary when she voted for the Iraq war. I truely believe that she didn't want to vote for that war resolution but had to because she would have appeared to be weak on terrorism. This is such a big issue to me because it's THE most important position that she confronted as a senator. AND, SHE GOT IT WRONG! She "triangulated" and in my opinion this is a display of her poor judgement and bad decision making. There are certain things that you can get wrong, but authorizing a war IS NOT one of them. And, the sad part about this is that she refuses to admit she made a mistake by voting for the authorization to go to war. It baffles me why anyone thinks she is qualified to be president.

[Spookcatcher]

"68% of voters aged 18-29 supported Obama". When any statistic is used to create or supress arguement it must be put into the context from it was taken. So exactly what was the toal number of voters 18-29 that voted in the primary. What is the number of the total voters in the primary, therefore telling the public how big a constituency turned out and how many that turned out were 18-29, also by percentage/ratio. Then you may want to subdivide by race, gender, rural ,urban, and so on. It would make your arguement. or personal preference be transparent. We are talking about Presidential Contenders in a very traumatic era of time in America. It is also 2008. So let's begin this election with everybody voting with their eyes wide open on and with all information accurately presented so maybe this election might end up becoming the very FIRST one ever held that was legal and accountable to the voters in OUR History, regardless of the voters choices. But I know it is never going to happen, particularly with the candidates that have already been chosen for us to be able to select from, and knowing who all of their money backers are, it is just that I just like to put aside the evidence and inspire us to force better accountability and hope for a Fluid Transparent Democracy and process once in a while too.

[Tankan]

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'

[realitytrumpsbull]

Unity, hope, change...I am change...I am change...o­k.

What kind of federal spending reforms is Obama campaigning for? If he's a change artist, not a QUICK-change artist, in other words, a reformer, then he should theoretically be proposing things like federal spending reductions and improved public accountability.
If he's not, well...

[grendl]

Have you seen “There Will Be Blood” yet.

Watch it. If Daniel Day Lewis’s character, the oil robbing Daniel Plainview doesn’t remind you of the current administration, you may get your movie watching privileges revoked. Because he is the very embodiment of the GOP today, the craven beast who delights in the misery and misfortunes of others, and can only be happy gorging himself at the trough, using his straw to suck the riches from surrounding properties, confident in his heart that man’s innate selfishness will always trump the greater good.

Barack Obama is the answer to Daniel Plainview. He is the answer to the cynicism of the GOP, a man who spoke his conscience before we waged a war against a nation having nothing to do with the attacks on the twin towers on September 11, 2001. I almost hate Mr. Obama for making me believe in him, because I have been let down so many times in the past, by Democrats who while well meaning individuals, were something less than charismatic, and awkward before the cameras of the world.

South Carolina changed that, at least for me. I don’t care if he doesn’t win another primary, his speech, his passion, his vision were exactly the kind of things I’ve been waiting to hear since the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. Those who say its empty rhetoric, I have one question to ask. What the fuck do you think we’ve been listening to the last eight years. While people drowned in Louisiana, while our Constitution was being trampled underfoot. I’ll take Mr. Obama’s rhetoric of hope any day over that of tyranny.

At a certain point, as Tom Cruise says in “Risky Business”, you just gotta say “what the fuck.” Well, I’m saying and backing it with my vote, for the first time in years. For Barack Obama.

[skwan91607]

If black voters voted for Obama because he is black then it is understandable. But, this race card promotion is a bad experience. Dr. King's civil right movement has been wrongfully placed in this election. It is proved that Obama is blsck, does not meant he is Dr. King. It is a fairy tale if race card can be used to run a country particularly a black presidency in America today.
He is rookie candidate no more and no less.
Changes are what bush have been done in the last 7 years. Bush was also telling the country Changes and changes. That is a mess what we get today. Talking change is a task of talk. Making changes is a real world challenge, not a fairy tale.
Obama's experiences: what is any significant thing you have done for the black community in particular and for the whole country in general? NOTHING. How in the world running a country withoud any experience!
Clinton's 8 years prosperity are the records to show that better than a beautiful speech. just a talk.
John Kerry's support to Obama is considered a long shot for his next presidential bet.
Obama camp is using the same tactics as republicans did "SHAME", looking for victory under Monica's skirt against Clinton's.
A reality and a fairy tale cast your vote and be careful.

[lynnn]

While I breath I hope