What is the cure for young voter apathy?

[BushOut06]

Despite the record turnout in the 2004 election, I've seen reports that the youth vote was still extremely small. This in spite of all the 'Get Out the Vote' ralies, the 'Vote or Die' MTV campaigns, Michael Moore's "Slacker Nation" tour, etc.

Maybe it's time to stop trying to make voting look "cool". Because it's not. There's nothing "cool" about standing in line waiting to cast your vote. It is pretty damned important, though. Maybe instead of trying to make voting look attractive - which is a losing battle no matter how you look at it - we need to do a better job showing them just how important it is. We need to make sure young people are aware of what can happen if they don't vote. If they cherish the right to choose, they need to vote. If they don't want to be sent off to some senseless and illegal war, they need to vote. If they don't want to see their best friends sent off to die, they need to vote.

This isn't going to work by getting Hollywood celebrities making pitches on MTV. This isn't going to work by using some snazzy Fifth Avenue marketing campaign. This has to be a grass-roots effort, in cities and towns all over the nation. We need to make sure kids know just how important this is, that they can't let their future be dictated by other people.

[Atman]

1. The cure is the poison

Samuel Alito will wake a few people up once he starts hearing cases.

[mdmc]

8. Once the neo cons go after sex,

the youth will mobilize! Will the be Dems or progrssive? Wait and see!

[BushOut06]

10. The problem is they see Dems doing the same thing

Seriously, they turn on the TV and see Hillary and Lieberman going after the makers of Grand Theft Auto, promising to clean up video games, etc. They see various Dems catering to the far right, as if they think that will help them come election time. Kids aren't stupid, and that only helps further solidify the opinion they have that "they're all the same".

I really fear that some other posters are right, that it might take the draft for them to really open their eyes.

[mdmc]

12. The draft will open their eyes, but it won't help the Dems

our Dem hawks will be an equal part of the problem and the youth of today will need to overthrow the one party dlc+gop system.

[calico1]

2. The draft.

Or something else that hits them right between the eyes. The young people in the 60's didn't have any special wisdom that people today cannot have. What they did have was the knowledge that they could be shipped off to an unwinable war at any time. I am not promoting a draft, mind you. I am just saying that the young (and everyone else) are more likely to be apathetic when things are not affecting them in ways they can really or immediately notice.

[atreides1]

3. The Draft

It seems the younger generation won't get off their asses until things affect their personal outlook.

If they start up the draft again, I'm positive that the voter turnout for young voters will set records not seen in decades.

I'm sure there are other ways to get them motivated to get involved, but this one would be a definite mover.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

4. I'm not sure, but this young person definitely turned out.

[Cobalt Violet]

5. The Draft.

[NoPasaran]

6. Has anyone mentioned the DRAFT + the WAR?

It had a wonderful way of concentrating our minds back in the day.

[mdmc]

7. liberal, progressive politics!

Legalize herb! Lower the drinking age to 18! Support reproductive choice! Support the 1st Amendment.

Nothing is cooler than waiting in line to stick it to the man. Nothing is lamer than waiting in line to choose the lesser of two evils.

Peace, GOD!

[abluelady]

9. The Draft.

It certainly worked before.

[Skidmore]

11. The draft and a keg.

[no_hypocrisy]

13. Simple: take away their ipods and celphones and threaten to send them

to Iran for a "peace mission".

[DanCa]

14. A draft would scare the hell out of them and rightfully so. (nt)

[magellan]

15. The youth vote was actually UP in '04

Something like 20% over 2000. I'm not sure of the exact figure, perhaps someone else can verify. In any case, the reports were wrong...like so much reported on the elections.

[mdmc]

18. much more can be done.

give them something to believe in

[beyurslf]

16. Age is the cure. Many young people just lose their apapthy and realize

the importance of voting as they get older and join the real world. You buy a house, have some kids, get married--you start realizing that what happens in DC or the statehouse impacts your life.

[mdmc]

17. what can be done to get people in the system earlier?

Most young, poor minorities will never get involved if they are waiting for maturity. Why not vote conservative if you are waiting to own a home before you vote?

[Lone_Wolf]

19. We need progressive infrastructure in the local communities...

We need places were progressives can get together, exchange ideas, expose others to progressive ideas, and to organize. We need these progressive hubs if we want to build a progressive culture and change society for the better. These hubs can be as simple as local coffehouses where people and progressives are welcome.

[zbdent]

20. Shipping young people off to war without a voice

Worked in the 60s and 70s . . .

How can we get young Repukes forcibly enlisted? . . .

[DarkmoonIkonoklast]

21. What is the cure for young voter apathy?

"This has to be a grass-roots effort, in cities and towns all over the nation..."

Boy, howdy! And not just to attract young voters. We need to got rid of the "top down" mentality that we have, over my lifetime (I'm 56 and change) adopted. For clarity, I define "top down" as the notion that political change must be imposed from the highest offices upon those of us who reside "beneath". In addition to the (I hope) obvious detriments to this attitude, it tends to create, in the general public and the electorate, a tiered mindset: one in which the citizen "looks up to" and beseeches people in power, rather than looking at people in service as being IN service, as peers.

Reminds me of Reaganomics, and the whole "trickle-down" economic model it promoted... an observer of my acquaintance noted that there was only one thing which generally trickled down, and it was nothing anyone wanted to try to live on!