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Demovictory9

(36,312 posts)
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 05:57 PM Mar 26

This Is Why Young People Really Voted for Trump

The data suggest that the swing in young adults voting for Donald Trump did not reflect a major shift in ideology. Rather, the swing seems to have resulted from moderate-to-somewhat-liberal young voters deciding to bet on Mr. Trump out of concern about the state of the economy — and from young moderates and progressives who chose to stay home because they thought Ms. Harris was either too progressive or not progressive enough. This is a point with implications for Democrats and Republicans alike.

The most striking feature of the young adult Trump swing is that it occurred even though there has been no significant recent increase in the proportion of young adults who identify as conservative.

There is also not much evidence that young adults hold increasingly conservative opinions — quite the contrary. A recent study by the sociologists Kyle Dodson and Clem Brooks found that from 2012 to 2020, public opinion in the United States toward racial minorities, immigrants, people who are gay or lesbian and other groups grew more socially accepting, with young adults at the leading edge of that change. Young Republicans became more socially accepting, too, if not on every issue.

This is part of a longer-term trend. Sociologists such as Mike Hout and Ethan Fosse have demonstrated that on a wide array of social matters, including the division of household labor between men and women, the morality of homosexuality, views of corporal punishment and feelings about prayer in school, the general trend across the past century is for Americans born each successive year to express slightly more tolerant, egalitarian and secular attitudes than the one before. Although these studies don’t go all the way up to 2024, research from Gallup indicates that this development hasn’t changed course in the last few years, no matter how much chatter there is about a vibe shift.

By contrast, the evidence is strong that economic considerations mattered greatly to young Americans in the 2024 election. While voters of all age groups cited the economy as a pressing concern, this was especially true for voters under 30, with 40 percent reporting that inflation had been the single most important factor in their vote for president, and 46 percent more saying that it had been an important factor. A substantial number of young people apparently believed that Ms. Harris would continue the Biden-era policies they held responsible for high prices and hoped that Mr. Trump would bring relief.



paywall free link

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/opinion/young-maga-trump-vote.html?unlocked_article_code=1.604.x-25.BDhp_M115sci&smid=url-share

