2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumStung by Recession, Young Voters Shed Image as Obama Brigade
Maria Verdugo, a 20-year-old graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, barely remembers the presidential election of 2008 the one that spawned a youth movement that was singular in its scope and political effectiveness except for something about Obama saying we needed a change.
These days, Ms. Verdugo is so busy working to pay off her student loans that she has not decided whether to register as a Democrat, a Republican or what, she said.
Chad Tevlin, 19, a student trying to pay for college by cleaning portable toilets in South Bend, Ind., cannot recall if he registered to vote at all. Pointless is how he describes politics.
And Kristen Klenke, a music student in central Michigan, has decided to skip this election altogether. I know it sounds horrible, said Ms. Klenke, 20. But theres a lot of discouragement going around.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/us/politics/economy-cuts-into-obamas-youth-support.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120702
tularetom
(23,664 posts)"young voters" will actually behave that way.
But, if it's true, these kids are only cutting their own throats by not voting because they are the ones who will spend their entire adult lives suffering the consequences of their selfish behavior. Most of us old farts will be gone by the time the shit really hits the fan, but today's student will have to support their aging parents in their declining years.
It's gonna be really hard for them to do that without a job.
Amonester
(11,541 posts)It's also a vote for more Climate Change (droughts, famine, etc.), more wars, more recession, etc.
What are they thinking??? Not to vote even just "against" Rmoney (& his thugs) is like not voting for their own life!
people do not "have" to support their aging parents and many of them decline to do so
RKP5637
(67,030 posts)ignore and/or vote themselves into some type of theocratic dystopia in the US. The kids today have to pay more attention to the political process than ever. This country is at a crossroads and if it goes down the wrong path, the kids today are never going to fair very well in their lifetime.
"... if it's true, these kids are only cutting their own throats by not voting because they are the ones who will spend their entire adult lives suffering the consequences of their selfish behavior."
Lionessa
(3,894 posts)I can understand why the young voters aren't too excited and that quote says it all.
Something about change ended up instead pretty much following the status quo, so they've learned not to get too excited about candidates or voting because in the end, it's an oligarchy, and no change for the masses is going to come from voting for a president of either side. Obama ignited something in the youth, and cynics of many other ages, then turned out to be only a hair's width different from his predecessor, in some ways worse, and some ways better, but overall about the same.
Proud Liberal Dem
(24,353 posts)However, President Obama has hardly strove to maintain the status quo. Maybe his initiatives (once they went through the Congressional machinery) didn't end up being as strong or far-reaching as hoped but he has, you know, done stuff (not going to pull out "the list" as I'm sure that everybody is pretty familiar with it). It sure hasn't helped that a significant portion of this country either aren't voting or if they are, they're voting for people whom are merely increasing the obstruction/gridlock in Congress (and hence keeping important things from getting done) and a severely regressive agenda being pushed in statehouses throughout the country.
Lionessa
(3,894 posts)He's the one who had a raging homophobe give his inaugural prayer.
He's the one that kept so many of the financial guys who got us into this mess.
He's the one who has continued opacity rather than transparency.
He's the one calling for drone strikes in non-warring nations as well as on our own citizens.
And more.
Yes, Congress has been a pain in the ass, but Obama has in his right, maintained the status quo through his appointments and their decisions to continue to prop up the 1%, wars, and civil rights infringements, imo.
RKP5637
(67,030 posts)Bake
(21,977 posts)They need to focus on what's at stake. And WE need to give them a coherent message.
Bake
Lionessa
(3,894 posts)turns out to be a pile of lies.
For example, "Change you can believe in." turned out to not be so much change at all.
AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)Blue_Roses
(12,894 posts)or voting against their own best interest will help them get what they want?
Give me a break and grow up. These "kids" have no idea how bad it can get for them if Romney gets in the WH. They think they got it bad now...shit.
Somebody needs to educate or remind them that this country was founded on perserverence and that nothing worth having comes easy. Of course, as a parent of teens myself, I am constantly reminded of how we live in the, "it's all about me generation."
When I see selfless teens stepping up to help others (which happens but is not reported on near enough) it warms my heart and gives me hope for their generation and others to come.
ancianita
(35,812 posts)Before they stay home, they should consider that
among the less obvious strategies of this election's Republicans and their corporate media is to say that
first, (name your state) is a "sure thing,"
second, the youth and oldsters' votes are hopelessly lost,
third, scare blue dogs away from being loyal to Obama,
fourth, suppress voters with tricks and traps,
all to try to manipulate public opinion through their media so that people stay home and/or vote for a third party.
Seriously. Please don't fall for yet another of the many hail mary ways that corporate media try to swing a losing war.
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)...that she hasn't decided to register as a Democrat or Republican? Are you kidding me? Has she not been paying attention to the student loan fight and who's constantly gone to bat for her and people like her against Republicans?
Yawn. I'm these kids' ages and I'm embarrassed to listen to them. They're not very bright, are they?
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)dionysus
(26,467 posts)demgrrrll
(3,590 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)In one thing or the other, do vote and change things. It's just our part of the picture never gets any credit, thanks or fame. Neither is one victory achieved set in stone and cannot be overturned.
We make a choice where energy will go to sustain it. Media has performed a service for the plutocrats to divert us away from the same issues they have their underlings working on everyday. So we let the system flounder and then don't like it when it morphs into something we don't like or think it should be done.
