Democratic Party Stands to Lose Youth Vote

[BlindTiresias]

This should be a dramatic wake up call that we need dramatic re-organization and a new emphasis on populist policies and to fully embrace issues like cannabis legalization and even drug decriminalization.

http://iop.harvard.edu/likely-millennial-voters-grabs-upcoming-midterm-elections-harvard-youth-poll-finds

"While more 18- to 29- year-olds (50%-43%) surveyed in the IOP’s fall 2014 poll would prefer that Congress be controlled by Democrats instead of Republicans, the numbers improve dramatically for the GOP when only young people who say they will “definitely vote” are studied. Among these likely voters, the IOP’s latest poll shows the preference shifting, with slightly more than half (51%) preferring a Republican-run Congress and 47 percent wanting Democrats to be in charge – a significant change from the IOP’s last midterm election poll in the fall of 2010 when Democratic control was preferred among likely voters 55 percent to 43 percent"

The youth vote is NOT guaranteed to be Democratic and as it stands the Democratic party has squandered their initial advantage in this area. Orthodoxy is not working and the more people cling to it the more the party will find itself irrelevant.

[JaneyVee]

1. What youth vote?

[bravenak]

3. They show up when he's on the ballot.

Funny hw we only get our asses handed to us when he's NOT on the ballot.

[Ykcutnek]

6. That is true.

The Dems who lost their seats last night got there riding his coattails in 2008.

And lost in 2014 by jumping off.

[VanillaRhapsody]

28. fair weather friends....

they will get theirs....unfortunately the rest of us have to suffer their punishment with them...

[BlindTiresias]

38. That is a whole group you are talking about

And one kind of critical to the future of the party. May not want to engage in apocalyptic fantasies there.

[VanillaRhapsody]

43. and?

we are not talking some time in the distant future...we are talking during the next two years here.....

[erpowers]

4. Talk About Jobs

I do not think Democrats need to get behind canabis legalization and drug decriminalization. They need to talk about finding a way to help young people get better jobs and better paying jobs. They also need to come up with policies that put the United States back on track for young people to do better than their parents. Finally, they need to talk about ways to help young people get better educations that are less expensive and lead to good paying and high paying jobs.

[Dwayne Hicks]

7. Why not back both?

Seems like both are winning issues with younger voters.

[erpowers]

9. They Can, But

Last edited Wed Nov 5, 2014, 08:42 PM - Edit history (1)

Democrats can back both. I just do not think it is that important to back Cannabis legalization and drug decriminalization. I do not think a lack for support for Cannabis is the main reason the Democrats may be at risk of losing the youth vote. I think that has more to do with their frustration due to the lack of good jobs, the thought that they will not do as well in life as their parents, and their high college debt load without well paying jobs. I think Democrats should focus more on improving the economic well-being of young people.

[Alittleliberal]

10. Ya I'll tell the thousands of people unjustly serving sentences

You just don't think it's important.

[Warren DeMontague]

14. You don't? I do.

A majority of Americans favor legalization, now. 4 states and counting have legalized.

Democrats on the West Coast have figured out which way things are headed. The beltway is clueless, as usual.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. Yesterday Oregon voted to legalize cannabis for recreational use. Also reelected a Democratic US

Senator and 4 Democratic House Reps, a Democratic Governor, passed an Equal Rights Amendment for our State Constitution.....and most of the people on DU are complaining that their neighbors did not vote and that Republicans won.

[global1]

8. Student Loan Debt Needs To Be Addressed....

So many of our youth are so burdened by student loans they are behind before they even start their career and life. How do you raise a family? How do you buy a house?

[LeftInTX]

17. Totally agree

[VanillaRhapsody]

29. Mine certainly do....but I won't hold my breath now....

thats fucking out the window now....

[BlindTiresias]

15. A proper populism

Would likely entail debt relief, economic stimulus aimed at the working and middle class, the cessation of the drug war and at the very least cannabis legalization, and some kind of housing initiative or a robust program to control rents and help the 25-35 crowd become homeowners.

