Youth vote slipping away from GOP?
posted at 2:40 pm on November 17, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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We heard over and over again during the election that the youth movement propelled Barack Obama to victory. That turns out to be somewhat overblown, Pew Research concludes, but Republicans shouldn’t take much comfort in the exaggeration. Over the last two presidential elections, the GOP has lost the youth vote by sharply increasing margins — and may have lost an entire generation of voters (via Brian Faughnan):
In the last three general elections – 2004, 2006, and 2008 — young voters have given the Democratic Party a majority of their votes, and for all three cycles they have been the party’s most supportive age group. This year, 66% of those under age 30 voted for Barack Obama making the disparity between young voters and other age groups larger than in any presidential election since exit polling began in 1972.
This pattern of votes, along with other evidence about the political leanings of young voters, suggests that a significant generational shift in political allegiance is occurring. This pattern has been building for several years, and is underscored among voters this year. Among voters ages 18-29, a 19-point gap now separates Democratic party affiliation (45%) and Republican affiliation (26%). In 2000, party affiliation was split nearly evenly among the young.
Young voters are more diverse racially and ethnically than older voters and more secular in their religious orientation. These characteristics, as well as the climate in which they have come of age politically, incline them not only toward Democratic Party affiliation but also toward greater support of activist government, greater opposition to the war in Iraq, less social conservatism, and a greater willingness to describe themselves as liberal politically.
Obama would have won the election without the wide split in the youth vote, Pew concludes, although the scope of the victory would have been narrower. John McCain could have won Indiana and North Carolina but still would have lost Ohio and Florida. The youth vote comprised 18% of the electorate, according to CNN’s exit polling, and were 17% in 2004, almost no change at all. Obama didn’t inspire a spike in participation, but he did manage to significantly change the voting pattern in this bloc.
That could spell trouble for Republicans in the future. People tend to remain in their political paradigm, and the GOP has not spent enough time making conservatism relevant to the younger voter. This is a remarkably poor performance, especially on the fiscal impact of expanded government, by which younger voters will be most affected as Medicare and Social Security reach their crisis points. Obama’s success in wooing younger voters to the Democratic Party may result in a gap which could take Republicans decades to resolve.
Or perhaps not. If Obama decides to pursue mandatory national service on the basis of Rahm Emanuel’s proposal, those same young voters may suddenly discover their inner libertarians and become more open to reconsidering the Republican message. If they watch the Obama administration shovel money in corporate bailouts for the next couple of years, fiscal conservatism may regain its luster. The Republicans, though, have to have a positive agenda for rational government, rebuild its credibility, and most of all start paying attention to younger voters when addressing issues on the stump. Barack Obama didn’t win their votes by accident two weeks ago.
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Oh, here’s another one:
My mother’s first vote was for Carter in 1980, when she was 20. She was raised in a poor environment and didn’t have a lot in the way of a stable family. Big government made a lot of sense to her. Big abortion supporter as well. She hated Nixon with a passion.
Fast forward to 1984. She’s a mother, she’s a wife, she’s a little older. Realized it was all a bunch of horse manure. The obnoxiousness that was Geraldine Ferraro was enough for her. She proudly cast her vote for Reagan in 1984 and has never looked back. In fact if you ask her now, she’s a one issue voter, the issue being pro-life credentials.
half the battle is getting a foothold on the Internet message. If I got my news from AP and Yahoo headlines, with a little bit of MTV.com messaging in the mix, I’d think Obama was the bees knees too and that Bush should be impeached.
gippergal1984 on November 17, 2008 at 3:41 PM
My little sis was mega-fired up about Sarah. Went to a rally with her friends. Sarah is as cool as John is crusty.
hoosiermama on November 17, 2008 at 3:41 PM
It’s not because of demographic changes. It’s because they have grown up without ever seeing and hearing the words of great leaders like Ronald Reagan. Not “like”… I mean specifically, they are the generation that missed out on Ronald Reagan. Young people want inspiring figures to lead them to a political philosophy. In my first election at age 19, the inspirational figurehead of conservatism was… Bob Dole. Is it any wonder that young people flocked to the Clintons and Obamas (and Khanyes and Bonos) these past 16 years?
We need somebody inspiring to show them that there’s another viable paradigm. Somebody like Sarah Palin or Bobby Jindal. (Or both!)
joe_doufu on November 17, 2008 at 3:41 PM
speak for yourself. libs like me.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 3:42 PM
Let’s face it. America has raised a generation of celebrity obessed self involved spoiled mall rats.
They thought voting for Obama was “cool” and one MUST be cool.
Rightwingsparkle on November 17, 2008 at 3:42 PM
joe_doufu
So true. Reagan changed me from a Democrat.
Rightwingsparkle on November 17, 2008 at 3:43 PM
i’m pretty sure the first generation that was obsessed with celebrities were the boomers that screamed at the Beetles concerts. don’t give me that. my generation is clueless because it has nothing outside of itself to believe in. everything is a lie. so, they have no choice but the superficial. but, when they get the truth, they like it!
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 3:45 PM
johnnyU on November 17, 2008 at 3:45 PM
Canary in a Coalmine
The Race Card on November 17, 2008 at 3:46 PM
Internet arguments aside, most libs are quite affable if you engage them in a civil manner. Most Democrats are not what you see on DKos and protest rallies.
