Youth came through with big turnout (Boston Globe Op Ed)

[arcos]

Youth came through with big turnout

AMERICA'S young people were buzzing about the presidential campaign before Election Day. College towns saw sky-high registration numbers, and young adults told pollsters they planned to vote. What happened?

<snip>

Start with the numbers. According to professor William Galston at the University of Maryland, at least 20.9 million Americans under 30 voted on Tuesday. That is an increase of 4.6 million voters from 2000. Four years ago, just 42.3 percent of young people voted. This year more than 51.6 percent did.

Young people were especially active in battleground states, with turnout at 64.4 percent of eligible voters. Furthermore, these estimates understate things, because college kids are more likely than other groups (except the military) to vote by absentee ballot. Surveys of college students around the country, done in the weeks before the election, found 42 percent of students planning to vote absentee. Exit polls completely miss these young voters who numbered, this year, close to 3 million.

According to exit polls, Senator John Kerry won the under-30 set with 54 percent of the vote to President Bush's 44 percent. The Democrats lost every other age group. Without young Democrat voters, President Bush would have rolled to victory in Wisconsin and New Hampshire; Iowa and Nevada, too, would have been much bigger wins for the president. In political circles today, Democrats are blaming young Americans for not showing up, and Republicans are chortling over their allegedly low turnout. Nonsense. Rather, both parties should be seeing their future in the eyes of young voters.

<snip>

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/11/04/youth_came_through_with_big_turnout/

[killbotfactory]

1. This is a good reason not to trust anybody over 30

Four years of wallowing in shit and they dive in for seconds?

God damn.

Should of listened to your kids.

[JI7]

2. older voters let us down

[gavodotcom]

3. I was just about to post this.

I got tired of the shit, too.

[arcos]

4. kick n/t

[seabeyond]

5. people first night blaming youth

not me. good for them. unfortunately in this experience they may feel just re inforces their vote doesnt count. i hope not. we, as in all for our future, need the youth. i have admire so much of the youth these last months. a pat on the back for those that participated from me. i acknowledge their efforts.

[sendero]

6. I'm sorry...

... I do not consider the 18-30 to be the "youth vote".

I'm interested in the 18-24 range. They are the ones with the most to lose.

[Mend]

7. Sorry, Half is Not Enough

It is your asses that are going to be drafted, your bodies that will have unwanted pregnancies, your kids getting preached at in school, your jobs that won't materialize. We are on the way out in this life just trying to help the future generations. How the hell could half of you stay home?

[THUNDER HANDS]

8. i would ask you

How could YOU go to the polls and vote against your children?

Not you personally, but the *you* in the old-fogey sense. :evilgrin: