Maybe it's another Clinton running for president or maybe its American Gladiators being back on television or maybe it was the late night monologue jokes during the writer's strike -- but I'm suffering from some déjà vu. It's all sounding vaguely familiar -- I've seen this -- heard it before.
The story is this: Young voters are being galvanized and energized... more than ever... this time.
Time Magazine ran a story of the youth vote on the cover, "Frustrated by feckless Washington, energized by the unscripted, pundit-baffling freedom of a wide-open race, young people are voting in numbers rarely seen since the general election of 1972."
In 1970, Congress extended the Civil Rights Act of 1965, giving 18-year-olds the right to vote for federal offices. In the general election in 1972 between George McGovern and Richard Nixon young people for the first time were able to cast their ballots. The war in Vietnam was raging. There was, after all, a draft. The average age of a GI in that war was 19. They could go and die for their country but couldn't have their vote counted. This was their moment. History was calling upon the young people of America to step up and change the course of history!
That year 1972 will forever be plugged as the year for 'the youth vote'. It is the young voter's election that all other young voter's elections will be judged by. What happened? Only half of those 18, 19 and 20 year olds that became eligible turned out to vote and Nixon won in a landslide.
Which poses the question: Why would we still want that demographics' participation?
In 1992 when running against the first George Bush, Bill Clinton was roughly the same age then as Barack Obama is now. Early to mid-40's. JFK's age. Clinton, as a presidential candidate went on MTV. That had never happened before. President Bush at first refused. All the reports said that it was the most young people energized by an election since 1972. It was exciting. The numbers? According to the census bureau about 48% of young voters (18-24) turned out as compared to the 30 and over crowd, of 72.4%.
And let's not forget the 2004 youth vote. "Vote or Die!" The word 'blog' was being used by pundits for the first time. Howard Dean and blogforamerica.com had excited the youth vote and there were more young people energized by an election since 1972! It was exciting! MySpace had just blown Friendster out of the water and grass roots had taken hold on this thing called 'the internets'. What happened? Less than half (46%) of the youth voters turned out -- way below national average of 61% of that year. And we re-elected a man that was nearly killed by eating a pretzel.
I'm not a cynic. I want all to be involved. Young, old -- willfully uninformed -- I say let's all get together! I'm just cautiously optimistic. We as Americans have been stood up on prom night by young voters before. And then every couple of years we collectively forget, forgive and re-hype the next batch of flaky young people.
I know. I know. As we think every time we are about to get duped again. "This time it's going to be different."
On Super Tuesday I went to the polls half expecting the turn out to look like a Hannah Montana concert. When I got there it looked more like a Hannah and Her Sisters reunion. There was a group of young Latino males exiting as I walked up. They had shaved heads and baggy pants. At first glance, they looked like gang bangers. As they approached I could make out their "I Voted" stickers on their hoodies. As we passed in the hall, one of them whispered towards me with a giddy skip in his step, "Eh -- vote Hillary!"
Different? Yep.
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Carly
Born in 1950
Obama '08
(Oh, and if there is a "delay" on this post, it will be my last. Because I am finally officially CRANKY.)
Senator Claire McCaskill (D) Missouri, elected for the first time to the United States Senate in November 2006, explained why she was supporting Senator Barack Obama to be President of the United States. She is the only one of the 16 female Senators who is so far.
These are her words. “It was a little nudging from my 18 year old Daughter.” “It was Maddie in my face.” “She, (Maddie), said, ‘How can you look yourself in the mirror, you’re a slug, you’re playing it politicall
Plus, Senator Obama gave me $10,000.00 for my campaign in 2006. Oops, I wasn’t supposed to say that. (I added that last part.)
This is one of the new Democrats we sent to Congress in 2006. Didn’t take her long to learn to play the game, did it. She is a super-dele
And WTH is Hannah Montana?
Iam kidding i know who it is since the media keeps bringing up some stupid story about her and her concerts.
It depends on who wins the democratic nomination
If Hillary wins it will drop like a rock, since we can read between the lines.
Lots of stats on the youth vote from general elections past.
Lots of comparison
No stats on the youth turnout in this primary campaign or comparison
SHEESH! I'm glad I'm not on YOUR debate team.
OBAMA '08
Despite two large high-rise buildings planted firmly in my precinct that are wholly filled with senior residents, there were only 4 people who looked like they were over 50 years of age in my precinct group of 66 participan
Recognizin
When he completes stackig the supreme court to the point where it resembles the politburea
When he not only makes the Bush tax cuts permanent, but EXPANDS them to the point where it is futile to expect health care reform, infrastruc
And when he anounces a new middle east policy that resembles Nixon's "secret Plan" to end the war..INVAD
And when one of the "new voters" that has bestirred themselves to engage in the political process for a period lasting from early Jan. to mid February stands up and asks "He Can't really DO that, can he
McCain will answer them with a resounding
Oh, wait. Is that why her campaign claims Obama has an advantage in college towns and among upper-inco
I turned 18 in 1984 and have voted in every state and federal election since then. I guess my support of the 'approved' candidates was no help until the '96 elections since before that I was just a dumb kid deserving only derision. And all along I thought I was a constructi
BTW, telling Obama supporters that they're stupid is not going to get them to suddenly change their minds and vote your way.
The problem with young voters is young people have a good sense of who is authentic, and who is scamming them.
If we put up an candidate who panders and fakes it, expect the young voters to tune out. They've seen that show before, and they're not motivated by reruns.
Obama does seem to be supported by youthful voters, according to polls, and he IS an "establish
It will be interestin