TheUnrepentantGeek on November 17, 2008 at 3:48 PM
did we want them? from what I’ve seen the only ones we want, come to our side out of truth not cliche… the ones we lose we didn’t want anyway… with the exception of the Scarlett “B” Letter girl…
Kaptain Amerika on November 17, 2008 at 3:49 PM
If Obama keeps breaking his promises at the rate he’s doing (see the missile defence post and the Geraghty post linked from that), at lot of those kids who just voted for him won’t bother in 2012. Some might vote Republican, but most will probably get all disillusioned and won’t bother, which will be just fine.
Republicans already have their themes for 2012 (and 2010):
Obama promised hope, but he hasn’t delivered.
Obama promised change, then he filled the White House with Clinton cronies and lobbyists.
Obama promised a lot of things, but he broke promise after promise.
We won’t get fooled again.
(It’d be helpful if someone could get the rights to the song)
EnglishMike on November 17, 2008 at 3:50 PM
you won’t fool the children of the revolution!
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 3:53 PM
Registered Republican 25 year old here.
scrubbiedude on November 17, 2008 at 3:55 PM
All we needed to say was they will require you to do boot-camp for 3 months and the VP is one of the chief architects for prosecuting those who download songs from P2P networks. They would have all been coming over in droves.
A little over the top? Yep, but our oppenents have mastered it.
Butters on November 17, 2008 at 3:55 PM
“i’m pretty sure the first generation that was obsessed with celebrities were the boomers that screamed at the Beetles concerts. don’t give me that.”
No, there was Frank Sinatra in the forties.
(And probably someone before then. Lily Langtree, maybe.)
Alana on November 17, 2008 at 3:55 PM
The youth of today? The one’s that go to college for free and mooch off the system until they are 30 yrs old? The one’s that sip Starbucks while chatting on their iPhones that their parents bought them?
Yes, it’s difficult to reach them without hopenchange.
nottakingsides on November 17, 2008 at 3:56 PM
Got yer Gen X right here.
crazy_legs on November 17, 2008 at 3:56 PM
I have to disagree… most Dems I meet and know would gladly say Bush planned 911, either out of ignorance or blissful self righteous indignation, they will… I challenge you to ask every liberal you know.
ask them…. do you think Bush planned 911?
report back soon…
Kaptain Amerika on November 17, 2008 at 3:58 PM
Obama didn’t inspire a spike in participation, but he did manage to significantly change the voting pattern in this bloc.
AND he was able to lock up the Black Vote, something the Dems haven’t been able to do since … oh wait
Tony737 on November 17, 2008 at 4:02 PM
I have to disagree… most Dems I meet and know would gladly say Bush planned 911
Kaptain Amerika on November 17, 2008 at 3:58 PM
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 4:03 PM
I don’t care how Liberal someone is I just don’t want them to make me pay for it.
For the “youth” Liberalism is easy. Most are in school or only marginally employed. Many are still supoprted by mom and dad, don’t pay taxes, are completely ignorant about economics and history, and are still young enough to be governed by emotion rather than reason. If we’re ever to reach the young it needs to start in the schools. We need to defeat the NEA, Dept. of Education, and send kids to private school or home school whenever possible.
We could also fight the losing battle to repeal the amendment that lowered the voting age to 18.
DerKrieger on November 17, 2008 at 4:05 PM
You forgot your sarc identifier. That is important or people will think you actually believe what you posted.
right2bright on November 17, 2008 at 4:06 PM
The plural of anecdote is not data, but since you ask – of course they don’t think he planned 9/11.
TheUnrepentantGeek on November 17, 2008 at 4:07 PM
are you taking about young people or baby boomers? The boomers haven’t improved with age. They are still completely ignorant, and have yet to discover reason. My father didn’t realize he had to pay taxes and ended up with a 45K IRS bill. Ha! Went bankrupt. Tell me boomers are in any way superior to the feckless youth. I need a good laugh.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 4:09 PM
See, the thing is that I do. Liberal ideas are flawed. The people that hold them are usually quite normal. They’ve just embraced some bad ideas.
People hold flawed ideas for a variety of reasons – personal experience unjustly generalized, inadequate facts, poor analysis of facts, unknowing acceptance of bad data, or just plain irrationality.
None of these things necessarily makes for an evil or bad person – just a flawed one. And I have some news for you – we’re all flawed. We’ve all held some bad ideas at some point. Most of us still might. But continuing to views Dems as cartoon characters does us no good – underestimating your opponent rarely does.
TheUnrepentantGeek on November 17, 2008 at 4:11 PM
Let’s face it. America has raised a generation of celebrity obessed self involved spoiled mall rats. – Sparkle
I’ve told this story before but here goes again, on the plane I like to get on the mic and offer a free drink to anybody who can name one of the five Medal of Honor receipients in the War on Terror. I say “Ring your flight attendant call button if your can name one Medal of Honor receipient from Iraq or Afghanistan.” Silence. Then somebody always rings the button and answers Pat Tillman or Jessica Lynch (both wrong) but almost nobody ever gets one of the right answers. Then I say “Ok, ring your call button if you can name an American Idol winner and damn near EVERYBODY hits their call button. I tell them “Turn ‘em off, you don’t get a free drink for that!” How sad.
Tony737 on November 17, 2008 at 4:11 PM
I am a 22 year old registered Republican
I think that the GOP needs to start committing more resources to the internet and other mass media tools
we need to fight the Obama narrative on the net and support our candidates
There are plenty of young Republicans on the internet but we lack organization
joey24007 on November 17, 2008 at 4:14 PM
“Idle hands are the Devil’s playthings.”
Soft times make soft, mushy people. Hard times make hard, focused people.
