Young Voters Continue to Shift to the Republican Party

[Pitkanen]

I know a ton of people that can't vote now but will be able to in 2016 that don't have an affiliation but have a collective sense that they will NOT have anything to do with Clinton and would vote opposing her, but have no real problems with her party otherwise. A couple have even said they would vote for Palin before even considering Clinton. "If she can't take care of her own house, she's not taking care of the country", but they like Obama. Which is odd, cuz they'll usually deny being Democrat in any way. My "what political party" quiz and shit always lean more republican, but they seem to always say the stupidest shit.

Because Palin has proved her ability to take care of her own house so well as demonstrated by her ability to teach Bristol either abstinence/condom use.

The quizes are always funny because they put equal weight on all the issues, I tend to believe you should slant your vote around the things that they potentially can get done.
-Every presidencial race is like a race between Scalia and Sotomayor... because filling the Supreme court is something the president can do even with dysfunctional congress
-Every school board race is like voting against creationism being taught as science.
so on

[Endus]

Every single study claiming to have "proven" a liberal bias to the media does so through dishonest and misleading methodology. They compare stories that are pro-Republican to stories that are pro-Democrat, and weight them equally, as if the Democrats were "liberal" and the Republicans were "conservative" in equal measure.

The objective reality is that the Republicans are a far-right party, and the Democrats are a centrist to moderate-right party. Any source taking a centrist, balanced perspective will be to the left of both political parties, but that's because the parties are biased to the right, not that the media is biased to the left.

[Anyael]

Therein lies the problem; if we had a Republican candidate that would flip their stance on blanket issues, I would imagine they would be met with tremendous support. I mean, who doesn't want smaller government, economic responsibility, and a meaningful stance against the NSA? There are a few people on my radar -- Rand Paul being the most obvious -- but they're really fighting the GOP at this point, who are too attached to an all-or-nothing approach, which is just going to wind up with another Democrat winning office.

The shame of it is that -- and no offense to you or your beliefs -- I think people voting based on blanket issues is a lot of the problem. I think gay marriage should be legalized, but to me, there are other more pressing matters that need attending to, such as the debt crisis we currently find ourselves in. Of course, Mitt Romney was also a poor -- almost laughable -- candidate, thus I couldn't even bring myself to vote. The Republican party has a lot of serious shit it needs to sort out, if there is ever going to be another Republican in office.

If the candidate personally offends me, I'm not voting for him, regardless of other issues at hand. I don't really like Obama much, and if I could go back in time I would have voted for McCain, but I still prefer him by far to Romney.

Plus, the economy has been doing great under Obama. I have very little reason to complain.

[Vizardlorde]

If young voters are shifting to republicans and young republicans support same sex marriage that must mean that your party is being hijacked by liberal kids pretending to be republicans!!!!!1 eleven

[satimy]

What are those sites? Given your crass attitude I assume they're "liberal"?

If so, then I'd discount those just as fast I'll have you know, just as I discount any msnbc links as the same level as FOX news reporting.

The point is that every site can be claimed to have a bias

[Cthulhu 2020]

So 25-29s swing Democrat and 19-24s swing Republican.

I'm not at all surprised. This country is in a sorry state with rampant bipartisan crony capitalism, so every generation will be discontent with the party in power for their first round of voting. For the 25-29s, that means they were reaching maturity, graduating from high school, attending college etc. during Bush. For the 18-24s they were under Obama.

This is not indicative of any kind of swing "common sense" or "Yay the young people finally get it and are voting for my side!", it's a culture of discontent with the current political system, and the tendency to blame it on one party or the other. The 19-24s are pretty young though, and weren't really politically aware while Bush was trashing Clinton's projected surplus and destroying our international reputation.

[mvaliz]

So 25-29s swing Democrat and 19-24s swing Republican.

I'm not at all surprised. This country is in a sorry state with rampant bipartisan crony capitalism, so every generation will be discontent with the party in power for their first round of voting. For the 25-29s, that means they were reaching maturity, graduating from high school, attending college etc. during Bush. For the 18-24s they were under Obama.