Work is defined by the energy or labor invested to change things. One election season cannot over turn decades of work to push the world the other direction. If you don't make a choice, it will be made for you:
Free Will - RUSH
There are those who think that life
Has nothing left to chance
With a host of holy horrors
To direct our aimless dance
A planet of playthings
We dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive
The stars aren't aligned ---
Or the gods are malign
Blame is better to give than receive
You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose free will
There are those who think that
they've been dealt a losing hand
The cards were stacked against them ---
They weren't born in lotus-land
All preordained
A prisoner in chains
A victim of venomous fate
Kicked in the face
You can't pray for a place
In heaven's unearthly estate
Each of us
A cell of awareness
Imperfect and incomplete
Genetic blends
With uncertain ends
On a fortune hunt
That's far too fleet...
You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose free will
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)amandabeech
(9,893 posts)Young people got decent jobs. There are reasons for that that have little to do with Clinton himself, but he was in charge and there were more and more jobs. College and student loans were much cheaper then, too.
Now, jobs are hard to come by for everyone, and not just because of what Obama has done, although I think that he has had bad economic advisors all along. College is really expensive, and student loans still aren't what they used to be.
These kids are like a lot of their folks.
They vote their pocketbook.
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)But what I don't understand is why they would vote for someone like Mitt Romney who is intent on going after their livelihood. Why blame Obama for all these economic woes? Why not hold the GOP in Congress accountable for their obstruction? If they stay home and fail to vote, that's giving the GOP the election!! Therefore, I disagree that they are rational and "vote their pocketbooks." It was Obama who reform the school loan program, cutting out the middle man, reducing interest rates on loans. If the GOP had their way, they'd raise tuition rates and perhaps put students in jail for failing to pay back their loans. Again, they are neither thinking nor voting rationally here.
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)We need to get out there and WORK!!!
Happydayz
(112 posts)There are many more who aren't, trust me I know because I've been registering new voters here in FL every day. One thing that annoys me is how the youth vote is always hyped up as so important, but every election cycle they have the lowest turnout. Even in 2008, it was the same as the previous years. I'm not saying the youth vote is useless or doesn't help because it doe. I'm just saying it gets hyped up so much but the results of them actually showing up on election day is dismal.
julian09
(1,435 posts)Obama helped them with staying on parents insurance until 26 years of age, student loans, equal pay, cut bankers out of lending to students. Did away with DADT, so they can serve in military. Didn't they see the obstruction, didn't they help elect repug House in 2010, with this very attitude. Do they even know who their senators and reps are and how they vote on issues.
They voted once and the world didn't change, except we didn't go over a cliff. We are not losing 750,000 jobs per month but creating jobs in spite of banks feeble lending, business not hiring while sitting on trillions of dollars to keep economy down to defeat Obama.
They want to go back to Bush on steroids, elect Rmoney and repugs so they can privatize, push everything else on the states so state taxes will go up along with local taxes.
magnifisense
(285 posts)I don't buy it.
If it is true, I have to ask, do these young people realize how they would be jeopardizing their future if they voted for Romney and he were to win?
July
(4,750 posts)The significance of this article is that it appears above the fold on the front page of the New York Times.
Even though the article itself states that Obama has double-digit margins over Romney among youths, it is mainly a forum for anecdotes about a handful of young people who seem to find thinking about politics daunting.
Given that the same paper has another article in the A section that is a lovely half-page puff piece about the Romneys' family vacation in New Hampshire, it's hard not to see editorializing by the NYTimes editors.
Maybe they just want a close race for their own sake, but that's not what I'd call journalism.
magnifisense
(285 posts)It's all about profits. I think it's despicable. Dan Rather is correct about the state of "modern" journalism. Disgrace!
LiberalFighter
(50,477 posts)This will be the first time that they can possibly vote in a presidential election.
How many of them have even voted in an election before?
NYC Liberal
(20,132 posts)getting involved in the hard, often tedious, work of actual governance.
Obama's message was never, "I'm going to change things by myself, just you sit back and watch."
Well, many things have changed for the better and are continuing to change. The work isn't finished.
Oh, and fuck everyone who doesn't vote. They are part of the problem.
and-justice-for-all
(14,765 posts)are teahadist repukes, they hate education.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Jennicut
(25,415 posts)This is their first election unless they were 18 4 years ago. They also did not grow up with any remembrance of life under Bush unless they were very aware high school kids.
Robb
(39,665 posts)Of course they don't remember the message of the campaign when they were 16.
Yet they are "the Obama brigade??" How stupid does the NYT think we are?
pinto
(106,886 posts)pinto
(106,886 posts)BeyondGeography
(39,276 posts)Sounds like he's worth a try there, kids.
Skittles
(152,963 posts)we get to keep what we have or get worse
Rosanna Lopez
(308 posts)Some young voters will definitely be voting for Romney, even though it may not be in their best interests to do so.
But they are no more foolish than middle-aged voters who do the same thing, now are they? Millions of blue-collar workers, average Joes, whatever you want to call them etc. buy into the Republican philosophy that the Democrats are socialists, anti-American, anti-business etc.
And while the Republicans are much worse than the Democrats, let's face it - the current Democratic Party is not the party of FDR. It is largely controlled by corporations, Wall Street and the right-wing. People have every right to be disappointed with the way Democrats have sold out.
If the Democrats want to increase turnout among the youth, then start moving towards the left.
Skittles
(152,963 posts)are they making up shit again?
groovedaddy
(6,229 posts)sorry ass conditions we are facing. IMHO, the very foundation of the electoral process is compromised by electronic voting machines. If we lose this election, articles such as this come in very handy for explaining why we lost. When will we get that these bastards will do ANYTHING to hold on to (or get back) power? I firmly believe that the first order of business is ensuring free and fair elections. I want countable ballots. And, yes, even bringing this up can be seen as just one more cynical viewpoint to keep people from the polls because, you know, our votes might not really count. But there's this concept called THE TRUTH, and we really need to face it and deal with it.
Wild_Dog
(57 posts)Such as healthcare under parents policy.
Holding down interest rates on student loans.