How to get young voters

Get Kerry to incorporate this into his campaign: lower the national drinking age to 18.

This would get the attention of a lot of 18-21 year-olds as well as massive support from the alcohol industry.

And I'm drinking underage right now. Goodnight all

discuss amongst yourselfs

but I think it would lead to him being defined as the "booze candidate". That's not what we want.

there is no national drinking age. It's set by states.

Second, the drinking age WAS 18 in many places, and states raised it in response to serious problems with youth alcohol-related problems.

They raised it in response to outright threats by the federal government to remove highway funding. A foul violation of federalism. If Kerry was to support something like this he'd be supporting America.

and the feds did that because of alcohol-related problems among youth.

The drinking age used to be 21 almost everywhere. In the 60's and 70's, a number of states lowered it. There were problems.

I grew up in NY, where the drinking age was 18. I was a bartender at 18. I started going to bars at 16, as did all my friends.

I also lost at least 6 friends to alcohol-related auto accidents.

Here's a website with some stats:

http://www.cspinet.org/booze/mlpafact.htm

don't already drink? I don't think this is a winning election issue at all, but it makes no sense to allow 18 year olds to handle nuclear weapons in the armed forces or to allow them to choose the next President of the United States, when we don't trust them to drink responsibly. Put the effort into alcohol education, because its the irresponsible consumption of alcohol that's the problem, not the age at which it is done.

but I think fewer do it at 16 now than when I was young, when I could just walk into almost any bar and get served.

As for the military/voting/drinking thing, I always found that a very weak argument. We never have had, nor is there any reason for, a single age at which every right is conferred upon you.

I could get a paper route at 12, but I couldn't work a real job. Kids can start learning to drive at 15 and a half, but with restrictions. They can get working papers at 16 , but it's limited. They can sign contracts at 18. We have a variety of ages at which various rights are conferred. There is no magic day on which a person becomes responsible enough for all these rights. But we do our best to choose ages that represent when the vast majority of people are ready.

We tried 18 as a drinking age, and bad things happened. But if it would please you, I'd be willing to stipulate that active service members be allowed to drink at 18.

Underage drinking in bars is down. So the drinking's moved to dorm rooms, basements and private parties. I never had any problem obtaining alcohol and I didn't know anybody who did.

As for the military/voting/drinking thing, I always found that a very weak argument. We never have had, nor is there any reason for, a single age at which every right is conferred upon you.

Well, why not? I'm generally more concerned anyway about the young man holding a grenade launcher than I am about the guy with a glass of wine. Why not allow kids to drink at 18 and to join the Army at 21? This is all arbitrary and its silly.

But if it would please you, I'd be willing to stipulate that active service members be allowed to drink at 18.

That's not my point and you know it. 18 year olds in the service aren't necessarily any more responsible than 18 year olds anywhere. And yet we trust them with all of the ordinary responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, except the right to consume alchohol.

but I think fewer do it at 16 now than when I was young, when I could just walk into almost any bar and get served.

and now we just pull a hey-mister, find a house, and booze it up.

I DO think that smarter ways of teaching kids about DDing has made a difference tho.

I think raising the drinking age created a allure and forbidden fruit appeal to drinking that wasn't there before.

kids today are less likely to drive drunk or abuse alcohol because they have been taught not to.

States raised their age limit because road money was tied to it, so in a way it is a national drinking age.

I think we do need to adjust something, it just isn't right that 14 year-old is 'fit' to raise a child, an 18 year-old can die for their country but they can't have a drink until they are 21.

My theory about problem teen drinkers that grow up to be problem adult drinkers is:
They are shy or have low self-esteem and they find when they drink they can be social. Instead of getting help with whatever the problem is that keeps them from being able to socialize without 'help' they self medicate with alcohol or some other drug.

The only hand the federal government has in the drinking age that IN know of, is that federal highway funding requires the drinking age be at least 21.

Now the loss in federal monies would be quite a burden on the state, but I seriously doubt the increased taxes from in state 18-20 year old drinkers as well as revenue on border towns would far outstrip those losses. The only issues I see are driving and healthcare costs, since with more younger drinkers, I assume more problems will arise, as they ahve in the past.

Also, for as easy as it is for 16 year olds to get beer now, it'sll be that much easier for 14 years if the legal age is lowered.

First, while it may moderately be difficult for my 15 year old to get booze it is trivial for him to get crack. Fortunately, he has no particular interest in either. (I hang with many musicians. He has seen some serious damage done by crack and speed ... )

But if he and his buds wanted booze, they could get it without excessive effort. All teenagers seem know someone with an older sibling or friend who is "cool" and of legal age.

Second, it is still ludicrous to accept young men and women into the armed forces who are too immature to be trusted with alcohol. It is even more hilarious to consider that today an 18 year old person is considered mature enough to vote but not to drink. Either they are adults, or they are not. Pick one.

We have become control freaks in this country ... and that in the final analysis is the real basis behind federal coercion of the legal drinking age thing, the militant anti-smoking thing, the war on drugs thing, and the anti-gay marriage thing. Control freaks operate under the illusion that by coercing others to change their behavior their own lives are somehow improved.

But control is an illusion ... the war on drugs being a significant example of what I am talking about. What a failure!

It is hard to preserve libery in a nation of control junkies.

I think, just like the gay marriage opposition, it's an example of people with values from a bygone era forcing them on the people of today.

You know who else tried to prohibit booze? The TALIBAN!!!!

as well as be a legal adult and vote. And are Americans less immature than Canadians and the rest of world? I think the US has the highest drinking age in the world.

And why the hell do people think 18 year olds are more apt to drive drunk then 21 year olds? That's ludicrous!

We can deal with the alcohol restrictions as they are. And some have obviously learned how to deal around them. Alcohol is not the front if you're serious about this. I think that pot would be a better issue. And I would still mandate age restrictions to it if only for the "sue me" factor.

Someone mentioned getting Dean out there to stump for Kerry on behalf
of the youth vote. The man is a saint, and I know he'd do it.


As P Diddy said though, Kerry needs to offer young people some real reasons to vote for him.

The environment, education, and healthcare are all appealing issues for young voters. I personally think Kerry should call for a reexamination of the drug war in light of its failure.

Hell, I hope he's VP and then pres in 8 years. The draft/military could be a big issue and somebody has to point out that Bush decreased financial aid and pell grants for students. I've only heard Dean say that so far. People still give me shit for supporting Dean. That guy is the real man of the year (along with the American soldier).

I really don't give a rat's ass if the age is lowered or not. I'm turning 21 this month anyway. I just thought it would be an interesting way to get massive voter turnout and more interest in politics from young Americans.

This will piss off a lot of people and put a really bad image for Kerry. It could really kill some support from others.

if underage drinking is an issue, pictures of Jenna will be all over the place.

Lower the voting age to 16.

how does that help Kerry in THIS election? You know I would support that. I couldn't vote for Gore in 2000 because I was 17 and it drove me crazy!

That might light a fire under parents to push their kids to vote. Sorry most voters under 20 something still live in a world where nothing bad ever happens to them.

Is that the world I'm living in? :wow:

Would that alienate our environmental base or would they compromise to get the young vote?

...they convinced Congress to tie federal highway funds to the drinking age back in the 80's, and they still represent a lot of votes.

Every young voter you gain with this would be negated by their mom.

How can you demand someone be a part of your system if you penalize them for being a part of it?

You ask us to be hypocrites, and many cannot be bothered to do it. Treat 18 y/os like the adults they are and win their votes. Treat them like babies who cant drink, and they wont vote.