This is not indicative of any kind of swing "common sense" or "Yay the young people finally get it and are voting for my side!", it's a culture of discontent with the current political system, and the tendency to blame it on one party or the other. The 19-24s are pretty young though, and weren't really politically aware while Bush was trashing Clinton's projected surplus and destroying our international reputation.

And I think that's the key really - it's not about what today's kids think, but how they experience the legacy and history of said President.

I still laugh when John Stewart recently showed a pic of Bill Clinton discussing a great speech he made saying "...and we use to hate this guy!"

People talked smack about Clinton, particularly involving his adultrey, but the God's honest truth is he did his job and did it damn well. Bush Sr. before had some issues like "read my lips" but in the end people weren't too upset. Bush Jr could NOT say the same... indeed, I think history has shown that his legacy is possibly one of the worst in American History, but people voted for him hoping their future would be great.

I honestly believe Obama will be held in a very high regard in future after he's gone from office - when enough of the college grads say "you know what, I was angsty - but to be honest he was pretty damn good", just as many of the Clinton-era college grads are saying today.

[Ebbikenezer]

I don't agree with our two party system. I'm independent and within that age range.

All I've seen is Dems/libs/progs and Democrat-wannabes on the Republican side. Only a handful of Reps have ACTUALLY stayed on track and not been bought off.

But good to see that maybe some kids will actually wake up to what their liberal parents have done to this country and continue to do.

Maybe they'll even repeal Affordable Care Act so all those SOB mooches can't soak their parents free insurance until they're 26. *giggle*

I always find it amusing that both parties want to cherry pick the good things from the other party. And that's just NOT how it works in politics in Washington.

Independent is how everyone should vote next time around.

I think the liberal parents, and the douchebaggery of the "stuck in the way far back past" old timer voters all screwed us over. Now we constantly have this shift from one spectrum to the other, and it's sad that so many people try to pin it on one party, or even one political person... or another. They never look at history to see why the problems persist.

[Vyxn]

Every single study claiming to have "proven" a liberal bias to the media does so through dishonest and misleading methodology. They compare stories that are pro-Republican to stories that are pro-Democrat, and weight them equally, as if the Democrats were "liberal" and the Republicans were "conservative" in equal measure.

The objective reality is that the Republicans are a far-right party, and the Democrats are a centrist to moderate-right party. Any source taking a centrist, balanced perspective will be to the left of both political parties, but that's because the parties are biased to the right, not that the media is biased to the left.

what is center is subjective and it changes from nation to nation from region to region from state to state. there is no fixed center what you conceder center could be left of center to others
how the UCLA study determined center is the voting records of the elected congress men and women
a snap shot of what the nation considered center at the time the study was conducted still subjective but probably the most accurate determination of what was center at that time

[Lenonis]

Anyone who thinks that the young generation of voters is going to sweep in a new era of GOP power has not be paying attention to polling, demographics, or really anything over the last several years.

Feel free to bury your head in the sand as much as you want. The disintegration of your party will come that much sooner.

[simsumre]

Yes, because these "young voters" understand now that they were conned in 08 and that freedom and liberty is popular.

- - - Updated - - -

Anyone who thinks that the young generation of voters is going to sweep in a new era of GOP power has not be paying attention to polling, demographics, or really anything over the last several years.

Feel free to bury your head in the sand as much as you want. The disintegration of your party will come that much sooner.

It's more so about the GOP evolving into a platform for Libertarians and Constitutionalists and doing away with dinosaur "for the rich" Conservatives. That's why Rand Paul and Ted Cruz are so high in polls within the GOP and dinosaurs like Christy continue to sink. Yes, young people are moving towards Liberty and the Democratic party simply doesn't offer that.

[Rukentuts]

that freedom and liberty is popular

So they'll vote for a socially regressive party that's even more authoritarian? That makes sense.

