btw, Go Lions!

I said it before on another thread. This type of behavior isn't helping your cause. Seems that the older generations in this country want to put us down and say how lazy and connected to the internet we are until you come crawling for our help.

We don't feel represented because we don't feel heard. It's hard to vote for candidates that don't run for things we care about.

Of course you are a Democrat? What issues do you think millennials would care enough about to vote? How would you improve the outreach?

marriage, children and taxes, or a life-threatening military draft.

Just listen to the older folks on DU, they'll tell you. There's never in the history of the world been a generation as [insert negative stereotype here] as the Millennials.

And I consider them youngsters!

Frankly, I don't consider my age group to be any better than Millennials. Sure, more of us vote - for Republicans! Why doesn't that draw a bunch of scorn and ridicule on my generation as a whole?

Of course that takes precious time out of a day filled with bitchin about how bad thing are.

That is part of the problem.

Why did most Christians vote for Trump? These questions are just as valid as why Millennials don't vote in high numbers - just like every other cohort when they were that age.

What's striking is the contrast between the VOLUME of the complaining vs the LACK of action when given a chance to do something about it.

Hashtag sad.

LOL, have you read this thread at all? Have you read the many others like it? Who, exactly, is complaining here?

Someone gets it.

I will vote because I was taught how important it was, but talking to my friends... they feel like no candidate represents how they feel or what they want.

I'm 52 and I have always voted from age 18, but it did and often still does feel like a bloody waste of time.

Isn't it funny, though, all this anger directed only at young people? You don't see this kind of rage and contempt directed at other groups. Most old people vote Republican, for example. Those old Republican voters are gleefully fucking over everyone, but you don't see threads badmouthing that entire age group because of it.

You're wonderful.

I have been saying this to my mother (also a boomer Dem) for 10 years now. It feels like the Kavanaugh hearings when everyone was up in arms over Susan Collins but failed to look at the 50 other men who voted with her.

You can't beg a group of young people to have over 50% voter turnout to counteract your age group that votes republicans, especially when that age group raised us! lol The political activists within our group are trying to spread the passion to vote, but we need the older generation to try and swing their age group's votes as well. The in-fighting helps no one.

They're not claiming to be progressive or blaming Democrats for not inspiring them or trying to justify not being involved by claiming it's someone else's fault. I don't waste my time criticizing older people who vote Republican because they'rr not worth wasting my time on.

The repugs have already let it be known they intend to take away what's left of Obamacare instead of strengthening it.

Who doesn't need affordable healthcare? Even otherwise healthy, young people can get injured in accidents

Not voting is a way to insure the worst candidates (aka repugs) get elected.

and that's why a lot of my friends are voting.

The Sanders campaign really frustrated me as a young person because now so many in my age group are disenfranchised by the idea of having anything BUT universal health care. I try to tell them that we need to take the correct steps first, and not voting or allowing republicans power only moves us further away from what we want.

Abdicating your power leave you powerless.


Who knew?

People older than them bitching about how much they suck.

But, yeah, keep it up. Sure to work some time.

but just reporting on a survey already done and noting the obvious irony in the result just cannot be helped.

If they don't care about things that will affect them, they'll get what the rest of the voters want, I suppose.

Hurrah for the ones who will vote! They'll play a role in how things turn out. That's my response.

I've already tried to have this discussion with several people here and I now have the same outlook as you.

I'm getting older and I intend to keep my blood pressure in a healthy zone from now on. I just cant be bothered by people who wont help themselves anymore.

Point the issue out, debate it with people interested in a serious debate and ignore anyone else.

I've tried to point out the connections between the younger vote and why they dont care. I cant say for sure if the amount of 'kids' are politically active as they were say back in 68-75. I just dont know, and I'm not gonna grey anymore of my hairs anymore trying to figure it out either. 😂

everything they think is wrong with us and how we do things, but God forbid anyone not bend over backwards to both kiss their asses and not even do or say anything that could be interpreted as being the least bit critical in any way.

Young people vote less than older generations. People have bitched about that for decades. Hint: the bitching clearly doesn't work.

Young people have always bitched, but the nature and quality - and impact - is very different today.

like older folks used to talk about youth when I was a youth. Kids these days are somehow always worse than kids were when people who are not kids these days were kids.

Largely thanks to social media.

and young people historically don't vote. Since the 1980s young people have been voting at about 20% if a third come around this time they will be different all right.

n/t !!

Or (and I find this a wee more likely), neither one of us are speaking in whole for any one demographic other than the singular you...