131 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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This Is Why Young People Really Voted for Trump (Original Post) Demovictory9 Mar 26 OP
Have fun young'uns. Trump promised to make eveyone rich! NCDem47 Mar 26 #1
Yup, they will get sold into wage slavery and corporate towns. Initech Mar 26 #3
16 Ton and what you get. multigraincracker Mar 26 #32
I owe my soul to the company store! Initech Mar 26 #37
One of my dad's favorite tunes. multigraincracker Mar 26 #46
OMG, I'm a South Park fan but haven't seen this one. Amazon, wowzer! Abolishinist Mar 26 #57
Yeah that South Park bit was one of Matt & Trey's best! Initech Mar 27 #58
That was perfect NJCher Mar 27 #81
Simpleton's wanting a savior... pbmus Mar 26 #56
That's because a lot of people B.See Mar 28 #126
Which means we never really got the message to them. Scrivener7 Mar 26 #2
Or they are idiots Meowmee Mar 26 #7
If they are idiots, we need a message that resonates with idiots. Because we need their votes Scrivener7 Mar 26 #19
The problem is a large part of the electorate doesn't care about your messages that much Meowmee Mar 26 #53
If they don't care, we didn't convince them. We need at least the ones who stayed home. Scrivener7 Mar 27 #82
No matter how much you coddle these people and give in to whatever their whims are Meowmee Mar 27 #95
If we don't get some of them, we'll never win. Scrivener7 Mar 27 #97
Yes that part is true Meowmee Mar 27 #118
Proof: how quickly excuses change -- student loan debt, the environment, but he's old, Gaza, the economy. betsuni Mar 27 #99
Then we better convince more older people to vote for Democrats. Mariana Mar 27 #111
They aren't idiots LearnedHand Mar 26 #48
Yes they are... Meowmee Mar 26 #51
That's true of every Trump voter, regardless of age. Mariana Mar 27 #105
A distinction without a difference. ObscurePiton Mar 26 #49
LOL good one, that is what psycho did Meowmee Mar 26 #55
And psycho won. Scrivener7 Mar 27 #83
Maybe try to be psycho Meowmee Mar 27 #94
So what are you saying? Do nothing to get more votes than we just did? Scrivener7 Mar 27 #98
I too would like clarification on that point. ObscurePiton Mar 27 #107
No, we need to get more votes, that part is clear Meowmee Mar 27 #119
Welcome to DU LetMyPeopleVote Mar 27 #101
THIS. nt SkylineChili Mar 28 #129
My first thought as well. Messaging, damn it! yonder Mar 26 #9
Sure. It is all about "messaging." valleyrogue Mar 26 #22
Where is that extremism coming from? Messaging. Scrivener7 Mar 27 #88
BUT media has been right wing for way too long for that to still be a legitimate excuse. Scrivener7 Mar 27 #84
Agree. (mostly) yonder Mar 27 #91
Assholes Xoan Mar 26 #4
Everybody: Stop bashing young people !! Trust_Reality Mar 27 #59
Why don't you police/have a go at the older Gens? They vote Rethug at higher rates overall than us younger folk do. Celerity Mar 27 #69
I like bollocks! True Dough Mar 28 #127
Democracy only really functions when people are educated and engaged AZJonnie Mar 26 #5
Israelis poured into the streets when Netanyahu tried to undermine their legal system. Trump has taken a sledgehammer Demovictory9 Mar 26 #6
I doubt this has anything to do with recent changes in the educaiton system. Mariana Mar 26 #25
it's the gender gap pstokely Mar 27 #60
The gender gap appears in every age group. Mariana Mar 27 #75
The Gender Gap: Young Women +17 for Harris, Young Men +14 for Trump Celerity Mar 28 #128
Historians have a word... TxGuitar Mar 26 #8
If that's the case, then they're idiots. Sorry. flvegan Mar 26 #10
That's a winning argument iemanja Mar 26 #12
Then let's accuse pele of eating pets because that helped the Republicans JI7 Mar 26 #16
In all that information on our phones, what was our message? Scrivener7 Mar 27 #85
To paraphrase Indiana Jones movie, They chose poorly. Hassler Mar 26 #11
FA, not FO. AlanAdam Mar 27 #76
I laughed too GusBob Mar 27 #87
So what happens in the next election? Are they going to use their brains this time? Aristus Mar 26 #13
It might be a better idea to try to get more older voters to support Democrats. Mariana Mar 26 #26
Those things were at risk before, and they didn't give a shit. Aristus Mar 26 #30
Older folks are starting find out about Health Care Costs. multigraincracker Mar 26 #38
or maybe better messaging in a fractured media landscape pstokely Mar 27 #61
So true, Americans never want to admit they're wrong or if they don't know something. betsuni Mar 26 #31
So because they are dumbfucks JI7 Mar 26 #14
Wow. Insightful... Probatim Mar 26 #35
50% of the population score 100 or less. multigraincracker Mar 26 #39
I blame their parents for not raising them right. Emile Mar 26 #15
The parents who work full time, sticking the kids in front of a video game? WarGamer Mar 26 #18
The majority of their parents voted for Trump. Mariana Mar 26 #28
