Poll Shows Liberal Ideas Gaining With Young People

Source: New York Times

<Young Americans are more likely than the general public to favor a government-run universal health care insurance system, an open-door policy on immigration and the legalization of gay marriage, according to a New York Times/CBS News/MTV poll. The poll also found that they are more likely to say the war in Iraq is heading to a successful conclusion.

In a snapshot of a group whose energy and idealism have always been as alluring to politicians as its scattered focus and shifting interests have been frustrating, the poll found that substantially more Americans between the ages of 17 and 29 than four years ago are paying attention to the presidential race. But they appeared to be really familiar with only two of the candidates, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, both Democrats.

They have continued a long-term drift away from the Republican Party, and although they are just as worried as the general population about the outlook for the country and think their generation is likely to be worse off than that of their parents, they retain a belief that their votes can make a difference, the poll found.

More than half of Americans between 17 and 29 years old — 54 percent — say they intend to vote for a Democrat for president in 2008. They share with the public at large a negative view of President Bush, who has a 28 percent approval rating with this group, and of the Republican Party. They hold a markedly more positive view of Democrats than they do of Republicans.>



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/26/washington/27cnd-poll.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1182907355-SmXrj2vf6t7b5TBDCZo07A

If we're able to get there

Maybe progressives won't win today, or tomorrow, or even the 2008 Democratic nomination, but when my generation takes power, we'll fix every conservative mistake and redress every Republican wrong done to our country.

movement in the right direction when they were introduced to the "Decider." He may not want to ask them to the WH next year; after all they are undoubtedly centered and intelligent young people...not the Bushista type at all.

Now we have to figure a way to get them to vote.

well..nobody's perfect.

that and no draft helps

Could it be that this group is finding health insurance not readily available and/or costing too much?

it wasn't when I was in school. Plus the student insurance programs provided good coverage for decent prices (a young healthy group) or their parents still have them on their policies.

It is the group mentioned in the OP. Groups that are working in the younger age brackets that are starting to have a family.

Three of my direct reports are in that age range and have never voted.

They're college educated and liberal. Never voted. Don't understand the value.

All of my other people are over thirty and vote.

All of my friends (in their forties) voted as soon as they could.

There is something happening out there and it isn't good.

and are working their butts off to get others voting. Like a young man who works in our warehouse. He is so much fun to talk to and I wish I was as inspired and energetic as him.

This is great news!

If you think us Gen-Yers are going to be Gen-X 2.0 you are sorely mistaken.

At best- a choice among evils, and one that a lot of people in their 20's really aren't all that interested in making.

Bad for America.

They complain about how difficult it is to get to the polls. The time it takes.

All of them would have rather had Kerry win, but did not "make it to the polls."

I plan to give my staff a half day off to vote.

Every young person in america is tired of having a relative or friend getting killed or maimed in this Illegal war. They sure as hell will vote and will not put up with this neocon garbage any more!

There was a lot of talk about the outrage and energy of the youth base to oust Bush in 2004.

They didn't come through.

Reports of young voters NOT voting were about as credible as the reports about them voting for Bush-both of which were reported.

the prospect of voting next year in their first Pres. election.

There have always been far too many people uninterested in the political system. I don't think that's limited to young people. But if we're trading anecdotes, I'll counter your experience with mine.

This may seem like sniping, but as of now, the Democratic Party is too disorganized and too directionless to mount a candidate to appeal to those young people. I also think that the one, best candidate the Democrats could field has so far refused to run. And unless he announces soon, he will be seen by the party as too cowardly to deserve the top of the ticket, and it'll be President Giuliani next year.

Source: New York Times



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/washington/27poll.html?hp

health care is a big thing with them. my daughter is the only one in her group of 20 something that has insurance

And, health care is a huge issue. MKJ

We are so proud!

military pug. She attended the Citadel and they did a great job of brainwashing her. She may be feeling different by now I hope.

of their friends.

global warming is a great concern to elementary children

The GOP have lied to us for all this times and they actually think they can WIN?? Yes they can ...IF THEY CAN FOOL THE PEOPLE ONCE MORE..

But, Lies can only work for so long....then TRUTH comes to shine and all the BS CRAP Melts under the GLARE

I don't know if it's going to make much of a difference. Most of the people I talk to about voting today (I'm 23) don't feel that their vote counts for much. Considering the election fraud of the recent years, this is understandable.

Any democratic candidate would have to win by a very large amount in order to actually "win". As time goes on, I think they'll find even more sophisticated methods of rigging the vote.

Electronic voting is too easy to tamper with, and it ought to be banned. It's tradition up here to use the paper ballots, almost no one will actually use the machines, but then, it's (usually) only the old folks up here that I ever see voting anyway. America's youth today are either too lazy, too over-worked, or too sick, or too drunk/stoned to give much a damn. We need a candidate we can unite behind, and we need a brilliant advertising campaign - neither of which we are likely to get. Just more of the same old shit.

If I didn't still have a tiny bit of faith left in our democracy, I wouldn't bother myself. What difference does it make to me, which rich asshole is sitting in the oval office come 2008? Will it mean universal healthcare? Will it bring my friends home from Iraq? Will it mean stronger environmental standards? Funding for stem cell research?

Maybe. Remember, the democrats also promised us certain things once they gained control of congress. However... they "raised the bar too high", I guess. Thanks a lot Reid, you dumb shmuck, you didn't raise the bar too high, you dropped it and tripped over it.

I'm going to give it another swing in 2008. If we "lose" due to election fraud again, I'm giving up altogether.

about half a lifetime ago, at 23, feeling so similarly cynical.

Unlike you, though, I didn't bother to vote. I actually allowed Ronnie the Raygun to become President without even bothering to go to the polls to register my disapproval of the doddering jerk.

I too felt betrayed. In my case, by Carter, who I became brainwashed by the media into thinking was a complete screwup. And I was betrayed, I thought, by the Democrats in general, who seemed post-Watergate to have the confidence to lead this country out of the Nixonian nightmare of "Peace is at Hand" lies.

It took me a long time--a good four, five years--to become very interested in politics again.

Here's hoping you don't fall prey to the same cycle of cynicism.

That's what I wonder. Too many are socially-minded until they get theirs, so to speak...

When Newt and the moral hypocrites put out a contract on america. But I doubt they'll come back, since most of them have had problems with infidelity and narcotics abuse. Most of all, I hope more people vote in the congressional, stae and local elections as well as the presidential ones. Oh how I miss the 90's. ;(

It's kind of interesting. It's like Fox news and the right wing have done their best to make socialism look GOOD by painting everything the left wing wants to do as socialist.

I wouldn't have seen this as much a few years ago, when people defined things differently.

The book says that my generation is the more supportive of "collectivist" and "big government" solutions then any other generation since the WW2 Generation.

I know my son is a bit better educated on what a total screw-up this war in Iraq has been. (Where DOES he get it from?) Perhaps he's more politically attuned than many of his peers?

But involvement is a very, very hopeful thing. And changing attitudes on some of those issues is a very good thing, as well.

My teen will be able to vote next year. We're both very excited about it!