I also know, based on decades of "studies," that bitching about the young not voting does not make them vote.

then they do suck. Period.

(the ones who give reasons) are frustratingly illogical.

I saw the same thing since I turned 21 (the voting age at the time). I saw so many young liberals who were against the war in VietNam yet wouldn't vote because "it doesn't change anything". It really pissed me off then and it still does. I've voted every election since I was eligible because otherwise I was complicit in the worst person getting elected. I figured there is a price for free speech and I have always gladly paid it so I had the right to complain and take action.

If they do not care to VOTE. well this is what they will have, dump's America! Inconvenient they say but plenty of time to play with a phone!

“Stupid millennials” right?

It couldn’t have anything to do with the oldest congress in modern history. That many running for re-election are over 65.
That as a Party we push candidates like Sanders, Clinton and Biden but our most successful presidential candidates and most successful Democratic Party presidents were well under 50 when they first took the oath of office.

We’ve lost our connection to the youth vote because there is very little youth in our national politics.

Why do you act surprised that a person in their 20s cannot relate to people in the 70s and 80s and that we give them no place to run for office?

Funny, I never felt the need to be “inspired” or to feel connected by dint of my age in order to cast a vote.

Fucking ridiculous.

I didn't expect to be inspired by candidates when I was younger. I expected them to be older, usually boring, but knew that if I got engaged and involved, eventually I would have more say in who represented me. I didn't sit around the sidelines whining and complaining that the candidates didn't look or sound like me and my friends, refusing to vote unless and until the candidates catered to me.

My grandmother would have snatched me bald-headed if, when I became old enough to vote, I refuse to do so because I wasn't sufficiently"inspired."

I don't think it is anything special about the Millennials. It always seems to happen that the older generations forget what was like when they were young and they look down on the younger generations harshly. The very youngest voters are most likely struggling with just becoming adults. They are working low paying jobs that have odd hours. They aren't as organized and together like older people are because they haven't had as much experience being an adult. They might not realize they could do absentee ballot or early voting. They might not be aware of voter registration deadlines in their state. They are too overwhelmed just managing day to day stuff to think that far ahead. To get younger people to vote, it definitely helps to have younger candidates they can relate to. A lot of the candidates we've been running are the age of their grandparents. Beyond that, older adults need to help young adults navigate these things... registering to vote, requesting absentee ballots, etc.

Many young people rarely send (snail) mail. Very few people write letters anymore and things once done by mail (bank statements, paying bills, etc) is now done electronically. The mail is now Amazon packages and junk. I know very few people under 40 who have a book of stamps at home (I'm under 40 and have stamps at the office-- paid for and exclusively used by work. The only things I mail are orders I sell from my Etsy store). To someone who's 21, sending a letter is as foreign of a concept as dialing a rotary phone (which I don't even know how to do).

Some states have online voter registration-- if you have a driver's license/state ID with that state. Others do not. I'd love to see a test of an online voting system.

poll, and I find it interesting that the media has been pushing this "demoralizing theme", a couple of weeks before the election.

I will wait to see what the actual results are

I don’t think they are “demoralized” but disenchanted.

Eventually that will change. The generation that starts turning 18 next year will become the change they look to making a difference. The “Stoneman Douglas” generation will change gun laws across the country but that will only be the beginning.

I would counter the “immature” idea with one of a very real sense of defeat and feeling cut from the process.
What they see is a lot of old people making decisions and compromises that dramatically impact their lives but they have no “seat at the table” i.e. even when asked they don’t get the impression that it matters.

I often hear that very statement “it doesn’t matter what I think anyway”.

There is nothing wrong with drawing of the experience and wisdom of the Party stalwarts but we need to stop looking to our past and start nurturing and growing the younger generation into the leaders we desperately need because otherwise we are faced with a significant experience gap that will take decades to recover from.

And that includes young people

Politics and governing aren't about you being inspired. It's work. Hard, unglamorous work.

Soon, the workhorses who've been holding down the fort for the past 50 or so years - the poll workers, precinct captains, canvassers, party organizers, etc. ( you know, the people you like to call out-of-touch, over-the-hill "establishment" ) -will die out and you'll look around and wonder what the hell happened and won't have clue. And you'll probably STILL blame us for not doing enough to coddle your spoiled asses.

Get over yourselves, pick up a tool and get to work with us. And if you don't want to do the hard stuff, go away and STFU.