The NYT Author misses the whole point... WarGamer Mar 26 #17
" Guess they're in the "Find Out" stage now. the Ars Longa Mar 26 #20
Bullshit. This is all on young white males valleyrogue Mar 26 #21
Most white males in every age group voted for Trump. Mariana Mar 26 #29
Testosterone does have a lot to do with it. multigraincracker Mar 26 #40
Majorly young people didn't vote for Trump uponit7771 Mar 26 #23
according to data, majority of young men voted for tRump, majority of young women voted for Harris pstokely Mar 27 #62
The majority of men in every age group voted for Trump. Mariana Mar 27 #74
black men didn't pstokely Mar 27 #80
That's true, but it's not really relevant to this discussion. Mariana Mar 27 #112
YouGov poll had different results womanofthehills Mar 26 #24
19 Thousand? ProfessorGAC Mar 27 #116
Between stuff like this and NoveltySocks Mar 26 #27
They thought "inflation" was high?? They should have been around in 1980... Jack Valentino Mar 26 #33
Inflation in Early 1980s. AlanAdam Mar 27 #79
And who got elected POTUS in 1980? Ursus Rex Mar 27 #113
I love ageism on this site... Especially when it's directed at a generation of voters most of you don't understand. Probatim Mar 26 #34
Yep, nothing is black and white. It's all gray and on a curve. multigraincracker Mar 26 #42
Yet here we are. Aiding and abetting the right's plan to keep us divided. Probatim Mar 26 #47
I'm 76 and have never voted for a Republican. multigraincracker Mar 27 #67
Congratulations on being part of the minority of people your age Mariana Mar 27 #73
My father lived to age 90 and also did the same, multigraincracker Mar 27 #78
I belong to the local Democratic Party and multigraincracker Mar 27 #68
don't blame the youth, blame white men pstokely Mar 27 #64
Most young people voted for Kamala Harris. This is about those that voted for Trump JI7 Mar 27 #65
For all that would condemn an entire generation to stupidity, how'd your age demographic vote? Ilikepurple Mar 26 #36
many are focused on the propaganda coming from old media rather than the new media pstokely Mar 27 #63
It's not fair to expect the young voters to bail us out every time Mariana Mar 27 #72
So they are just as dumb as the rest of the population Iris Mar 26 #41
Not quite. Mariana Mar 26 #44
Good point. Iris Mar 26 #45
My non-existent confidence in young people and their decision making process NoMoreRepugs Mar 26 #43
Proof that many young people do not have the lived experience to discern fact from fiction, truth from lies, Jit423 Mar 26 #50
I doubt that lived experience has much to do with it. Mariana Mar 27 #70
If that is true, young people are remarkably stupid and gullible. ananda Mar 26 #52
Older people were more likely to vote for Trump than young people. Mariana Mar 27 #71
Who the hell knows, but a lot of it is tied in with misogyny and racism. ananda Mar 27 #103
Not all older people. B.See Mar 27 #121
who do you think buys male enhancement pills? pstokely Mar 27 #117
"A substantial number of young people...hoped that Mr. Trump would bring relief (from high prices)." LudwigPastorius Mar 26 #54
Because they get their news from social media. legallyblondeNYC Mar 27 #66
They may be the most propagandized-to generation of western youth since 1930s Germany. RockRaven Mar 27 #77
I just flat out don't believe it. tavernier Mar 27 #86
The exit polls say about 43% of voters aged 18-29 voted for Trump. Mariana Mar 27 #93
we all live in our own bubbles pstokely Mar 27 #115
Wonder what the hell "the economy" means to Americans these days. Has to have a new meaning, but what. betsuni Mar 27 #89
$1 gallon gas, cheap cars, food and iPhones durablend Mar 27 #90
This is what happens when you only read headlines on social media. nini Mar 27 #92
I bet they feel pretty stupid now. eShirl Mar 27 #96
This is exactly why I think Dems.. biocube Mar 27 #100
Duh. 2024 was about inflation. People stupidly believed Trump would fix it. nt Blasphemer Mar 27 #102
This is what Trump and MAGA offers them and they believe. Ping Tung Mar 27 #104
Many young people get their news solely from social media and podcasts, Quiet Em Mar 27 #106
TikTok did to them what they said Facebook did to their grandparents. W_HAMILTON Mar 27 #108
Isn't it mostly young men -? flamingdem Mar 27 #109
The majority of men of all ages voted for Trump. Mariana Mar 27 #110
This is deceptively worded, imo, B.See Mar 27 #120
According to the exit polls, 55% of men voted for Trump. 55% is a majority. Mariana Mar 27 #122
Well, you're quoting an NBC exit poll, whereas B.See Mar 27 #123
While all of that is interesting, it isn't really relevant to the topic of this thread. Mariana Mar 27 #124
Bottom line is, B.See Mar 28 #125
In part. H2O Man Mar 27 #114
"...concern about the state of the economy..." GiqueCee Mar 28 #130
Not many young people go into the details. Woodwizard Mar 28 #131