Education reform should also likely be on the table, including making public universities free of charge.

Ignore gun control wedge traps, gay marriage has enough inertia to let the special interest groups finish the victory, and don't get mired in culture war BS.

[Bluenorthwest]

22. Most of this country offers zero protection from discrimination in employment and housing for LGBT

people. So fuck your inertia. Until you right wing religious types drop your hate and make good on the Constitutional promise of equal protection under the law for all, your lack of effort to make change will continue to cost you votes, voters and Seats in Congress.

[BlindTiresias]

24. I'm not a right wing religious type?

I feel you misunderstand what I mean. Dems should support LGBT issues but make whether it is at the forefront of their campaigns regionally based and I think the other economic and social issues need to be at the forefront for the time being.

[VanillaRhapsody]

30. Thanks for your input Indpendent voter....

its sooooo helpful!

[BlindTiresias]

35. Thank you

I'm glad you find it helpful, it seems many other agree. Together we can improve the Democratic party!

[VanillaRhapsody]

36. apparently your facetious meter is off....need to recalibrate it...

[Spazito]

57. Yeah, that thought is familiar...

civil rights are important BUT they go to the back of the bus until we deal with all these other issues. Interestingly, those who think that way always find more OTHER issues to sit in the front of the bus.

[upaloopa]

5. What youth vote?

[BlindTiresias]

11. Not a good attitude to have

[Warren DeMontague]

13. Don't worry about it. It's DU.

Otherwise known as the internet home for "My Grandchildren Never Call, I still have an AOL email address, and I can't program this VCR"

[KamaAina]

16. I believe the poster is referring to the abysmal youth turnout

[BlindTiresias]

18. Yep

A bad turnout now does not mean a bad turnout forever and disregarding the youth because they don't turn out and making no effort to appeal to them is a great way to have them be turned over to the right wing who is actively courting them via right libertarianism.

[Bluenorthwest]

23. Our Statewide turnout was 70%. Democratic victory all over the place. Legalized cannabis.

But then again, we are not atavistic, hate mongering semi-Republicans.

[BlindTiresias]

26. So things are fine with the party and all is well?

yeah, I think the current situation defies your optimism.

[VanillaRhapsody]

32. No thanks to you and your ilk....you were OH soooooo Optimistic until this point!

[BlindTiresias]

34. No I wasn't optimistic

Because I saw this kicking we received months ago while you were mainlining Unicorn glitter into your veins and would mutter nonsense in a hallucinatory daze.

[upaloopa]

56. That was not a good post that I put up there.

I was a bit pissed to see the youth vote drop this election cycle. Maybe we aren't paying enough attention to their problems.
Personally I care a lot that young people today have a harder time getting ahead than I did. I think it is because of conservative and corporate policies.

[Spazito]

58. Isn't it time the 'youth' realized they need to step up to the plate instead of...

sitting back and waiting until they receive a gift-wrapped package at their door? The youth that participated in the Freedom Rides didn't sit back waiting for someone else to deliver their gift-wrapped package, they put their very lives on the line to make a difference. Change doesn't come on a 'wish and a prayer', it comes from actually working for change, working hard for incremental change, a lesson today's youth, by and large, have yet to learn, imo.

[Warren DeMontague]

12. K&R

[kelliekat44]

19. And the Hispanic vote if not careful. nt

[calimary]

59. I think we take these two voting blocs for granted AT OUR PERIL.

I hope the Dems fire up about this.

And they can give DEBBIE the heave-ho, too, while they're at it. I think we can well expect her not to care all that much, or pay that much attention, on the road ahead. She's been pretty damn tone-deaf, and has two midterm shellackings on her credit. Howard Dean anyone? He got us a midterm election back in 2006 that was FABULOUS, and gave us SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PELOSI, too.

