Tea party movement alienating young voters

The tea party is failing to woo young voters despite a loose structure that could make it easier for those under 30 to achieve leadership roles, analysts and political activists say as the grass-roots movement prepares to flex its muscles in midterm elections.

A survey released Oct. 21 by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics showed that only 11 percent of those 18 to 29 consider themselves supporters of the tea party, and analysts say the leaderless movement’s ties to social conservatism and rhetoric in favor of an earlier America are hampering its appeal.

Despite widespread voter anger ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, the tea party has been a hard sell to young voters because many equate joining with embracing conservative social values, said Peter Levine, director of CIRCLE, a Tufts University group that conducts research on the political involvement of young Americans. He said this holds true even for those who would otherwise identify with the party’s call for stricter fiscal conservatism.

“A lot of young people, whether it’s from the media, professors or other sources, come to the opinion that the tea party is just a bunch of right-wing extreme radicals, racists - whatever,” said Patrick Kelly, a tea party activist and freshman at Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Ill. “That’s the biggest deterrent.”

Read more: http://midwestdemocracyproject.org/articles/tea-party-movement-alienating-young-voters/#ixzz13y0wMtdZ

They play violent video games, and watch shows like Jersey Shore. Those who join the ranks of 4chan and 4chan-esque sites are tolerant of languages, like "fag" and "n****r", and use them liberally as well. Some of these kids become bullies and bigots in school, whether they're the "in-casts" or the outcasts.
I've only watched the trailer of "Waiting for Superman", but I remember it stating that while American children score among the lowest in subjects such as math & science, they rank THE highest in confidence. I'm afraid that America has spawned a lot of spoiled, compassionless fad-seekers.

Frankly, the fact that 11% of young people would sympathize with tea-partiers is scary. It is not "only" 11%, but 11% too high of a demographic. That means one out of ten young Americans has bought into this fad. The intellectual shallowness of tea-party messages matches the same shallowness of advertisements and commercials that bombard them online and in the air. Tea-partiers seem to care more about buzzwords than practice. They are enchanted by the word "patriot", but do not want to pay their taxes. They are enchanted by the word "freedom", but have no problem taking away others' rights. They are enchanted by the word "Americans", but work more for corporate demigods than to help fellow Americans who are socioeconomically different from them, and who are in dire situations. The tea party's messages are just that: shallow, corporate ads.

I sidetracked a lot there, but to conclude, I must say, some young people are apathetic to bigotry, and some are bigots themselves.
I assume that the young people who support the Democrats can be divided into those who developed wide-reaching compassion, and those who joined because it was a college fad. The latter may grow up to be conservative "converts" who have merely bought into a new fad.
Anyways, this was the opinion of a 20-year old...

The 90s Nanny-Statist Boomers called, they want their moral panic back.

than we give them credit for. They recognize nut cases when they see them.

You all are FUCKING NUTS.

Compare the hysteria of Glenn Beck to the sanity and clear thinking of the Jon Stewarts and Rachel Maddows of the world.

Its like professional wrestling vs the Olympics.

Insanity vs dignity.

I completely agree.

what on earth would drive them to a brigade of lawn chairs full of angry white old folks

thinks the GOP is full of angry old people and ignorant women.

Her impression of the Tea Party is that they are crazy old racist homophobes. None of that is okay with her.

She will cast her first ever votes on Tuesday - all Democratic!