Tomorrow my 18-year-old son Jesse will be one of the millions of young people to cast his first vote for president. As a political junkie and a parent I couldn't be more thrilled. This one of those milestones you look forward to when you wonder why you braved 30 hours of labor.
My son is excited about voting, too. Like many of his peers he's been avidly watching The Daily Show to keep informed, trading political barbs on Facebook, and closely monitoring political spoofs on YouTube.
Who said the electoral college can't be a hoot?
Still, when it comes to important matters of state, like electing the first African-American president, my son can be a bit of a procrastinator. So a few weeks ago, being the exceptional hands-off parent that I am, I drove to our neighborhood post office in LA to pick him up a voter registration form. At 44 million eligible voters strong and a legacy of activism, the Millennial Generation could shape the outcome of the election. So I grabbed a few extra forms for his friends.
Which turned out to be a prescient thing. By the time I got home my son had pulled into the driveway with his friend Robert. "Oh, good," I said, climbing out of my car. "I picked up some voter registration forms for you."
After handing one to my son I thrust one at Robert, who was furiously texting on his Treo. When I gave him the form he smiled and thanked me, but then he said something truly stunning. "I'm probably not going to vote."
As someone who has voted in every presidential election since 1972, and frequently for the losing candidate, I was aghast. Not vote? Was he kidding? Wasn't he part of the highly touted youth vote, the generation who believe they can change the country with a galvanizing combination of Web savvy, grassroots organizing and optimism?
And what about the historic candidacy of Barack Obama?
Robert explained that the reason he might not vote was because he didn't think it mattered. I countered with a long breathless speech about the economy, the war in Iraq, global warming, how millions of Americans don't have health care. I hammered him about rising tuition, the credit crunch, how middle-class parents were struggling to send their children to college. The Millennial Generation was going to suffer the brunt of these problems. Wasn't it in his interest to vote? His civic duty? What if other people his age sat out the election?
I must have hit a chord, or worn him out, because Robert said he had changed his mind.
And yet the youth vote, as pundits have been fond of pointing out these last few anxious days, has been notoriously fickle. Whether they actually influence what happens tomorrow will depend not only on how many of them are determined to trek to the polls, but their tolerance for frustration. This weekend some voters in North Carolina stood in line for eight hours. Other voters are encountering dirty tricks, like the official-looking flyers in Pennsylvania that claimed Democrats vote on Wednesday. There's also fear about ballots and machine shortages. "Can Florida avoid election chaos?" fretted one headline I saw this morning.
Rock the Vote is giddily predicting young people will turn out for Obama. But some of those voters are firmly in Camp McCain. In fact, support among 18- to 29-year-olds helped the Republican candidate clinch the primary in California. A reality that recently hit home.
At a dinner to celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday, one of my son's friends not only stated his belief that Obama was a Muslim, but that his health-care plan would lead to socialized medicine. Oh, and he'd also destroy small businesses by raising taxes. Never mind my son's response; I thought my daughter, an outspoken Obama supporter, was going to choke on her tuna roll. Where had his friend heard these facts? From his father, a conservative doctor who came from a poor, immigrant family.
Without criticizing the dad, my husband calmly laid out Obama's positions. As veteran voters, we've been doing that a lot this election season, talking with young people we know about the candidates and issues, trying to steer them to reliable news sources (like the "elite liberal media"), urging the importance of making their voices heard. Maybe they listened, maybe they didn't.
But at least I know one 18-year-old who'll be joining me to vote on Nov. 4.
Follow Mona Gable on Twitter: www.twitter.com/monalg
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And yet, I'm just not sure if I can put down my Xbox controller today to go vote... lol
Or better yet: I'm leaving now to go wait in line before the polls open this morning in Georgia. The sun is rising, and I find it symbolic of this entire election. Dawn is approachin
Let the light shine on America; let it shine strong and warm with Barack Obama as our leader.
My daughter was truly incredible to watch as she presented the facts and backed them up with informatio
However, some of the "tweens" are being bombarded with too much informatio
Regardless
I too have felt like my vote didn't count. I've only voted for one winner, (so far), Bill Clinton.
It might be tempting to think your vote will get "suppresse
Maybe, maybe not.
Here is why your vote absolutely
2000 and 2004 were stolen with the help of "Republica
Throw all the republican
So your vote is extremely important! But it may be more important on the local level because of our messed up electoral system. After we get honest elections, then our "big" votes may count for something.
Think "President
Get out there and VOTE!!
Your VOTE COUNTS!!!!
If you think McCain won't demand congress to bring back the draft, you're sorely mistaken. Bush and Cheney would never have gotten away with restarting conscripti
So you hear that, youth of America? Where do you want to be....in the voting booth, or in combat boots?
As a twentysome
If you want to stress the importance of youth voting, hey, that's swell, I'm totally with you on that. But I'd advise you refrain from telling us to turn down our music and get off your lawn while you're doing it.
Now that I can fit into the elder category myself (hey, if I'm old enougth to be their father .... I'm an elder ...) I don't want to denigrate the youth that same way. We have to remember that they're grown and can make their own decisions now - even if they're not the decisions we would make.
Now, statistica
I do think that 'My vote doesn't matter' is a valid position (I'm a Liberal in Texas so that explains that) even if I usually disagree with it. If you want to speak to that position, doing it from 'you're wrong and being foolish - now do as you're told' is not really a strong way to win over other people.