[0rganism]

21. we'll see how they feel after 2 years of GOP senate control

i think they'll find they can't blame Obama for everything, and the preferences shift back our way by 2016

[VanillaRhapsody]

33. they will get their come to jesus moment soon enough....

buyers remorse in 3....2.....1`

[KMOD]

25. I'm in a deep blue area of NY

so most of the millennials I know are liberal minded.

What they want are, jobs, lower tuitions, lower student loan rates, LGBT rights, an end to the war on drugs, and they are concerned about climate change. Those are the issues on their minds.

Talk about and address these issues, and they will vote.

[liberal_at_heart]

27. The federal and state governments need to start funding universities again. Also we need

a living wage and we need to rebuild our unions. Legalizing marijuana wouldn't hurt but it really is the economic issues that will either turn out the youth vote or keep them at home.

[treestar]

31. You would like that?

Never going to happen.

The thing that makes people right wingers is age.

[BlindTiresias]

37. I'm actually not sure the research can lead to that conclusion

[treestar]

39. Well if the youth vote Republican too

Then society has gone really really conservative. I'd hate to live in that country. Fortunately I do not think we do.

[Historic NY]

40. If only they had a VOTER APP...

they are too concerned with themselves. You know what would wake them up is mandatory national service or a draft.

[BlindTiresias]

41. Good attitude

Will win them over for sure.

[liberal_at_heart]

42. yes lets blame the ones with tens of thousand of dollars in school loan debt. Sure let's blame the

ones who can't get a job and when they do get a job it is temporary and low wage. Let's blame them. Because it sure as hell couldn't be the party's fault could it?

[Historic NY]

44. Well apparently they aren't paying attention...

I paid my own college loans off working nickle and dime jobs. And they have tens of thousands in debt because?

[KMOD]

45. Have you seen tuitions costs lately?

Harder to pay them off with nickel and dime jobs.

[liberal_at_heart]

46. You obviously have no clue how much things have changed. The federal and state governments have

drastically reduced how much they fund universities. Cost of tuition has skyrocketed. It costs $30,000 a year to attend The University of Washington. Did it cost that much for you to attend college?

[Historic NY]

47. State Colleges are just find...I drove 62 miles one way..

3 x a week for my masters.

[liberal_at_heart]

48. The University of Washington is a state college. College is un-affordable. Plain and simple.

It should not cost over $100,000 to go to a state college, and it wouldn't if federal and state governments would start increasing funding to universities.

[Historic NY]

50. Washington a liberal state who would have thought...

perhaps if it was more progressive. Thinking it going to happen now before you graduate is a dream. Obama tried to reform some of the student loan programs but w/o congressional help it will not happen.

http://www.newpaltz.edu/financialaid/tuition.cfm most liberal college in NY state

[liberal_at_heart]

53. That is not the point. The point is the Democrats don't put up enough of a fight.

I would rather elect a politician who is willing to fight for me and my children and not get anything passed than someone who does not fight and gets republican light policies passed. Obama did redirect some federal loans from the private banks back to federal lenders, but he also agreed to tie the interest rate to prime interest rates. That is disastrous. We cannot afford those kind of compromises. We need politicians who will fight.

[BlindTiresias]

49. Face of the Democratic party Old Guard, folks!

[liberal_at_heart]

51. yeah I'm getting pretty tired of all the Millinneal bashing tonight. Boy people will blame anybody

except those who deserve the blame, the candidates themselves.

[Historic NY]

52. The old guard votes...you did get that didn't you.

that why we lost and will keep losing.

[liberal_at_heart]

54. They are not the reason we lost. The coward democratic politicians are the reason we lost.

I refuse to engage you anymore. You obviously know nothing about Millennials. I have a Millennial daughter who is currently in college and did vote, but I, her mother who has witnessed what thirty years of democrats compromising with republicans has gotten us, don't blame those who didn't vote.

[GeorgeGist]

55. Smart kids will soon figure out ...

college is too expensive.