Initech

(105,310 posts)
3. Yup, they will get sold into wage slavery and corporate towns.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 06:03 PM
Mar 26

The kind that Tennessee Ernie Ford sang about.

multigraincracker

(35,865 posts)
32. 16 Ton and what you get.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:40 PM
Mar 26

Going to need them up thar in Greenland.

On the other hand, Sociologist don’t use the most powerful statistics for their results. Like I said earlier, bring back the draft for 47s wars.

Abolishinist

(2,587 posts)
57. OMG, I'm a South Park fan but haven't seen this one. Amazon, wowzer!
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 11:40 PM
Mar 26

Another version, different context of course...


Initech

(105,310 posts)
58. Yeah that South Park bit was one of Matt & Trey's best!
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 12:04 AM
Mar 27

Literally gave all their money back to Amazon.

B.See

(5,646 posts)
126. That's because a lot of people
Fri Mar 28, 2025, 06:05 AM
Mar 28

young and old alike buy into shallow sound bites; instead of being willing to delve beneath the surface into the details as to why and wherefore. Example, that inflation and price of eggs sound bite without understanding the causes, or how 10 of the last 11 recessions occurred under a Republican administration (including once under TRUMP).

So they ignorantly (perhaps even willfully) buy into a bill of goods. Now it's "find out" time, or as I've written before, the school of hard knocks. For some it's the ONLY way to learn. So, yes, have fun, suckers.

Meowmee

(9,212 posts)
7. Or they are idiots
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 06:42 PM
Mar 26

Without a conscience to vote for a mass murderer who murdered over 1 million with covid.

Scrivener7

(56,043 posts)
19. If they are idiots, we need a message that resonates with idiots. Because we need their votes
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 08:04 PM
Mar 26

if we ever want to get out of this mess.

Meowmee

(9,212 posts)
53. The problem is a large part of the electorate doesn't care about your messages that much
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 11:12 PM
Mar 26

They do what they want to do and that can change on a dime, out of cruelty in this case because only someone unusually cruel could vote for this.

Scrivener7

(56,043 posts)
82. If they don't care, we didn't convince them. We need at least the ones who stayed home.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 07:26 AM
Mar 27

I'm not sticking up for them. I'm just saying, with only the numbers who voted for Harris, we will continue to lose.

We MUST do something different.

The only way to avoid having this happen again is to look at who is out there and figure out who we can pick off to gain winning numbers. And then craft a message that gets them off their asses and into a voting booth.

We can dislike them, or feel more strongly about it. But we need them if we are ever to get the reins back.

Meowmee

(9,212 posts)
95. No matter how much you coddle these people and give in to whatever their whims are
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 11:48 AM
Mar 27

There’s no guarantee they will vote for you… End of story… time to realize this important fact. If they could vote for him and try to justify it they can not be trusted again ever.

Meowmee

(9,212 posts)
118. Yes that part is true
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 09:05 PM
Mar 27

But just remember that while the party tries to twist themselves into knots to please these people while you disregard people who actually vote for you and have for years consistently, (I don't mean young people in particular- this thread just happens to be about that demographic), whoever they are, they are self absorbed narcissists who will laugh at you and vote for whoever they please when the time comes to help themselves economically or for whatever other reasons. There is no bridge too far for them apparently since they voted for a mass murderer, in some cases not once but twice.These are demand voters: you must do this etc. or I won't vote for you. And maybe I won't vote for you anyway depending on how I feel.

betsuni

(28,006 posts)
99. Proof: how quickly excuses change -- student loan debt, the environment, but he's old, Gaza, the economy.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 12:02 PM
Mar 27

Mariana

(15,545 posts)
111. Then we better convince more older people to vote for Democrats.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 02:29 PM
Mar 27

For three elections in a row, the majority of voters aged 45 and up voted for Trump. Let's figure out how to change that.

Edited for clarity.

LearnedHand

(4,759 posts)
48. They aren't idiots
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 11:05 PM
Mar 26

Maybe a huge number of them didn't believe this would actually happen, but they are definitely not idiots (although a few may be, just like in other populations). And Scrivener 7 is right: We *do* need to pay attention to our messaging. If we aren't reaching them it's not because they don't want to be reached.

Meowmee

(9,212 posts)
51. Yes they are...
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 11:10 PM
Mar 26

and heartless. It is unforgivable. If they're sorry and apologize fine, however most never will and the damage is done for good.