Ironically, alot of the stupidity we see around us is simply the end result of the enormous wealth that Western Civilization has accumulated over the past 600+ years.
But the gravy train is almost out of steam. And whereas logic and reason have failed to educate spoiled Westerners about the true nature of life…cold, hard reality won’t.
rvastar on November 17, 2008 at 4:15 PM
600+ years?
LMFAO.. 600+ years.. HAHAHHAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!
Don’t you mean about 200 years? Since the “Americas” weren’t really “recieving” wealth, but having it exported?
600+, man that was a good laugh.
upinak on November 17, 2008 at 4:17 PM
amen, we need to shift our politics of moaning and complaining to a politics of ideological evangelism. if you can’t go talk to a clueless, feckless liberal about your ideas and get them to come around you aren’t much of a conservative. I don’t mean you have them listening to Rush every day. But, it’s not hard to plant a seed of doubt in their mind. Most of the time they’ll actually tell you they disagree with their fellow libs. Then is the opportunity to drive in the wedge.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 4:18 PM
When the Dems reinstate the draft….this trend may change.
dec5 on November 17, 2008 at 4:19 PM
Where is “rockmom” and her comment about the 15-16 year olds who voted McCain in the Youth Vote?
An interesting read from “The Century Foundation” about the youth vote can be found here.
Kevin in Washington State on November 17, 2008 at 4:21 PM
uh, western civ didn’t start with the US. since the end of the plague, western (european) countries have been the focal points of economic progress.
that is 600+ years. You could even argue 2000+, especially most definitions of western civ can in no way exclude Greek influence.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 4:23 PM
Seconded.. The self-absorbtion and whininess present in Gen Y (outside the military) makes the Boomers seem like Mother Teresa and Gandhi…
Illinidiva on November 17, 2008 at 2:53 PM
Because the Boomers have weathered a hard life with grit, determination, and nationalism? Wrong. The boomers have had it better than any generation in history.
It was the Boomers that began to trend society toward liberal. They got jobs with pensions… and they’ll receive Social Security on top of it. They haven’t had a real “economic crisis” to speak of; theirs is a generation of wealth, growth, and spending. They’ve allowed the government to take over more and more of their liberties and their responsibilities. They’re the liberal educators whom everyone complains about. They’ve learned to live outside their means.
And, lucky for them, they procreated… and they raised “whiney”, “self-absorbed” kids who adopted their parents’ lifestyles and ideas about the world who can now absorb the blame.
Those poor, poor Baby Boomers…
fiscallyconservative on November 17, 2008 at 4:25 PM
there have been issues surrounding excessive wealth for millenia.
skaion to ploutein kallo meden eidenai. wealth without knowledge makes an idiot. Euripides
i’m not so ready to pass the torch of wealth, like you decoupling experts.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 4:28 PM
Western is America(s) … not England, unless you want to speak about Greenland.
But that is what I think that guy/gal was refering too. America, which hasn’t been “collecting” wealthy but exporting it via trade ships and so on.
The Plague may have started around the 1300 and ended around the 1700… but no one can really know since they can’t find the strain in good condition, just variants. So 1700’s os not 600 years.
And the fact not many reports of people “moving” to the Americas until the end of the 1700’s in massive waves. other then the Puritans.
So.. sorry… I will be a bull headed turd about this.
upinak on November 17, 2008 at 4:29 PM
As for local young Republicans, from my many many conversations over the past several months, what really stuck in their craw was their understanding the basic principles of conservatism but seeing locally where the party espoused anything but…as in Toledo’s and Lucas County’s GOP organization, or the Taft-effect in Ohio, or seeing one after another so-called “leaders” of the GOP being deeply in bed with earmarks and using the US Treasury as an ATM, a la “Mitch” McConnell and Denny Hastert.
Our failed efforts to rid our Party of these sorts of candidates and Party leaders long long before the 2008 elections cost us votes and the confidence of younger voters, conservative in nature, who either stayed home, or voted otherwise, and not for Obama.
We can slogan all we want, and we can wring our hands about how the Party lost its way, but unless and until we start a firm application of principles over personality, those many young conservatives may find another party or simply resign themselves to all politicians being two-faced and untrustworthy, and refuse to participate, with the result that Obamania (and whatever follows) will draw more voters because of the obsession of personality over principles by the majority of youth.
coldwarrior on November 17, 2008 at 4:29 PM
seconded? the boomers have already proven what worthless craven whiners they are. the xy, x, y, generations have yet to prove themselves so absolutely whiney. we are already playing cleanup for boomer malfeasance. don’t give me that seconded garbage.
Boomers are not like Mother Teresa…Gandhi. Absurd, sick, they have earned no such accolades. One can only equal their corruption not surpass it!
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 4:32 PM
I was a Democrat until 30, hence the moniker.
One day I woke up and realized that every single thing the left, Democrats and the popular culture told me was a complete lie.
From that day on, I’ve hated the Democratic Party, the left and the popular culture with every fiber in my being.
Most of these young people will turn out the same way.
NoDonkey on November 17, 2008 at 4:34 PM
upinak on November 17, 2008 at 4:29 PM
the plague may have had outbreaks after 1300, but no major impact by comparison to the initial outbreak which decimated by half the population of the earth. this was a major event in world history, which served to permanently shift the balance of powers from the mediterranean/mesopotamian civilizations.
the guy said western civilization not the western hemisphere.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 4:36 PM
I agree that the internet offers the most promising avenue for reaching out to younger voters. With Hollywood, MTV, the music “biz”, SNL, Letterman and Leno, P-Diddy and
BoneheadBono, etc. all pulling in one direction, it seems that the Web is the logical place to concentrate a serious effort to counter the idiotic yet effective “cool factor” that seems to play such an inordinately important role in the “yoot” voters’ thought processes.It is tragic that we can expect no help from our education system. Conversely (and perversely), it seems that most of our schools are indoctrinating our young’uns even more effectively than the glitterati.
