Poll: Young voters disenchanted with Republican Party

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Two larger-than-life politicians, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan, charged into the California governor's office with the help of young voters, many of whom were drawn to the Republican Party by a message of sunny optimism.

But what those two very different Republican politicians did to attract millions of young adults looks to be a feat the Grand Old Party may not repeat anytime soon - either in California or on the national level in the 2008 presidential election.

A Democracy Corps poll from the Washington firm of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner suggests voters ages 18 to 29 have undergone a striking political evolution in recent years.

Young Americans have become so profoundly alienated from Republican ideals on issues including the war in Iraq, global warming, same-sex marriage and illegal immigration that their defections suggest a political setback that could haunt Republicans "for many generations to come," the poll said.

... Greenberg Quinlan Rosner is a polling firm generally affiliated with Democrats. Its founder, Stan Greenberg, was a pollster for Democratic President Bill Clinton.

Read more: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/26/MNMIRNDUK.DTL&tsp=1

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Haunt them?

I hope they wake up screaming with great regularity.

History is gonna have a field day with these clowns.

[Cobalt-60]

2. Nice Imagery. Let's hope they lose bowel control too.

But I think a simple stake through the heart of the American Fascist Republicon party would be better.

[saracat]

3. Nice but only if we can get the kids to vote!

[Hosnon]

5. Even if they don't vote as young adults, the Republicans are in trouble if the trend continues. NT.

[depakid]

6. That would require something to vote FOR

Simply "not being a Republican" won't be enough- any more than it has been in the past.

[Odin2005]

9. The youth vote has been up.

Gen-Y doesn't have the political apathy of Gen-X. Us Gen-Yers also lean significantly to the left, in contrast to the right-wing libertarian lean of Generation X.

[Hope springs eternal]

10. Oh...

Gee, that's good to know. You mean how all the pollsters thought the first-half (1977-1987) Gen-Y vote would pull for Kerry? I wonder how that worked out :rolleyes:

[yardwork]

15. I think that they did vote for Kerry. But their votes didn't get counted...

Anyway, my teenage sons and their friends loathe the chimp and his cronies. Since one of my sons is fairly conservative and still wants to be a Marine, this is significant, I think. These kids are separating the idea of patriotism from Republicanism.

[Odin2005]

17. Uh, I thought we DID vote for Kerry.

Oh, and I don't agree with the commonly used 1977 birth year as the start of my generation, I prefer the start year social historian William Strauss uses in his books on generations, which is 1982.

[Javaman]

14. What happens after Gen-Z? nt

[Odin2005]

16. That's why I hate the term Gen-Y.

I prefer the label Dean used at YearlyKos, "Millennial Generation."

[truthisfreedom]

4. Oops. Rove forgot demographics when he devised his evil scheme.

Unless he was planning for a single-mafia takeover of everything (and let the country crash and burn) he really screwed the 'thugs.

[krispos42]

7. "So, wait, young voters don't connect with pasty old white conservatives?

Humph.

[comtec]

8. Who'd have thought...

As much as I hated this kind of stereo typing when I was younger, I can see why even college age persons are called kids. They still have not been alive long enough to think in the long term. I have known (distantly) many young republicans, who have changed to dems later in life because of reality. They see how THEIR party treats them when they fall down. That's something that young people just don't understand. They think they are invincible, unless something major happens to them, or their family, they just can't understand protecting the weak...especially young male GOPers.

They are on a testosterone high for too many years. They are told go, be macho, act (stupid) it's OK, that's the MANLY way to go! And if something happens, it's not YOUR fault.. it's those DAMNED LIBRULS!

may god save us from his fan(atic) clubs

[ScottytheRadical]

22. I disagree. Most of my peers seem to be fairly forward-thinking....

It might be the consequence of my living in a pretty progressive area, but most of my peers on campus (I'm 20) are very progressive and are concerned about the future. Even students who are apolitical and more conservative are concerned about issues such as global warming, and I can usually count the number of known Republicans in any class I take on one hand (and I go to a public, state university). I'm a Community Development/Political Science double major, and I've noticed that Community Development students are *especially* progressive, and many want to work with non-profit institutions after college to make the world a better place...

It's also worth noting that in the left-wing organization I'm a part of, the International Socialist Organization, the majority of us comrades are in our 20's and there's a few in their 30's, with only a few people older than that. At least here in Portland, Oregon, young people are more interested in socialism than other groups...

Of course, I live in the city, so I'm pretty cut off from any suburban/rural mentalities that may be out there.

[entanglement]

26. Welcome to DU, comrade

:hi:

This place is definitely right-wing by socialist standards, but that's not to say you won't have any support for your views. Great place to understand both the strengths and lacunae of political left-liberalism and radical identity politics.

[Iris]

13. apparently my generation did (born mid-60s to mid 70s').

I don't get it either because we were the kids who benefited from some fairly progressive policies.

No wonder I don't have many friends my own age.

[Odin2005]

18. You Gen-Xers reached college age when "government-is-evil" economics fad hit campus.

Or so I've read. Supposedly there was a very sharp turn towards conservatism on college campuses when the folks born in the early 60s (which are demographically part of the Boom but socially part of Generation X) got there.

[Iris]

27. hmmm. Maybe so, but I blame it on the emphasis to major in business administration.

Not much thinking beyond your own little world there.

[DuaneBidoux]

11. While the poll probably reveals truth we must be cautious and look at who took the poll.

[Kolesar]

12. Imagine being a teenager and discussing military careers with your friends

That would surely be a hot conversation. Not like a decade or so ago, when the military had scant fighting and could be used to fund a modest college education. Now the stakes are deadly.

Strength to you, young people. You have to grow up fast.

[Exultant Democracy]

19. And people say "The young people these days don't care."

That always pisses me off.

[AnneD]

20. My daughter will turn 18 next April....

I already have a voter registration card for her...and I can tell you.
1) she has been begging to attend protests since she was 15
2) she has been to Camp Casey
3) she think Cindy is cool (Cindy does like to talk to the young kids)
4) she loves the Dixie Chicks
5) she thinks soldiers are cool
6) she thinks it isn't Friday unless she wears her code pink to school.
7) she remembers Katrina and Rita and the new friends she made
8) she remembers what her new friends went through.
9) she has many close gay and lesbian friends and stands up for them.
10) she goes to church every Sunday and knows what Jesus really WOULD do.

Yes, thanks to the GOP I now have a yellow dog democrat daughter.

[enki23]

21. americans generally always *have* sided with democrats on most issues

but apparently, the "most issues" thing doesn't always drive their voting patterns.

[KamaAina]

23. Also, middle-aged and older voters disenchanted with Republican Party as well

but not to worry, they still have the space alien vote from Area 51! :rofl:

[Doctor_J]

24. Yes, the fundies, hyper-rich, and hate radio devotees are probably the last 29%

that don't want the GOP to be put in jail en masse. If the Dems can now grab ahold of a populist agenda (revive the unions, nationalize health care, use tax money for the common good), Rove may go down as the biggest failure in history.

[olddad56]

25. maybe if less repubilcan senators....

were caught 'floggin their log' in public restrooms, they would stop losing so many of the brainwashed type. Those are the ones they can ill afford to lose.