That was probably equally as angry but I will say this:

Thank you for the years you have put it, now listen to us. Don't just tell us to get over ourselves. Listen to what our politics are, what motivates us, what drives us. Because I'm sure as hell voting to vote wasn't the reason you got into politics in the first place. You had causes and dreams and passions for this country. We do too, we just want a seat at the table. A real seat, that lasts longer than a voting cycle that we are needed for.

We understand it's hard work... nothing is harder than digging ourselves out of crippling student loan debt, or fighting for LGBTQ rights, or fighting for a greener planet. We understand hard work and we aren't scared of it. We aren't spoiled or uninformed. In fact, Millennials are repeatedly shown to be very informed and take up many social justice causes. We're just waiting on the older generation to take us seriously so we can share those causes and vote with you. Stop looking for a reason to not like us, and realize that we want to help change this country for good, but it may be sacrificing some of the older Democrat politics for new ones.

I went in and watched and listened to the people who had been there all along. I learned from them. Among the things I learned was why they did things the way they did and often discovered that, even when it didn't make sense to me at first, there was usually a very good reason for it based on their knowledge and experience - knowledge and experience I did not get have. I didn't assume they were idiots or sellouts or didn't know what they were doing or had broken the country

I took their advice and valued their guidance. I even tolerated some verbal butt-whippings when I thought I needed to get them told about something. I worked hard. I did the grunt work. I didn't expect to drive the debate or to have candidates cater to me. And after I got some experience under my belt, I earned the right to be heard. They respected my voice and although they didn't always agree or accept my approach, they more often than not, listened to my perspective and accepted my advice - and appreciated the fresh take I brought to the work.

So, I'm more than willing to listen but I also add a grain of salt to instructions given by people who have 't bothered to learn the issues, participate in the process or gain any insight from or even show any respect to the people who've been toiling in the space, but expect to dictate how things should be done

Respect and communication run two ways.

Every post you have made in this thread is spot-on...

Feelings. Everything is not about one's "feelings."

All the millianials I know are anxious to vote.

Not 81%.

I read the article. I could recap for you but it's short. The post points to your number but when you read into it it's promising.

With the way people are leaping at the chance to trash us, no wonder millenials don't want to participate.

but for the most part, your generation is highly educated and generally pretty great.

But, us old people have to have something to say.

When I was young...(fill in the blank)!

One of the most difficult courses I took.

There is no such thing as an 18 year-old millennial.

We need to stop thinking of an entire generation as perpetual youths.

Yeah, pushing 40 would be me. I'll be turning 40 next year. The 18 year olds are about my oldest child's age. He is 16. I can see 18 year olds not showing up to vote. They are still transitioning from a child to adult. There is so much for my son to learn in just two years. He'll vote when he is 18 though because I'm going to make sure he does. The young ones just aren't as organized with their lives. They have a lot to learn still.

If the Boomers find out we have jobs, mortgages, spouses, and kids, they won't get to make their hi-larious iPhone jokes anymore.

If you are too young (or not yet born) to remember 9/11, you're Gen Z. Young kids today will be called something else.

which is sad in and of itself.

Who raised the young people who didn't vote?

Baby Boomers. (And a couple Gen X early starters)

What cohort voted for Trump in the greatest numbers?

Baby Boomers.

Who didn't vote for shit when they were young?

Baby Boomers. I know y'all didn't vote for Nixon.

I know, I know, #notallbabyboomers.

But we are going to catch more flies with honey. It's science.

But, yeah, we need to have the young 'ens as a ready scapegoat, so that apology things won't work.

It's never been higher then 20% turnout since 1986.

Apparently a free and truly representative democracy isn’t a big enough benefit. Ugh. Get out and vote like your life depends on it. C’mon!

They are not the young voting block. That’s Gen-Z.

No problem participating in a protest or march cause they get to put it on social media or it might get them on TV. But vote? No one will see it? Forget it.

I did that in 2016, voted against Dolt 45.

With all the info on the internet, they could easily get all the information on candidates running in their districts and states but that would be far too much trouble for the entitled, lazy little shits. If they stay home on Tuesday, I'll have nothing but MORE disdain for them.

57% say they will definitely or probably vote.

There's a Calvin and Hobbes, which I can't find a good jpeg of, that illustrates how childish voter apathy is:
http://gssq.blogspot.com/2012/05/always-blame-politicians.html
Calvin: When I grow up, I'm not going to read the newspaper and I'm not going to follow complex issues and I'm not going to vote. That way I can complain that the government doesn't represent me. Then, when everything goes down the tubes, I can say the system doesn't work and justify my further lack of participation.

Hobbes: An ingeniously self-fulfilling plan.

Calvin: It's a lot more fun to blame things than to fix them.