We’re coming to the plate with an O-2 count against us.
hillbillyjim on November 17, 2008 at 4:36 PM
Yes a great many of the youth are influenced by the media thus tilting them on the side of Obama, but once you get past them there is still a rather large portion up for grabs(that have jobs and pay taxes), but when you try to run a dummy campaign fighting against elitists and book readers then you are not going to get them. Many of the less political young people I confronted that said they were voting for Obama, not that I was voting for either McCain or Obama, said that the reason they were voting for Obama was because he was the only one who sounded like he had a head on his shoulders out of the four Presidential and VP candidates. McCain has his empty patriotic rhetoric where everything usually ends up in a commission to be named later and Palin with her lowest common denominator politics aren’t going to get it done. They didn’t get it done…period.
And those older people that try to nail down the youth vote into one uniform group of “mallrats” and lazy bums show their simplicity of thought. It was Solon who said that “wisdom is not an automatic consequence of old age” and the people making the assertions usually are a good example of this adage. These people are growing up on the internet with more information sources than ever at their fingertips, their opportunity for intellectual improvement, especially in the forum of current events exceeds any of their predecessors who were raised on three channels that told them “what is”.
LevStrauss on November 17, 2008 at 4:38 PM
As a retired school teacher and school librarian I can tell you that there is almost no geography or history taught in grades K-6. The history always amounted to February only and that was Black History Month. That left the impression that only Blacks had any history. I was totally surprised to learn from the children that that was what they thought. It was no surprise that many parents were talking about home schooling, even with confiscatory property taxes.
Ayers’ Afro-centric curricula took another toll on these kids also. Instead of being uplifted by all of this nonsense, it depressed them. They thought that succeeding meant they were “acting white”. The white kids just kind of took it all in and they weren’t exposed to American history or geography. Anything that Black or white kids learned, they did research projects to acquire. Then off to the upper grades where we know all of them were being dumbed down to unbelievable levels. No one is teaching them how to succeed or access the American Dream. White or black. The real story of our country is being systematically shoved down a memory hole to be replaced by all the bad that America has supposedly done. It amazes me that there are as many Conservative young people as there appear to be.
If you want to promote Conservatism you must start at the kitchen table and keep asking your children what they are learning in school. Teach them Conservative values and discuss politics at home. Parents are much better teachers than teachers in public schools. Being Conservative is much more difficult than being a Liberal. Being a Conservative requires that you enguage your brain, while being a Liberal only allows you to “feel”.
All of this took place in Maryland where Michael Steele still resides, I believe. There was no way that he was going to win PG County or Baltimore City and County where all the black votes are. He is considered “acting” white and that is the Liberal mantra. They would have voted for him in droves if he had promised them a check, but alas, that is not realistic. So castigating Michael Steele as a looser for that particular election doesn’t hold water. It was because he wasn’t Liberal. Remember Maryland has never been Conservative. Even Reagan couldn’t get Maryland’s electoral votes. Nancy Pelosi is also from Maryland. What does that tell you about Maryland politics? We had to move. It was just too much! None of our votes counted at any level. It’s really tough being a Republican Maryland.
BetseyRoss on November 17, 2008 at 4:39 PM
yeah I caught that… opps.
upinak on November 17, 2008 at 4:40 PM
The day after the election I emailed my county party chair and gave them my thoughts on why we did so poorly on election day … he emailed me back and said that he understood my concerns and agreed with me on most
he then said that he would forward my email to the local young republicans county club
I sent the email on the day after the election … I have yet to receive a response from the young republican club
awesome
joey24007 on November 17, 2008 at 4:44 PM
As a 35 yr old Gen X-er it will take a miracle for the rest of us to wake up in the next 5 yrs.
Maybe Barry will shake them unuff to wake them.
John The Baptist on November 17, 2008 at 4:46 PM
…but I doubt it.
John The Baptist on November 17, 2008 at 4:46 PM
I was for Goldwater at age 9, living in corrupt Chicago at the time.
Right_of_Attila on November 17, 2008 at 4:48 PM
I’ll be 32 in two weeks so am I now allowed to complain about those crazy kids?
As for the schools, my teacher wife had to eat lunch in her classroom because the lunchroom discussion inevitably turned to politics. Since these were public school teachers, ‘politics’ meant ‘ripping Bush, the GOP religious people, etc’ It’s worrisome to think that these people will be teaching my daughter in a few years she turned 1 on saturday). I promised myself I would teach myself more about American history and how this nation came to be. I can’t trust the public schools to teach her the truth about this stuff. I’ll let them handle the math and science, I’ll take the rest.
As a product of the public schools myself, I’ve got some reading to do. If the only way my daughter can really learn what America is all about the rewards will be more than worth it.
hump1201 on November 17, 2008 at 4:49 PM
I was for Perot at age 9. I made my boomer father take me to a rally. Spoiled!
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 4:49 PM
A Buchanan supporter at 10.
