Poll: Kerry leads Bush among students

[happyending]

Harvard poll suggests 48 percent for Kerry, 38 percent for Bush
Thursday, April 15, 2004 Posted: 12:48 PM EDT (1648 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- College students responding to a poll released Thursday said they favor Democratic presidential contender Sen. John Kerry over President Bush by a 10-point margin and have become substantially more dissatisfied with Bush over the past six months.

The survey by Harvard University's Institute of Politics (IOP) comes amid increasing focus on the nation's youngest voters.

Kerry this week launched a national tour of college campuses, "Change Starts with U," on which he's joined by rock stars and fellow politicians.

The Bush campaign says it has long been active on college campuses and has recruited tens of thousands of student volunteers.

more here
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/15/student.poll/index.html

[David Dunham]

1. Bush = return of the draft if he wins this election.

[Blue-Jay]

15. THAT is a possibility that Kerry would be dumb not to exploit.

He needs to make students aware of the recent re-staffing of the draft boards. That would change more than a few minds.

[THUNDER HANDS]

2. If Kerry can't win college students

He ought to pack it in now. This age group must be a given.

[Sandpiper]

3. The Hitler Youth aka College Republicans

Have been very active for the past few years. If not, I think this gap would be larger.

[yardwork]

9. I disagree.

College students were a big part of the Reagan revolution. Young Republicans have been big on campuses ever since then, while the Democrats have flagged.

Yes, a lot of the professors are liberal, but this tends to create a backlash among the students. They are more skeptical and likely to lean conservative than they were in the 1960s and 1970s. This is a long-time trend.

I think that the possibility of a draft is making a difference, but it's not the only variable. The draft was a threat in 1980. That's when mandatory registration was started up again. It didn't stop young people from voting Republican in droves.

There's something else going on here. Kerry is wise to capitalize on it.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. As I posted below, I believe Gen Y is very different from Gen X...

(I've got both Y and X kids.)

[smiley_glad_hands]

12. Im Gen X and wife is Gen Y and were fairly progessive.

[DeepModem Mom]

14. Thankfully, both my kids are very progressive,

as are all Gen Xers on this board, as well as many others. I didn't mean to "paint with a broad brush."

[JeebusH]

4. Bush campaign says it has long been active on college campuses ....

and collecting names to draft

[Mountainman]

5. Must be because of all the liberal professors! n/t

[bmbmd]

6. This is well known.

Hence, the "Voting is for old people" campaign. Keep those youngsters out of the booth at any cost.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

7. This is a big change (for the better)

Bush used to have the younger crowd. Something's happened the past 6 months.
These kids have been paying attention!

[DeepModem Mom]

8. This is Gen Y -- I have high hopes for them --

I remember one of the first studies of this generation found them race-blind, global in thinking, concerned about the environment, and skeptical of advertising and consumerism -- and likely to act politically in some new way. I like to think, and I know it will be controversial, that some of their good qualities come from their Boomer parents.

[yardwork]

10. I have high hopes as well. My kids are well under voting age -

I guess they are "Generation Z," but I've noticed that they and their friends tend to be critical thinkers.

They don't agree with my LIHOP talk, but they don't agree with * either. They want to decide for themselves, based on facts. (I think we taught them that!)

In terms of tolerance for ethnicities, religions, sexual preferences, they are probably the most tolerant generation ever raised in the U.S.

I hope that they hang on to their critical thinking and don't have it turn bitter and cynical.

[DeepModem Mom]

13. Your kids are part of Gen Y; college students are the first...

of that generation. Your description is exactly what I have seen in studies, and experienced personally with these kids. You added an important observation: "they want to decide for themselves based on facts." They will not be "spun." They get a lot of info from the internet in the form of raw data. Remember that Gore was on his way to concede to Bush, when some kid on staff looking at the raw Florida returns on the net, said "hold on" --

[rocktivity]

18. Send your kids these LIHOP facts

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/true911.html

:headbang:
rocknation

[Katha]

17. I'm part of Gen Y

and we're pretty damn awesome, I think. Most of the people I know, whether Democrats or Republicans, are pro-gay rights in addition to the other qualities you've mentioned about. (And the Republicans I know -- all four of them -- are pretty moderate in their thinking.)

[TheDonkey]

16. As a Gen Y'er this isn't suprising

College thuggies are roaming rampant but most college students are heavily against Bush's war in Iraq, war on gays and minorities, war on the enviroment, and war on the economy.

Bush is a laughing stock in most University's. It's definetly not "cool" to like that loser.

[HereSince1628]

19. That's good, but didn't Dean also lead among students?

If people will donate money and/or volunteer and most importantly get out and caste a Kerry VOTE having a lead among any age group is a good thing.