The Parkland effect revisited

[derby378]

Did the activism of Parkland shooting survivors such as David Hogg and Emma Rodriguez ultimately help or hurt Democratic races? Share your observations here.

In Texas, obviously, Beto O'Rourke lost, but I've noticed Democratic support for gun control growing in TX-32, which is where I live - and we just elected Collin Allred, who supports tougher gun laws, to replace Pete Sessions.

[zaj]

1. It helped

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/11/youth-turnout-midterm-2018/575092/

Survivors of the Parkland, Florida, shooting launched a nationwide voter-registration drive. Dozens of celebrities organized a live-streamed telethon aimed at directing young voters to the polls. In a rare political message, Taylor Swift, notably silent throughout the 2016 election, urged her 112 million Instagram followers to research their candidates and cast their vote.

It seems to be working.

Preliminary results from ABC exit polls suggest that voters ages 18 to 29 will make up 13 percent of the overall electorate in this year’s midterms, up from 11 percent in 2014. While early voting across every age group increased compared with the 2014 midterms, the surge is most pronounced among voters ages 18 to 29. More than 3.3 million voters from that group cast their votes early. That’s a 188 percent increase from 2014, according to data from TargetSmart, a political-data-analysis firm.

[zipplewrath]

2. It'll take time

You've got increased youth participation, and you've got a batch of new leaders learning the ropes very early on. I see them as seeds that may sprout in about 10 years or so.

[gejohnston]

3. Neither

Had more to do with the tens of millions spent by anti-gun billionaires and celebrities. Everyone I know, including non-Americans the very few anti-gunners, found Hogg's rants shrill and repulsive.