LevStrauss on November 17, 2008 at 4:53 PM
Been a while since I’ve posted. Too depressed that this country has elected a socialist. Okay, here’s my thoughts
FWIW, the youth of this country are always in play. The idealism of youth is always searching for the light. Reagan was able to provide that. Obama was too. The task of the GOP is to make a coherent, persuasive case to the college-age folks as to why free markets and individualism cut their way. IMHO that is not as difficult as some of the current naysayers think. We need to stop thinking these folks are stupid and lay out the case for individual freedom, personal resonsibility, limited government, love of life, right to self-defense, and free markets. The problem is not the message, it’s been the messengers. Get The Ted Stevens’s of the party out of the government and get in folks that adhere to fundamental principles and we will be playing a winning hand. To paraphrase Lawrence of Arabia, nothing is set in stone. We can turn this around if we go back to the basics (football 101).
second digit on November 17, 2008 at 4:53 PM
Nothing is written!
joey24007 on November 17, 2008 at 4:54 PM
There is a simple reason for more youngsters like myself (26) vote Democrat and its simply because most young people want to fit in and the democrats have set themselves with the drive-by media and hollyweird so that its only cool to vote democrat.
Most youngsters these days don’t know what its like to actually work for a living as mom and dad give them everything they want. Not to mention that most youngsters are in college and that typically means a decent size city where most people are democrats.
So as long as the youngsters are not thinking for themselves, have any clue as to whats going on in politics and simply just want to “fit in” with the cool kids this is not going to change unless the GOP can do something to change it.
nobleclem on November 17, 2008 at 4:58 PM
Thanks for the lesson in philosophy, I really enjoyed it, you are so enlightened…/sarc
The difference between you and me, is that I have seldom been harmed, in personal life or business life by someone intelligent. They know their boundaries, and they understand their purpose, whatever that is at the time.
Who does the most harm is stupid people, doing stupid things. And by and large, liberals (including dems) are stupid.
Yes they are “cartoonish”, but at the same time, that makes them more dangerous. You believe that if someone thinks of the dems as being foolish, then they have not fear?
Well, Mr. Philosopher, an intelligent man, a sane man doesn’t pull the trigger, only the foolish, insane man does that.
An intelligent man doesn’t put the men who caused a recession, in charge of bailing us out of a recession…an intelligent man does not sit at the feet of an unknown politician and sing his praises. That is why your premise is wrong, and you flunked philosophy today.
It is the cartoon character that is dangerous…haven’t you ever seen an Elmer Fudd cartoon?
right2bright on November 17, 2008 at 5:04 PM
The editor in chief of UCLA’s women’s newsmagazine hand selected me to to provide a conservative viewpoint to the paper. I received vitriolic hate-mail. I was most shocked when other writers and staff from my paper sent hate-mail to me demanding I resign my position b/c they “were open-minded people and would listen to any point of view but Conservatism”. I didn’t resign.
ocbrat on November 17, 2008 at 5:05 PM
They voted against Bush – especially his handling of the war in iraq. Isn’t he gone now?
The young people I know are pretty open to economic conservatism. They do NOT believe in free lunches – for themselves or others.
As far as social conservatism stands, ask any young person you know what they think of the Boomer’s attitude towards marriage and sex – they and their friends have suffered from our self-indulgence. Talk to them about abortion – you will be surprised at what they’ve seen and what they’ve learned.
kcewa on November 17, 2008 at 5:06 PM
hump1201 on November 17, 2008 at 4:49 PM
A friend of mine had the same experience. In fact, I’ve had to email a teacher of my sister’s to ask them to please not promote Obama in the classroom — and it’s a Catholic school!
I don’t have kids myself but between this stuff in the schools and the threat of giving birth in a government hospital, I’m really afraid to try.
gippergal1984 on November 17, 2008 at 5:06 PM
The point is, there ARE Conservative college students, both male and female. However, they are actively being shut down. Who is going to help them?
ocbrat on November 17, 2008 at 5:06 PM
joey24007
It ain’t written in stone but a bunch of sadsacks are laying headstones on the Republican party. While my views and the GOP’s don’t always coincide, Eighty-five percent of the time, they have me on their side. I don’t see that it is a difficult case to make against the Demos that they are anti-growth, anti-personal responsibility, and anti-personal freedom. Yes, I acknowledge that there are a bunch of air-headed socialist ignoramuses educating our children right now. That’s all the more reason to step up our activity. Talk to your children, move them to the right schools, particpate in PTA, serve on the school board. Don’t let the message be shunted aside. We, and the country, can win this.
second digit on November 17, 2008 at 5:07 PM
I am the only Republican in my class
joey24007 on November 17, 2008 at 5:08 PM
TheUnrepentantGeek on November 17, 2008 at 4:11 PM
I’m really struggling with this. I have dear, dear friends who are hardcore Obama people. It is tough to talk to them though, because the country’s become so divided that some of the positions their party espouses are just plain evil.
On abortion, for example, I could handle “safe, legal, and rare” — but this FOCA bill, that mandates abortions in Catholic hospitals, is beyond the pale and abandons any pretext to “trying to reduce the number of abortions.”
I’m really trying to find that line between good, but flawed people—and those that don’t have the moral fortitude I’d like in a friend. It breaks my heart to report that I have lost friends over this election and that I may lose more.
I’ve cried a lot over it because it’s so mentally and emotionally taxing to realize that some people you thought were good….are plainly not. So frustrating to see what’s happening around the country and how powerless I feel at times to stop it.
gippergal1984 on November 17, 2008 at 5:11 PM
joey24007 on November 17, 2008 at 5:08 PM
You might be surprised, Joey. A big part of liberal domination of education means that conservative kids are afraid to speak up. Or, as my brother who is a junior at a liberal Catholic university said, “I know I’m conservative, but it’s really tough to speak up when it’s the teacher and the loud liberals against you.”
