Who Will Get the 2012 Youth Vote? (Blog)

According to Scott Keeter, Director of Research for the Pew Research Center, in 2004 a divergence of young voters began.  

In 2008, 66 percent of 18-29-year-old voters supported Obama compared to 45 percent of 65-year-olds and up, which is a huge age gap. Baby Boomers are 50-65-year-olds and the Gen X voters are aged 30-49.

Older voters of this group are the more conservative. General differences that will persist in this millennial are far more ethnic and diverse. Younger voters are more libertarian on social issues, for example their attitudes towards homosexuality and marriage, believing that these issues should never be decided by government. They are also more libertarian than their older cohorts.  

In 2008, Obama's best age group was the younger voter, however this time he will not get the same support as before. We saw the younger vote in 2010 had a lot of fallout and they weren't as enthused as they were in 2008.  

Issues that are most cared about today are the economy and getting a job. Social Security remains important to older voters but not to the young as they feel they can do better with their money than the government. If we are really going to have change then the administration has to change.  

Obama didn't really change much from the Bush administration. He continued with more wars, he re-signed the Patriot Act, and he didn't close Guantanamo Bay.  A majority of Obama supporters feel like Obama, who had a chance to make history, lied to them. The elderly in particular are upset with Obama because he didn't keep his promises on campaign finance reform.

Obama followed the Bush/Cheney policy and ramped up in Iraq and Afghanistan. He takes orders from the UN by going into undeclared wars, thus usurping Congress's authority. Many voters are disenchanted.  

He has still yet to show a legitimate birth certificate and there is a huge ongoing investigation of whether he is even eligible to be a sitting US President. Students are saying, if Obama is to even have a chance he must put this issue to rest with a legal birth certificate and explain why he has sealed shut all his college records.   

Young voters are involved in this election in a big way. They are using social networking as a major tool to organize and educate volunteers.

Romney, a pro war candidate and advocate of the unconstitutional NDAA, which doesn't resonate well with the youth, will be trying to recruit the young vote as he knows he has less of a chance of winning without it.  

Ron Paul, who has 48% of the young vote, really resonates with the younger voters with his non interventionist foreign policy, end the fed message, and promises of making government smaller. There will no doubt be a dueling cyber-war for the younger voters.  

Social issues are widening the generational gap. Young people are less likely to be affiliated with the religious tradition. They are not tied to organized religion like older people are. Economy is the big issue — most will vote Republican or third party because of it.  

The two party system seems to be in collusion and can be seen by the cabinet appointments that were made by Obama.  

According to young voters, the third party system is becoming more and more appealing since the two party system hasn't accomplished much and there doesn't seem to be much difference between the two anymore.

Students love the fact that freedom loving fiscally conservative, Ron Paul wants more diplomacy. Students say there aren't too many differences between Obama and Romney. Some students say they will support the nominee, others will not participate at all and still others believe the fix is in and they see this election as their last chance at "an honest politician to sit on the highest seat in the land."

Whatever the outcome, this is going to be the most watched and active election in my lifetime.  

-Randi Shannon