 

ObscurePiton

(10 posts)
49. A distinction without a difference.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 11:07 PM
Mar 26

You don't get to choose your electorate. If the electorate are psychopathic idiots, then representatives have to message accordingly.

 

ObscurePiton

(10 posts)
107. I too would like clarification on that point.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 01:49 PM
Mar 27

That in a representative democracy, politicians must message to capture the greatest possible portion of their constituency seems an entirely uncontroversial observation... yet, here we are.

Meowmee

(9,212 posts)
119. No, we need to get more votes, that part is clear
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 09:15 PM
Mar 27

Read my other reply. I also believe election interference affected this election, so that needs to be addressed also.

yonder

(10,089 posts)
9. My first thought as well. Messaging, damn it!
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 06:56 PM
Mar 26

However, we are dealing with a MSM that is increasingly chasing lopsided direction from their wealthy wranglers at the expense of minimally biased reporting.

Our side needs more, take-no-prisoners, muckraking voices to offset our normal, politics as usual approach. Right now, the squeaky wheel method seems to work just fine for them.

valleyrogue

(2,140 posts)
22. Sure. It is all about "messaging."
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 09:39 PM
Mar 26

Have you actually paid attention AT ALL to the growing extremism of young, white males?

This is all about sexism and to a lesser extent racism. The "economy" is complete and total bullshit.

Scrivener7

(56,043 posts)
88. Where is that extremism coming from? Messaging.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 07:53 AM
Mar 27

The prevailing message in the media today is that young white men are the ones being discriminated against.

That's complete bullshit, but there is no opposing message. Certainly not one that meets them in the places they are gathering online.

Scrivener7

(56,043 posts)
84. BUT media has been right wing for way too long for that to still be a legitimate excuse.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 07:37 AM
Mar 27

It's been about 30 years that we've been saying, "But right wing media and hate radio."

It's true, but we have never crafted a plan to counteract it.

I don't know what that plan should be, but we've all watched as the right wing took over social media with bots, who very clearly do craft the conversation. In 2016, the republicans gained access to every Facebook account via Cambridge Analytica and used actual psy-ops to turn many who had not been republicans, and to radicalize many who already were republicans.

All this while our side cranks out press releases, and maintains a different website for each rep, and thinks they're doing the job. That's not doing the job.

We need a messaging plan, and I'm not seeing it. The town halls are a good start, but they're only a start. And even the great town halls are missing an opportunity. They should be pounding a single simple message that becomes the headline. Yes, even a slogan, that republicans are taking WHAT IS YOURS and giving it to Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

Trust_Reality

(2,187 posts)
59. Everybody: Stop bashing young people !!
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 12:22 AM
Mar 27

The last line of the basic post says: "A substantial number of young people apparently believed that Ms. Harris would continue..."

Do you see the word "apparently"? That means it is speculation.

How did young people feel about Biden permitting Netanyahu to use massive American made bombs to kill thousands of Palestinians? How did they feel about Biden's unwavering support for Netanyahu's ethnic cleansing and probable war crimes? Concern about these issues would be more consistent with the other trends in the values of young people.

I (I'm over 80) was also concerned about Harris continuing this aspect of Biden's policies. Our governments always vote against the rest of the world (vetoes, etc.) at the UN as we provide radical unwavering support for Israel.

Israel and Netanyahu definitely soured me on Biden. (I knew too much about Trump to even consider voting for him or anyone other than Kamala, who I love.)

Celerity

(50,406 posts)
69. Why don't you police/have a go at the older Gens? They vote Rethug at higher rates overall than us younger folk do.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 02:23 AM
Mar 27

But no, a direct broadbush personal attack in the form of a blunt youth bash is always sure to come from some here.

You have no right here to collectively call us:

Assholes




If I said that about Boomers and/or Gen X collectively, I would flayed alive here. But you feel free as a bird to blanket smear us younger folk. That is pure bollocks.

True Dough

(23,357 posts)
127. I like bollocks!
Fri Mar 28, 2025, 06:37 AM
Mar 28

The Brits have some of the best "profanity."

I also get a kick out of hearing

end, especially in a Cockney accent!