You may take a little flak but if you self identify as a conservative and stand your ground where you know you have the facts on your side, you may inspire others to come out of the conservative closet!!!
gippergal1984 on November 17, 2008 at 5:14 PM
i went to a great university, where I didn’t feel the crush of political affiliation, and professors were more interested in intellectual discourse than in promoting communism.
However, I do know that the lower tier schools are filled with riff-raff that are called professors. They shut people down. The other night a friend explained to me essentially why she dropped out of college: a professor gave her a poor grade on an essay about Margaret Sanger. My friend is pro-life. I was horrified.
We need to lynch professors that do that, and we need to make sure our young people are not going into classes without backup. A solitary soldier is cannon fodder. We need to back each other up. I’ll totally go in to talk to a professor that is out of line.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 5:14 PM
To whoever posted about it being tough to be a republican in Maryland: I feel your pain!
I grew up in PG county. For you non-md folks, pg county is majority black and absolutely dominated by the libs. Interesting side note, Michael Steele was our county GOP chairman at one point. Anyway, I joined the Army, did four years, deployed to Afghanistan and ended up in Washington state. During the election season I was talking to a friend, mainly arguing about Obama and Iraq. He’s lived in literally the same house his whole life (’bought’ it from mom and dad when they moved) and he politely informed me that ‘everybody’ wants more gun control and ‘everybody’ wants less restrictions on abortion. He also told me I had no idea what the real world was like, which given our backgrounds I found amusing. His mom also sent out a mass email about how McCain voters were just racist and stupid.
Now for the punchline: Both my friend and his mom are, you guessed it, teachers! Best part about that family, the oldest son is a super rich computer whiz who got rich creating a company and selling it off, and he’s now working on his next venture. He votes republican. I always wonder what he thinks about his parents and brother voting for the party that likes to demonize him and take more of his money.
hump1201 on November 17, 2008 at 5:14 PM
nobleclem
You have hit on the intangible; the cool factor. Look, here’s where the GOP needs to step up to the plate. They’ve got to make the pitch convincingly that the conservative fundamentals are what’s in the best interest of the youth and the country. The bedrock is individual freedom, personal responsibility, love of life, right of self-defense, and limited self-government. These concepts result in a government that functions, to paraphrase Nathan Bedford Forrest, the bestest for the mostest.
second digit on November 17, 2008 at 5:15 PM
oh … I speak up all of the time
I’m the unsilent majority
joey24007 on November 17, 2008 at 5:16 PM
Ignore Ron Paul at your peril.
MedSchoolCatholic on November 17, 2008 at 5:18 PM
So.. sorry… I will be a bull headed turd about this.
Obviously.
Modern Western CIVILIZATION’S wealth is due in very large part to two phenomena:
1) The Hundred Years War between France and England. While it was a time of warfare and strife, it nonetheless served to create a popular sense of French and English nationality, as well revolutionized warfare and military tactics.
2) The opening up of an untapped world of resources with discovery of the New World.
The Hundred Years War began in 1337…671 years ago.
rvastar on November 17, 2008 at 5:22 PM
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 5:14 PM
could you please, please, please tell us about this lovely university?
the little gipperettes will be ready for college in about 25 years and I would love to have some good options for them. I understand that Hillsdale in Michigan, Grove City in PA, and perhaps Pepperdine do have conservative footholds, but if you have one more to add to the list, please give it up, kind sir.
gippergal1984 on November 17, 2008 at 5:23 PM
joey24007 on November 17, 2008 at 5:16 PM
Good for you! Keep it coming. Stand your ground. Give some of the other uninformed, undecided students a good example to contrast against the screeching about “Boooosh” and “Haliburton” and “war for oil” and “military industrial complex” that they’re hearing from their professors and the crazies on campus.
gippergal1984 on November 17, 2008 at 5:25 PM
Please keep in mind the old adage: if you’re not a liberal in your youth, you have no heart; and if you’re not a conservative in your adulthood, you have no brain. Many members of my own family who were ardent Carter supporters in ‘76 and ‘80 are now just as ardent Republicans. Most conservatives I know were once liberals. These young voters haven’t a clue. Just wait until they feel the pain of Obamanomics.
You folks need to read Reagan’s “Let Them Go Their Way” speech. Don’t despair. Conservatism doesn’t change. It is based on reality and tradition. It has been tested by time. Our principles last. The challenge is to apply them to the problems we face today.
ramrocks on November 17, 2008 at 5:26 PM
If the GOP has lost the youth, chalk it up to the schools. I’m not far out of law school (age 30, practicing shyster) and both law school and undergrad were very left leaning in their teaching methods and subjects. It was very clear what side they favored, and it displeased the (minority) conservative students in the school(s). Incidentally, the conservative students always seemed to make better arguments: the libs ended up (stereotypically) resorting to “feelings” to support their stances, especially in Constitutional Law Class.
I have seen it recently in my nephew’s middle school (yes, middle school). They do the whole “who do you support for President” thing when a middle-schooler obviously cannot vote, so it is just a method to use peer pressure on kids to mold thought (the majority of the students are from Democrat families, especially here in PA), and thus their kids “side” with Democrat, and ridicule other kids that don’t, with none of them knowing what the he!! they’re talking about.
That never happened when I was in school until I got to college, and I was prepared for it. Now it starts in middle school, and the kids aren’t.
