Millennials may constitute the largest bloc of voters this year.

[Garrett78]

I'm guessing, though, most millennials (or most people in general) are not keen on reading through a party platform.

Should Democratic candidates (on social media, in advertisements and in speeches) emphasize certain issues? If so, which ones and how? Gun control and higher education would seem to be obvious ones at this time. But what exactly should the message be and how should it be conveyed? What other issues are millennials, more than other age groups, most concerned about?

In other words, how do we increase youth turnout for Dems?

[RandySF]

1. Millennials are not uniformly Democrats

The Pew Center survey found that millennial men tilt Republican and women are overwhelmingly Democratic.

[Garrett78]

2. And, like with other age groups, race plays a big role.

Young people are also the most likely to change.

Anyway, the question remains, how can youth turnout for Dems be increased?

[sharedvalues]

7. What?? No. Vast majority of millenials are progressives

The biggest thing we can do to help Dems at the polls is increase millennial turnout. Which has been pathetically low, to the GOP’s delight.

If we can increase millennial turnout, the blue wave will be a blue tsunami. And the Parkland students are doing a lot to increase millenial turnout.

[sharedvalues]

8. Details: millennial men are Dems by 8! points

Among millennials, which Pew identifies as people born between 1981 and 1996, men lean toward Democrats by 8 percentage points — far and away a bigger tilt toward Democrats than older cohorts of men. But millennial women favor Democrats by a staggeringly large 70-23 margin.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2018/3/22/17146534/millennial-gender-gap-partisan

Millennial men are strongly Democratic. 8 points is a big big margin.

But millennial women are hugely hugely hugely hugely hugely hugely hugely hugely enormously INCREDIBLY hugely Democratic.

70-23 is an ENORMOUS spread. But 8 points is still big. That’s why millennial turnout is so critical to fixing our democracy.

[IluvPitties]

18. Yes we are!

[Sophia4]

3. Great post.

[BigmanPigman]

4. The key issues for the Gen Z voters (the youngest group)

seems to be gun control, LGBT issues, jobs/economy and climate change. Some comedians are trying to get the word out to get the vote out. I think that musicians and the Parkland High School kids could energize younger people, especially since they so do social media so well.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/billy-eichner-launches-star-studded-campaign-get-millennials-vote-midterm-elections-1081342

There are a lot of graphs/charts that break down the demographics of the two parties by age, gender, income, race, education, religion, etc. Steve Kornacki (MSNBC) did a quick "lesson" and it seems that women and millennials are the strength behind the Dem movement. They have the numbers. Especially young, educated women. If something were to happen that would really get that group excited before the midterms that would be an added bonus. I bet that if abortion became an issue women should be out there in droves come Nov.

Here are some good charts...
http://www.people-press.org/2018/03/01/1-generations-party-identification-midterm-voting-preferences-views-of-trump/

[crazycatlady]

10. My take on Gen Z

Is that they like to go to events (marches, walkouts, Pride parades, etc) but when it comes time to putting their money where their mouth is, they're as much work as a typical young voter.

Case in point-- my cousin turned 18 in February. She's spoken highly of Women's Marches and Pride Parades. Yet she won't return my texts asking her about her voter registrations status.

[BigmanPigman]

11. That's sort of funny.

A relative goes to college in DC and has only been to one really yet she votes in all of the elections since she was raised in a civic minded, all Dem family (four generations). She is also a volunteer/intern for our local Dem congressman in DC. She said there are protests all the time there so maybe that is her excuse/reason for being jaded already.

[crazycatlady]

12. My cousin's in the Philly suburbs

I am the only really politically active person in the family party wise. Her dad rolls his eyes at anything political and probably thinks I am nuts (I'm a field director by trade).

PA has a primary this week and I'm curious as to if she's able to vote (closed primary so I have no idea if she's affiliated/planning to). This would be her first election.

[BigmanPigman]

13. I grew up in the Philly suburbs

then moved to Center City in college. In Montgomery County we were a rarity (atheist Dems) but in Center City everyone was. I registered people to vote and worked at the polls there in the early 80s. Chris Matthews always talks about the Northeast suburbs and how the educated women voted for the Moron. I hope in this election they have used their "educated" brains!

[Tavarious Jackson]

5. Seems Gen Xer's never have a say.

I think in this climate equality issues of LGBT and race Trumps economy. Common decency, and respect for all human kind.

[Garrett78]

6. White millennials are far too much like white non-millennials

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/03/millenials-race-115909

Racism is personally my number one concern, and I think the Democratic Party needs to focus more attention on the subject (not less, as those who bash "identity politics" suggest). But it's certainly not a top priority for white millennials. Perhaps more young, white people will see the light if the Democratic Party can find ways to bring more of them into the fold. Surely they are an easier 'get' than older, white people.

[Exotica]

9. there is one trend (if it holds up and is confirmed by more surveys) that worries me a wee bit

Exclusive: Democrats lose ground with millennials - Reuters/Ipsos poll

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-millennials/democrats-lose-ground-with-millennials-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKBN1I10YH

MANCHESTER, N.H. (Reuters) - Enthusiasm for the Democratic Party is waning among millennials as its candidates head into the crucial midterm congressional elections, according to the Reuters/Ipsos national opinion poll. The online survey of more than 16,000 registered voters ages 18 to 34 shows their support for Democrats over Republicans for Congress slipped by about 9 percentage points over the past two years, to 46 percent overall. And they increasingly say the Republican Party is a better steward of the economy.

