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Nancy Lublin

Nancy Lublin

Posted: January 20, 2010 06:56 PM

Despite disappointment on some key issues, majority of young people would still vote for President Obama.

Today is the 1 year anniversary of President Obama's inauguration, so DoSomething.org asked young people whether they think President Obama "made the grade" during his first year in office. Their responses garnered some interesting results.

According to the survey results, young adults do not feel that President Obama has adequately delivered on key campaign promises like ending the war in Afghanistan and addressing gay rights policy issues. However, on issues more directly relevant to teens, Obama garners significantly more support. Almost 62% of teens surveyed support Obama's plans for making college more accessible, and 63.4% approve his decision to focus on more comprehensive sex ed programs. Similarly, 58.9% support a plan to allow young people to remain on their parents' health coverage through the age of 26.

2010-01-21-Obama-Chart-surveyobama2009FINAL.jpgDespite this hesitation with his early policy decisions, the majority of young adults surveyed say that they would still vote for President Obama tomorrow, even though 65.1% revealed that they did not think Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. The first lady, on the other hand, had the widest margin of support from those surveyed, with 74.3% believing that Michelle Obama is adequately fulfilling her job as a national role model.

Young adults were split in support over Obama's bank bailout decisions with 41% against, 36.7% in support of, and 22.3% unsure. They were similarly unsure of how Obama has handled global warming and environmental concerns, with 47% against, 23% in support of, and 30% unsure.

The survey goes on to highlight those issues that young adults feel should be the top three priorities for President Obama in 2010. The Economy (70.1%) came in as the biggest priority, with the Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan (51.7%) and Education (47.8%) also playing a huge role.

The complete report can be viewed at www.DoSomething.org.

 
 
 

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01:56 PM on 01/21/2010
Just wait untill these young people start paying taxes and join the real world. Im sure those votes would change. They are to busy keeping up with the Kardashians.
02:18 PM on 01/21/2010
You little old crazy right wingers really do hate young people.
HUFFPOST PUNDIT
JStading
Trust me, I'm an attorney...
03:33 PM on 01/21/2010
Right - aside from the fact that I've worked since I was 14, I've magically escaped paying taxes. I'm also one of those hippies who resented the fact that Bush's 2005 bankruptcy "reform" effectively entitled lenders to charge upwards of 7% interest for loans that carry almost 0% risk. I'm pleased that America's young people no longer have "entry level" jobs to turn to in order to begin their professional careers. Instead, they must take unpaid internships which provide no benefits, make fortunes for private industry, and compel young people to enter into vast sums of credit debt.

I'm unclear how providing tax cuts to the top 3% of this country benefits the nation's economic interests. I'm equally unclear how your criticism can stand in light of the fact that Bush simply spent without raising the funds to pay down the bill. The result is a significant defect that accrues interest at our expense.
11:01 AM on 01/21/2010
Blame the party of no. Letting the obstructsionist minority
rule congress is Obama's fault. Letting the Blue Dog Dems
control your agenda is Obama's fault. Last but worst, keeping
Joe Lieberman in the fold is criminal. I would still vote for
Obama because the republicans are beyond horrible but
he is a disapointment.
10:45 AM on 01/21/2010
You cannot ask someone to grade a President's first year in office, unless they pay taxes.
02:17 PM on 01/21/2010
Obama didn't raise taxes last year....not that you care.
You just wanted to make a silly statement here today.
10:35 AM on 01/21/2010
young adults do not feel that President Obama has adequately delivered on key campaign promises like ending the war in Afghanistan-----

For the last time people, Obama did not promise to end the war in Afganistan. In the campaign he stated many times that he wanted to pull out of Iraq and focus more of our efforts, troops and money in Afganistan. If you remember one of the biggest complaints against Bush is that he ignored Afganistan, and only looked at Iraq. Obama never once said anything about ending Afganistan. He said he would put more troops in.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
StephCaster
10:44 AM on 01/21/2010
Yes, you are exactly right. I think Obama is making a huge mistake is excalating in Afghanistan (similar to the way Johnson's decision to escalate the Viet Nam war destroyed his domestic agenda). But it is completely consistent with his campaign positions, which were just as you say.
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kathy001
Don't bogart that duck
10:45 AM on 01/21/2010
Thank you! I had just copied that same sentence to point out the very same things.