Once the Repubs can present leaders that can actually explain and advocate conservative principles (rather than apologize for them), you’ll see a change. We conservative law students used to do it all the time in class, and much better I might add, than McCain did recently.
Saltyron on November 17, 2008 at 5:27 PM
bull-headed turd
while I won’t disagree with your assessment of the hundred years war and the discovery of the new world, I would tack onto both of them the rise of the British empire. During the hundred years war, France was a worthless POS and Spain, and Portugal fit that discription for new world discovery. It was those money-grubbing, stiff-necked John Bulls that were the driving force for world civilization and wealth.
second digit on November 17, 2008 at 5:27 PM
cornell university, the gem of the ivy league. now, there were communist recruiters there, but my professors were as intellectually honest as I could have desired. And, I was in the humanities deep. my government professor there taught me that Germany’s economy can’t recover as quickly from recession because of the tax burden of socialism. and, it’s not in the city.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 5:29 PM
just ask ann coulter; cornell is great!
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 5:30 PM
All this navel-gazing is getting to be really annoying.
Basically, Obama won because he was a prettier package. It has nothing to do with an end to conservatism since McCain hasn’t ever been one and didn’t run as one. He admitted that economics wasn’t his strong suit and it showed. WIth the market tanking no one wanted bipartisanship, they wanted someone to tell them he could make all the bad news go away.
Think about the campaigns in the TV age. With the exception of Nixon, the better looking candidate has always won. If they were equally attractive, like George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, than the younger candidate won.
It has nothing to do with Obama’s “message” and everything to do with how he was packaged. If the republicans find an attractive, young and dynamic conservative to run in 2016 and package conservatism in a hope and changey way he will win, particularly if Obama’s socialist tendencies wear thin.
McCain was Dole — old and boring without any principles except bipartisanship. That doesn’t win elections.
Let’s move on and find candidates who have what it takes to win and understand what it means to be conservative.
Sensible Mom on November 17, 2008 at 5:31 PM
Sorry to rain on your parade.
I don’t CARE about 671 years ago.
WTF is it doing for us (and I mean ALL OF US in the United States) right now? NADA! Unless you can point out something 671 years ago (which I already mention the Natural Resources that were leaving America)that is effecting us today which is political in Nature and not resources!
I see Western… I think America.. not England.. Not Europe in ANY capacity.
upinak on November 17, 2008 at 5:31 PM
I grew up into my conservatism… voted for Clinton twice during college. Lots of factors changed me, but a big one was earning a paycheck.
My spouse is 29 and voted for Sarah. Thinks Sarah is cool, actually.
myrenovations on November 17, 2008 at 5:33 PM
i voted for bush when I was still at Cornell. My first opportunity to elect! and, that was as the height of my liberal education.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 5:33 PM
Saltyron
Ditto. Graduated from law school in 1991. Majority there were liberals. Thank God we had a Federalist Society chapter there. Yes, my nephews, and second cousins, are willing to follow the leader. All the more reason to talk to them and make them think about the future. Explain the repercussions of Socialism, lack of individual responsibility, the consequenses of the welfare state. Explain to them how fair markets work and the effect they have. Raise them to be rugged individualists willing to flip the bird at government handouts.
second digit on November 17, 2008 at 5:36 PM
Young Republicans are a neglected branch of our party. Just try to find a Republican club on a Northeastern college campus, my daughter tried and failed. Then it took her several months just to find a young Republicans org to join off campus. The point is, the party makes it very difficult to be an active young Republican because it offers no real support system. These kids are isolated and set adrift in a sea of aggressive, loud, obnoxious leftos. There are plenty of kids who share Republican values on college campuses but they can’t easily find each other, so they keep quiet and to themselves, which is sad. A young Republican is a terrible thing to waste and it is about time our party wised up.
Done That on November 17, 2008 at 5:36 PM
gippergal,
Pepperdine may be out.
Dr. Conservative on November 17, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Sorry, the link didn’t work! Check out Michelle Malkin’s blog and read “Banned at Pepperdine”
Dr. Conservative on November 17, 2008 at 5:39 PM
my mother’s first husband went to Pepperdine. I have no regard for the man or his morals. You’re better off at Fuller Seminary, if that counts…
And, believe it or not UC Berkeley is not as liberal as it once was. A lot of the riff raff there are local youths that make a scene. There is a good solid middle class presence at the school. My best friend got a good education at Berkeley. Surprise!
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 5:46 PM
exactly … my college has no GOP club but we have democrat club and they always get speakers from the party, including members of the House of Reps.
the Republican party has no interest in supporting clubs in colleges
joey24007 on November 17, 2008 at 5:47 PM
Let’s face it, we suck as a country. No two ways about it.
JP1986UM on November 17, 2008 at 5:53 PM
Here, too! :-)
newton on November 17, 2008 at 5:54 PM
cornell has a good conservative publication, http://www.thecornellreview.com
This is the heartbeat of the Cornell conservative. You will be pleased.
Just note the founders and pay respects.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 5:54 PM
Capt’n Ed just doesn’t get it. Public schooling has become an indoctrination machine for Progressive politics.
Curricula are controlled by schools of education, which are shot through with Progressives. Theories of education are likewise controlled by schools of education, notably Columbia. Teachers have to be certified all over the nation, and certification requires all teachers to take certain, core theory courses — all constructed by Progressives, with textbooks written by Progressives. Teachers are then sent to teach these Progressive curricula. Many of them believe it, and those who don’t have their hands tied by political correctness.
