Why is no one talking about the Youth Vote

[FreakinDJ]

Many Young Voters already feel alienated by both parties

Between the Democrats hosting their debate at a swanky Las Vegas hotel and casino and the Republicans only allotting 50 some tickets to actual students, Gen Y is all but excluded from the political conversations that actually matter. Again.

"It really feels like they don't feel like our vote or input is important at all," says University of Colorado student William Raley in an interview with USA Today. "It's almost that they're like 'This is a private event, it doesn't concern you.'"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelsey-clark/post_10295_b_8287322.html

Actually they are the FUTURE of the party and they are being Minimalized

So when exactly did the DNC adopt a play right out of the GOP playbook and seek to disenfranchise an entire voting block. We stand to lose an entire generation of voters, the 2016 General Election and many future election cycles for years to come.

[msongs]

1. they fell for obama and now they are disillusioned? they are too busy watching their phones?

borrowed too much money and can't pay it back? haven't found a political system they want to support? Maybe they are just lying low til actual voting begins.

maybe this is a thank Debbie wasserman schultz moment

[FreakinDJ]

8. Doesn't explain why the DNC is actively alienating them

These are young voters who actually WANT to join the process

[Scuba]

26. Oh, I think we know why.

[DonCoquixote]

31. is this a way

to encourage people to join your movement?

"1. they fell for obama and now they are disillusioned? they are too busy watching their phones?"

I do not know what generation you are, but I am sure the press had any number of cliches to spout off about yours, just as they have since the days when Caesar complained about young people. The truth is, if you want any movement you want to have legs, you will need the young, because they will keep the momentum going. Even Hillary will need them come 2020.

Funny how some Hillary supporters forget that Bill won because he was the first to actually go to MTV news and appeal to Gen X.

and as far as a "thank Debbie Wasserman Schultz Moment" what would she deserve thanks for? Certainly not two straight lost mid terms that handed Congress to the GOP. Certainly not the fact she could not even keep Rock Scott from winning the governorship in her home state of Florida, namely because she picked a former Republican to run over many democrats. I doubt you would say we should be thankful less young people are voting, granted, that probably makes many Boomers happy that no one challenges them as the pampered rockstars of the party, as opposed to remembering Chicago where they were the ones considered scum. Still, I doubt you would say that, because even Hillary knows that any available vote that does not get to the polls will be a loss, because the GOP will get in their churches and make all their soldiers march on broken glass if they have to, not to mention stock their areas with a bunch of well-armed "good men with guns."

Even Hillary knows that, though I doubt Debbie does, so no, this is not a thank DWS moment.

[Kalidurga]

2. They are an unknown entity

We have a good idea of how they lean as a group. But, what we don't know is how many will turn that public support into a vote. Unknowns make people nervous.

[FreakinDJ]

11. You mean they are not sure how they will vote in the primary

[Kalidurga]

15. Yes

that's it exactly. They may be showing interest in who gets the nomination and be telling us who they will vote for. But, we have no idea how this will effect the primary. Then of course when the GE comes around if they will continue to go with what they have been saying they want and vote.

[DonCoquixote]

30. all the more reason

they should be supported, so that they come out in the only election that matters in the end, the general!

[brooklynite]

3. Disenfranchise: to prevent (a person or group of people) from having the right to vote

How exactly are they being denied their voting rights?

[bravenak]

5. They aren't. Period.

[bravenak]

4. They rarely vote

[FreakinDJ]

9. Except when Obama became the Fist Black President of the USA

[bravenak]

13. They were not old enough yet

[FreakinDJ]

14. Your argument is sensless - not enjoying reality much ?

Of course the youth vote played a HUGE roll in Obama being elected to office

[bravenak]

16. You have to be 18 to vote. Those people in your article were not 18.

[FreakinDJ]

18. That is not TRUE

Why would you try to distort the article ? Not liking the reality

If they are attending a University they are 18 yrs of age or a child genius, which is vary rare. But before you go arguing they are all pimple faced geeks of abnormal intelligence and under 18 yrs of age ...

[bravenak]

21. They are 18 now, but we have not had an election to disenfranchise them from yet.

There is no taking away of their votes. We do not cater to people who have not voted yet. We work for our base in primaries. They have to vote in one to be considered voters. Takes several cycles to become likely voters. They have to vote to get heard. They have not voted enough to register. I gets polled constantly. I vote.

[FreakinDJ]

22. FUCKING BINGO - you said it - They have to vote in the Primaries

So if you have no voter registration drives on campuses prior to the Primary election - in some states you can not vote in the general election unless you voted in the Primary

Hillary sure as hell doesn't want them because they would overwhelmingly vote for Bernie

[bravenak]

23. I register at the DMV.

They do not need us to register them if they want to vote. They can do that. They are adults.
Go register them.

[NobodyHere]

29. Which states are those?

I've never heard that before

[Codeine]

34. Holy crap! There are states you can't vote

in the GE if you didn't vote in the primary?!

Where the hell is that?

[DonCoquixote]

32. funny, there were a lot of 18 year olds and 20 somethings

who did gladly VOTE for Obama. Those are still Millennials and Gen Y

[Todays_Illusion]

6. The youth are liking Bernie Sanders so have to be ignored by the official Democratic Party leaders.

[FreakinDJ]

10. ....

Too close to the truth here

[hopemountain]

7. the youth vote will not be ignored ~

they do not need paternalistic pandering. the youth are making their new world & creating their future. the less pandering from the arrogance of disrespectful outdated fools, the better.

and won't the gop and dnc be surprised when their greatest fears are realized: the youth turn out the vote in 2016.

[Codeine]

12. Since when are they disenfranchised?

[Doctor_J]

20. one of the definitions is t

"deprive of representation". Just because you still have the right to vote for one of two rich corporate whores does not mean you will have any representation.

[DonCoquixote]

33. since voting rights laws

were written to keep college students from begin able to vote in their own precincts (Go back home to vote kid.)

Since they were the ones who could not get off work to vote.

Since cops know that young people make easier targets, and lawyers know young people cannot afford lawyers.

[Doctor_J]

17. The dnc doesn't have too much correlation with actual Democratic voters any more

Their functions are to raise money and keep their own bank accounts full. A Clinton presidency together with a republican congress would be perfect for the movers and shakers. They want no part of a liberal hell raiser president and all of those noisy, pissed off working people who support him.

[FreakinDJ]

19. DING DING DING ... We have a Winner

[pipoman]

24. They always talk a good game

Then don't show up at the polls....always been this way...

[jeff47]

28. Except for the part where they elected Obama twice.

2012, Obama lost among voters over 40. It was only "the kids" that kept him in office.

2008, Obama lost or tied voters over 40. Again, "the kids" elected him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2012#Voter_demographics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2008#Voter_demographics

[AgingAmerican]

25. They don't support Hillary, so DWS/Hillary are marginalizing them

The ol' 'Get off my lawn' routine.

[jeff47]

27. When? Late 80s, early 90s.

The younger half of GenX trends liberal. (The older half trends conservative). But young GenX wanted different things than older Boomers and younger "WWII Generation". It was easier to form a winning coalition from the older group. So Democrats did.

Then Democrats started trading away the things GenX wanted in order to make compromises to get what older voters wanted. So younger GenX feels massive apathy, and has low turnout.

It worked for a while. But much of that coalition has since "left the electorate". So Democrats started losing by continuing to run for their ever-shrinking older, "moderate" coalition.

Will the party "get it" anytime soon? Not likely.