So maybe this is an improvement.

If this country could get turnout rates into the 80s, we could vote out pretty much every republican and have that revolution people like to talk about.

so it is a step up.

How do they think not voting for a member of Congress will help?

Young people say they plan to vote at near-historic highs.

https://www.vox.com/2018/10/29/18037916/young-people-vote-harvard-poll-2018-midterms

Different day. Same sad fucking song.

But please tell me exactly how I "broke the world." And be specific.

And please tell me how not voting, not being engaged and telling those of us who are still breaking our asses fighting for and trying to protect them that we didn't do it right is a better approach to "fixing the world" than actually pitching in and doing something

It fascinates me that we're always being told that we should never say anything critical about young people because we might offend them by many of the same people who then turn around and accuse us of "breaking the world,"

Either we can criticize entire generations broadly or we cannot. Take your pick.

Do we get to criticize generations broadly, or do we not?

Thank you.

Which was obvious. I only asked to see if you had the courage to admit it.

Incidentally, you did not.

I understand why and how so I'm not complaining only saying that no generation gets a perfect world passed onto them. I believe each generation tries to do better but fails, there's always things that need to be better.

Since 1986, the turnout of 18-29 year olds in an off year election is about 20% or less.

http://www.electproject.org/home/voter-turnout/demographics

Social Security and Medicare will remain in place for us older people, but they'll definitely put it on the chopping block for younger Americans.

This thread reads like a how to to turn off young voters...

Honestly. In all of history youth voting has had a lower turn out than anyone else, so that is not specific to a younger generation. We care about things. Deeply, but when it comes time for us to have a voice older generations laugh at us and tell us to go back on our phones. The youth vote came out in DROVES for Bernie Sanders and that was squashed. We showed up for Obama because his platform appealed to young voters. This isn't throw everything out and try again, it's lets turn out platforms and attention to what younger voters want.

Can't complain about our generation for two years and then beg us to save you from your generation.

This is one Millennial who has and always will vote.

I asked her what her experience was with people who were enthusiastic and eager to vote. She said about half only knew there was an election because of the signs and tv ads but most hadnt planned on participating. Some didnt realize that the election was important for national politics. Most of the area are my age (40) or older so probably few millennials. She said it was typical of midterms in her experience. Very disappointing.

on a candidate's failure to "inspire" them or an older generation's supposed "disrespect" for them.

They have been told for all of their teen years into their adult life that they need trophies for anything and just stare at their phone and any other number of insults and anytime that they do care to look at politics is just more fucking old people like the old people that tell them they suck.

But, yeah, it's completely on them that they don't feel a part of the political process.

Ok.

our overall turnout is pretty dismal across age groups.

Apparently people need to get their scapegoats in line in case things don't go well.

It's the only way I got through to a niece.

Then don't come bitching to us older people about health care, gun control, the environment, or anything else.

I remember years ago I briefly dated a guy who would complain about "the government" and I would say to him, "did you vote"? and he would say why bother, and I would say "then you have n o right to complain". Perhaps that's one of the reasons it was a brief relationship.

Boomers are the ones voting for Republicans, Millennials just don't vote. It's on both of us to "not bitch" I guess.

are the exact same ones who didn't vote? Are you absolutely certain of this? Because there are a lot of Millennials and some of them do vote. Do you think they should shut up?

the other will definitely vote on Tuesday.

The Parkland kids and their peers aren’t Millennials and they seem quite fired up.

FUCKING STUPID!!

I feel that article was designed to just piss off millennials who cannot stand other millennials making up jackassed reasons for not voting. They need to own their stupidity and stop blaming the system or anyone else.

NY MAG couldn't find a more diverse group to interview? How did this group of privileged jerks who suffer from the delusion they're uniquely disillusioned get to be the faces of those fed up with the system? There are brown and black people in this country fighting for the vote, getting scrubbed off voter rolls, yet this bunch of idiots scored a profile in NYMAG? Hey NYMAG, How about young people who are trying to vote and find themselves facing barriers to do so? Instead, we get these clowns.

There are homeless people who vote. I've been sick and helped people I knew vote by mail, I always look to try to help those not aware of how the system works to vote. We even have postcards for voters now, where if you're disabled, don't care for the phone banking thing, an introvert or just someone who hates walking around, knocking on doors and speaking to people, you can just download templates or create your own postcard and mail them out - but Timmy in that profile can't do that, cuz mailing gives lil Tim anxiety.

That somewhere between 57% and 81% of millennials are going to vote. Not sure where 1/3 number is coming from.