How are we supposed to put any stock in a poll when the people who run the poll can't keep the friggin facts straight?
10:27 AM on 01/21/2010
It is sad that after a year of evidence that Obama is NOT the "man of change", you claim that young America will still vote for Obama. Yes he mesmerized them with his skillfull talk in desperate times, but I think your conclusion is off base because this may only be because of our 2-party "tweedledee-tweedledumb" political system that does not provide us with real choice.
09:02 AM on 01/21/2010
46% is not a majority.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
Tyler-Durden
leading a revolution of one
09:58 AM on 01/21/2010
the correct word is "plurality"
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elkabong
Campaign finance is the disease.
07:08 AM on 01/21/2010
President Obama did not campaign on ending the war in Afghanistan. In fact, he campaigned on shifting the war from Iraq TO Afghanistan.

I hope whoever is misleading these young people discontinues the practice.
06:33 AM on 01/21/2010
Teens ?

I remember how well I understood the facade of our political system when I was a H.S. teen.

Until we teach the young adults how things really work on the hill, is this even relevant ?

Too bad being popular doesn't get the right things done.
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Passenger57
Keeping Calm And Carrying On...
10:10 AM on 01/21/2010
I'm glad Obama still "won" in this poll,but until we fix the education system in this country (which was rightfully acknowledged here), I'm not so sure these kids know enough to make an informed opinion.
10:32 AM on 01/21/2010
Um the only teens that are in highschool are 18, the young people they are talking about is age group of 18 to 30.

This paticular group seemed to get things done when they are the ones who led the movement to getting Obama elected. I wouldnt knock them bc in the last election they proved they can get thing done.

Oh and wisdom does not come with age. The young people of today are more open minded and have handled two wars and a lousy economy. They didnt do that, but they have to deal with it. Now they have to work this country out of it.
05:54 AM on 01/21/2010
Yes of course i would still vote for him ( can you imagine how bad things would be under McCain -Palin) but I still want the president i voted for, and so far he has been a pale shadow of what he said on the campaign trail
08:03 AM on 01/21/2010
You said it. I would vote for a rodeo clown before I would ever, ever vote for a republican. Absolutely no way.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
Tyler-Durden
leading a revolution of one
09:55 AM on 01/21/2010
wow. nice to see at least two other people who still have a clear perspective. he may not be doing much, but i guarantee it would be worse with the same ol' party still in control.

yes, the party that gave the banks the money with no strings to begin with.
01:23 PM on 01/21/2010
LOL! I concur. :)
04:17 AM on 01/21/2010
Fuzzy math. Since when does 46% make a "majority"? (of young people who would still vote for President Obama.) Wishful thinking. A better heading would have been: Majority either wouldn't, or don't know if they would, vote for obama again. Nice try. Like most young people today, your math skills have declined.
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Passenger57
Keeping Calm And Carrying On...
10:19 AM on 01/21/2010
Hmm...let's review...
Which section of the pie chart was the largest?
The section labeled, "YES" (I would vote for Pres.Obama if the election were held tomorrow).
Nearly half of the chart represents those who WOULD vote for Obama.
From this, we can rightly say that a MAJORITY of kids participating in this poll would vote Obama back into office.
THERE'S your "majority".



'
12:30 PM on 01/21/2010
That is incorrect.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
nofir2
01:18 AM on 01/21/2010
What Bank bailout you talking about? If you mean TARP? That was Bush and Paulson and mostly a democratic congress but it was before Obama took office.
11:49 AM on 01/21/2010
And what about TARP II?
And what about the Stimulus?

How are those working out for ya?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
nofir2
04:38 PM on 01/22/2010
Tarp2 as you call it went to your state ask your state rep
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ChicagoSuz
Writer/Teacher/Actor/Activist
11:12 PM on 01/20/2010
And, the good news is....

...they'll be eligible to vote in '12!! So, YAY!!
08:32 PM on 01/20/2010
Okay...ya'll are killing me. Presidential campaign Senator Obama AND President Obama have ALWAYS said they wanted to dial back Iraq and ramp up in Afghanistan because that's where we SHOULD be. Where do people get these made up statements?
11:20 PM on 01/20/2010
A factually accurate point.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
PeterGrfx
freelance journalist, Milwaukee
11:48 PM on 01/20/2010
factually accurate that Obama wanted to refocus away from Iraq and toward Afghanistan, but didn't say whether the new focus would be so militarized - as usual, left it up to us to project our wishful thinking upon him.