In addition, popular media are absolutely controlled by Progressives. Every movie, every music video, every CD and iPod download is shot through with Progressive attitudes, sound bites, and views of the world. There are a few exceptions, but what of it? A child hears a sensible message once for every 1000 recitations of politically correct nonsense, accusations of corporate greed, and demands for government action.
Short version: our children are growing up awash in Progressive politics. A majority of them believe them. Even the children of conservatives think it’s the government’s job to “save the planet” from “greed.” Even the children of conservatives think it’s the government’s job to “help the poor,” and that to vote against government aid is equivalent to saying “They should die, and decrease the surplus population.”
The majority of voting-age adults in America are center-right, but their children are hard-left. America’s days as a bastion of Protestant individualism and free-market capitalism are over.
The only way it can ever be recovered — and mind you, it will take several generations — is to completely decouple the education system from the ruling colleges. That could only be accomplished by free-market education: a nationwide voucher system permitting vouchers to anyone parents choose to educate their children (including religious institutions), for example, or a completely private system with public funds only for the very poorest. That would break the Progressive hold on education.
(Unrelated to this topic, please visit my political/cultural blog, “Plumb Bob Blog: Squaring the Culture.” Thanks.)
philwynk on November 17, 2008 at 5:57 PM
When Churchill said that, he never counted on the coming of one generation that refused to grow up (The Boomers) and their children.
That’s one of the main reasons we’re in the hole right now.
newton on November 17, 2008 at 5:58 PM
gippergal1984 on November 17, 2008 at 3:41 PM
I completely agree. Through the internet, Generation-Y is being saturated with propaganda from the left. Republicans are vilified as hate-mongers, as racists, and depicted as narrow-minded mouth-breathers. If we let the dems continue to control the internet, we are surrendering our party to defeat for decades to come.
I urge anyone here who wants to see the republican party survive to flood the internet with comments. Do it on blogs, on youtube videos, in the reply section of articles, etc. It’s the only way to get through to my generation.
One idea–type Barrack Obama into google alert, and you will receive an email alert when an article or blog is posted about him. If the article has a comment section, use it to get your message out there! It’s not difficult to make a difference. You can copy and paste the same reply into multiple articles.
Smoothies on November 17, 2008 at 5:59 PM
That’s why I’m looking into homeschooling curricula for my daughters…
newton on November 17, 2008 at 5:59 PM
Done That on November 17, 2008 at 5:36 PM –
On target!
I live in a campus town, and spent a lot of time during the run-up to the election talking to students, college towns and college bars make for an interesting venue, and when you buy a round or two now and then, they tend to stick around, had a few beers bought for me by these “yutes” as well. A few of my local Republican Party friends spent most of their time in the campaign season preaching to the choir at bi-monthly meetings at the local golf/country club or in homes in excess of 3500 square feet, again talking to each other. Was asked by a few locals “Why would anyone your age be going to college bars in the first place?” Well, since 23 of the 26 bars in this town are essentially “college bars,” why not? [One should also look at sending more and more older Republicans to be present at all Campus or community young Republican events....it helps.]
But, the point is, you are correct…seems too many established Republicans and GOP Party organizations have NO desire to hang out with young Republicans…for any reason, unless it is fund raising.
When I have seen activism on the part of established older Republicans interacting with young Republicans it is limited to fund raising or having the “kids” go about town handing out campaign yard signs.
This is why we have to divest ourselves of a lot of “faithful” ossified Republicans in leadership positions and bring in, recruit and foster, younger Conservatives to fill local Party positions and at least put their names in contention in previously unopposed Democrat slots on the ballot. In this county, half the county elected positions were unopposed Democrats.
And, in my discussions with Conservative and quite a few independent youth voters, I found that almost all were in agreement with the overall benefits of the basic Conservative principles on which our Party was founded. The liberal youth? Lots of chanting the current “Hope” and “Change” mantra and offering wonderful grandiose ideas about how wonderful it would be when everybody was equal…in income, in everything…but no idea of how to get there…just vapid “hopes” about “change.”
We can, and must, do better.
coldwarrior on November 17, 2008 at 6:00 PM
sounds like the kind of evangelism we need.
anti-boomer on November 17, 2008 at 6:06 PM
Libertarianism is the most effective way for us to appeal to young people and we need to start taking advantage of that. Most 20-somethings already think that authority is evil, and they should be able to do whatever the hell they want. We just need to point out to them that there is actually a political philosophy out there which closely aligns with what they already believe. It’s ridiculous that people my age claim they want freedom, but continue to vote in the opposite direction.
Smoothies on November 17, 2008 at 6:19 PM
I guess I start from the presupposition that no one is “good” strictly speaking. We’re all flawed, we’re all at times irrational, we’re all self interested.
For me it comes down to two things – what do they want, and what are they willing to do to get it. If what they want is too horrific, the relationship won’t work (keeping in mind that people may want things that are good, yet we believe them to be impossible to achieve and disastrous to pursue). If they’re willing to do unacceptable things to get it, the relationship won’t work. The tipping points for the above will be different for everyone.
But beyond that … you can make things work often enough, provided both sides don’t make the assumption of bad faith. Additionally, the assumption that support of policy stance A = evil person/poor character is not necessarily valid. It can be true, but not always. Most things are worth a closer look to find out why someone holds the positions they do.
And again a lot of people just aren’t rational on some issues. They get too emotional too fast, they’ve got some trauma they’re dealing with, etc. The point is that however solid your logic may be … people aren’t.
TheUnrepentantGeek on November 17, 2008 at 6:19 PM
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