[simsumre]

So they'll vote for a socially regressive party that's even more authoritarian? That makes sense.

How is it socially regressive? As I said, the GOP is evolving. Honestly, if you haven't been seeing the civil war within the good ol' party, you have been living under a rock. These old dinosaurs are dying out and leaving the party to a younger generation that puts the Constitution first, which is what this country needs.

[Captain N]

How is it socially regressive? As I said, the GOP is evolving.

The GOP doesn't believe in Evolution. That's a made up Liberal Agenda.

[Lenonis]

As I said, the GOP is evolving.

Not fast enough given the laws being passed by GOP controlled states.

It's a race between the GOP kicking out the fringe and being viable on the nation-wide level again or the voters sweeping the party out entirely.

[Rukentuts]

How is it socially regressive?

How is it not?

As I said, the GOP is evolving.

By voting to repeal Obamacare for the 50th time? By passing more and more radically restrictive abortion laws in their states, while ignoring the science of fetal viability just cuz?

Honestly, if you haven't been seeing the civil war within the good ol' party, you have been living under a rock.

Yeah, and it's far from over.

These old dinosaurs are dying out and leaving the party to a younger generation that puts the Constitution first, which is what this country needs.

No, this country needs people that aren't stupid in power. Electing people that think science is the "work of the devil" and appointing them to committees that oversee science is why this country is falling behind.

[Lenonis]

How is it socially regressive?

Arizona anti-gay law. Michigan rape insurance. Sweeping anti-abortion measures. Lots of dog whistle racist rhetoric on welfare and immigration.

[Vulcanasm]

While its not reported on by the mainstream press, young voters (specifically ones too young to have voted Obama in 2008) are increasingly showing signs that they shifting to the GOP.

Most mainstream press outlets will discuss the youth vote by focusing on the 18-29 age bracket. But that's glossing over a VERY interesting split between the youngest voters age 18-24, and the millennials aged 25-29.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/1...ers-99568.html

Recent evidence of this war for the youth vote was offered last November.



Last December, there was a harvard poll that also noticed an emerging split between the 18-24 and 25-29 vote.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...-recall-obama/

Rofl, wishful thinking is always a problem with conservatives...second article is 18-24 vs. 18-29 and there's a 5% difference. Talk about a cataclysmic shift! Oh, and one can't vote to recall a President. It's not in the Constitution. Impeachment of an unpopular President has been done before (Andrew Johnson, who survived by 1 vote), but given Bush ended his Presidency about as popular as syphilis, that's not the kind of precedent sane people talk about setting.

Incidentally, Politico has been a right-wing shill since at least 2005, so I don't know why you're still quoting it like it posts trustworthy information.

Yours truly, someone who actually took civics *and* mathematics, rather than imagining both.

[BLCalliente]

what is center is subjective and it changes from nation to nation from region to region from state to state. there is no fixed center what you conceder center could be left of center to others
how the UCLA study determined center is the voting records of the elected congress men and women
a snap shot of what the nation considered center at the time the study was conducted still subjective but probably the most accurate determination of what was center at that time

Not a very good study then, I'd say.

Voting records of congress have very little do do with the location of the center, especially considering the public approval rate of congress.

[simsumre]

Okay, as a registered Republican I'm not a religious person. I don't even believe in religion, though I do believe in a higher power. I do not believe that we need to set up a theocracy in the United States. I am not a Bible thumping redneck nor am I a rich old white man. I am pro life but simply because of the insane number of abortions, mostly in black communities, that are being performed each year. At some point, personal responsibility needs to come into play. I am against war, I am against foreign aid especially to nations like Pakistan, and I'm pro gun.

Democrats need to learn to give and take. You're not ever going to win the gun debate in the United States. It's within our Constitution which trumps both Federal and State law. God has no place in governing. And a woman's right to choose only goes so far. But you can't sit here and call people racist or sexist or, as the above poster said, "socially regressive" because they don't agree with every single issue that you hold so dear.