Although nearly two of three young voters polled said they do not like Republican President Donald Trump, their distaste for him does not necessarily extend to all Republicans or translate directly into votes for Democratic congressional candidates. That presents a potential problem for Democrats who have come to count on millennials as a core constituency - and will need all the loyalty they can get to achieve a net gain of 23 seats to capture control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November.

Young voters represent an opportunity and a risk for both parties, said Donald Green, a political science professor at Columbia University in New York City. “They’re not as wedded to one party,” Green said. “They’re easier to convince than, say, your 50- or 60-year-olds who don’t really change their minds very often.”

Terry Hood, 34, an African-American who works at a Dollar General store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and took this year’s poll, said he voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. But he will consider a Republican for Congress because he believes the party is making it easier to find jobs and he applauds the recent Republican-led tax cut.

snip




also, another interesting article:

Millennials to Democrats: It’s the Economy, Stupid
When it comes to economics, the party is in danger of losing young voters to the GOP.

https://www.thenation.com/article/millennials-to-democrats-its-the-economy-stupid/

When liberals talk about a “blue wave” wiping out the Republican Party in the November midterm elections, it’s assumed that the Democratic Party’s core constituencies will flood polling places and vote blue down the entire ticket. These key demographics include people of color, women, college graduates, and millennials.

It’s worth highlighting millennials because they will soon overtake boomers as the largest generation. Most of them identify as either Democrats or progressive independents. They care about climate change; they’re less enamored with capitalism than their parents are; and they detest Donald Trump. At a glance, this generation would appear to be the natural grassroots fuel for a midterm cycle that leaves Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan licking their wounds.

But in fact, a new Reuters/Ipsos survey suggests that the opposite could be happening. More than 16,000 registered voters between the ages of 18 and 34 responded to the online survey. The conclusion? Millennial voters are losing their enthusiasm for the Democratic Party, and a growing number of them now believe that the GOP is offering better economic leadership. What’s curious about the Reuters/Ipsos survey is that it doesn’t suggest any change in the millennial generation’s negative perception of Trump.

So why are millennials embracing Trump’s party right before a crucial round of midterms? Three words: the tax cuts.

When Republican leaders introduced their plutocratic tax-reform package last year and rammed it through Congress in a most undemocratic manner, their sales pitch was that the tax cuts would put more money in the pockets of hardworking, cash-strapped Americans. Democrats protested that the average taxpayer’s dividend would be dwarfed by the refunds that would go to the wealthiest households, and that the bill would pave the way for defunding government programs like Medicare, Social Security, and SNAP.

snip

[Garrett78]

16. It frustrates me how little appreciation many millennials have for the role racism plays.

And considering a vote for Republicans because of the Trump Tax Scam is really sad.

How do we educate these young folks when the mainstream media/infotainment industry is as awful as it is, and Russia has invaded social media spaces?

[Exotica]

17. I myself am 23, and also an woman of colour and also

I am a married lesbian. All that adds up to me personally being aware of racism and homophobia to a large degree. The same goes for almost all who surround me, especially those in the millennial gen bracket.

That all said, I am a dual US/UK citizen who grew up mostly in London, and currently am in the Nordics working on my PhD. I do know a lot of fellow American's who reside in the country itself at least part-time still, or used to, but these are not a good measure of our nation as a whole, as most are far higher in income, education, world travel, and farther poltically left than the average US-dwelling populace. My group doesn't have the awareness issue of racism, etc., or barely does from everything I have observed.

I absolutely am horrified by what I see in social media now, as it exposes the ingrained racism that manifests daily, both in America and also over here in Europe. I see far less here in Scandinavia, due to their more tolerant cultures, and in the UK the hate crime laws are far harsher than in the US, as we (the British and also the rest of the EU) have no 1st Amendment to encumber reasonable attempts to root racism, especially its most truly viscous manifestations, out.

I really don't have an answer on how to change the minds of the more racially-entrenched (in a negative fashion) US millennials. The American mainstream RW is so far beyond anything that is mainstream in Western and Northern Europe. The US Republican party has staked its future on garnering a huge chunk of the white vote, on suppressing all the rest, and promoting an inherently divisive message from white nationalist grounds.

A huge start would be reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, to combat Fox and the rest of the RW media. I also think that religion is a huge issue, especially the fundie type, and another step towards combatting racism would be to strip away all tax-exempt status for religious groups. Good luck getting either of those 2 done, unfortunately.

Someday, we do want to move back to the US (I was born in California and I am registered there) but atm, not a chance. It isn't just the racism, but also healthcare and uni tuition costs. Those two are amongst the best tickets to reach the 37 and under crowd.

[sharedvalues]

20. So much despair propaganda. Millenials are HUGELY democratic

And they barely vote.

the Dems can afford to lose a lot of millenials before they're at 50/50. And if Dems can increase millenial turnout by 10 points the blue wave will be a blue tsunami.

[Exotica]

21. 'they barely vote'

We are voting at higher levels than Gen X did at the same age cohorts.

[oberliner]

14. The problem is they don't live in Ohio

Or other states that matter electorally, for the most part.

[Tipperary]

15. Do they vote?

Lmao.

[crazycatlady]

19. the oldest of the millennial generation is in their late 30s now

Their voting patterns by age are not that far off from older generations at the same period in their lives.

The youngest voters (18-22) are Gen Z. We don't know about their voting history yet as there's not enough data.