AZJonnie

(875 posts)
5. Democracy only really functions when people are educated and engaged
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 06:09 PM
Mar 26

These kids thinking is so incredibly shallow and vacuous, I fear that the USA has literally become too dumb (on average) to govern itself. The long-planned goal of 'vouchers' and 'charter schools' and 'homeschooling' has come to fruition, and the finishing touches on the dictatorship are being completed as everything from grade schools to colleges and universities come under full-scale attack. Fascist authoritarians have dumbed this place down to the point where they could end 'democracy' and take it over wholesale as a dictatorship. And nobody appears to know how to stop them.

Demovictory9

(36,312 posts)
6. Israelis poured into the streets when Netanyahu tried to undermine their legal system. Trump has taken a sledgehammer
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 06:13 PM
Mar 26

the US legal system and it's hardly a blip.

Mariana

(15,545 posts)
25. I doubt this has anything to do with recent changes in the educaiton system.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:20 PM
Mar 26

According to the exit polls, the majority of voters aged 18-44 cast their ballots for Harris in 2024. The majority of voters aged 45 and up supported Trump. The youngest voters were the least likely to vote for Trump.

pstokely

(10,792 posts)
60. it's the gender gap
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 01:05 AM
Mar 27

Last edited Thu Mar 27, 2025, 04:00 AM - Edit history (1)

some polls say tRump got more 20 year old men than 70 year old men, but 70 year men vote in higher numbers than 20 year old men

Celerity

(50,406 posts)
128. The Gender Gap: Young Women +17 for Harris, Young Men +14 for Trump
Fri Mar 28, 2025, 06:48 AM
Mar 28

As many observers expected before the election, there was a significant gender gap among young voters. Young women preferred Harris to Trump by a 17-point margin: 58% to 41%. But young men preferred Trump by a 14-point margin: 56% to 42%.

Notably, that gender gap is larger than the gender gap for the electorate overall.

Among voters of all ages, 52% of all female voters backed Harris, compared to 46% for Trump (+6). While among all male voters, Trump won 55% to 43% (+12). Young people who identify as nonbinary or in another way other than as a man or woman supported Harris by a 69-point margin.



There was a notable difference by age within the 18-29 age group.

Voters ages 18-24 supported Harris by 10 points, while their older peers (ages 25-29) supported Trump by 2 points. In the 2020 election, this group of young people were 21-25. That year, 18- to 24-year-olds supported Biden by 29 points, highlighting a major shift in vote choice for this segment of the youth electorate.



https://circle.tufts.edu/2024-election#youth-vote-+4-for-harris,-major-differences-by-race-and-gender

TxGuitar

(4,310 posts)
8. Historians have a word...
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 06:47 PM
Mar 26

“Historians have a word for Germans who joined the Nazi party, not because they hated Jews, but out of a hope for restored patriotism, or a sense of economic anxiety, or a hope to preserve their religious values, or dislike of their opponents, or raw political opportunism, or convenience, or ignorance, or greed.

That word is "Nazi." Nobody cares about their motives anymore.

They joined what they joined. They lent their support and their moral approval. And, in so doing, they bound themselves to everything that came after. Who cares any more what particular knot they used in the binding?”

(Attributed to A.R. Moxon)

flvegan

(65,080 posts)
10. If that's the case, then they're idiots. Sorry.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 07:03 PM
Mar 26

It doesn't take a doctorate in history to know that Trump is/was terrible for this or any economy, nor to know just how shitty a businessman he has always been (not to mention just a shitty person in general).

If folks have all that information on their phones that they can't keep their faces out of, yet still couldn't sort this out, then, and I repeat myself, they're idiots.

Scrivener7

(56,043 posts)
85. In all that information on our phones, what was our message?
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 07:43 AM
Mar 27

Yes. They ARE idiots. But we need them to win, whether we respect their thought processes or not.

You know what was moving the needle? "Weird," and "smelly." And we backed off those. I'm not saying we shouldn't have, but in the end, what was our cohesive overriding message for the type of people who respond to "weird" and "smelly?"

We need one of those, whether we like it or not.

Aristus

(70,193 posts)
13. So what happens in the next election? Are they going to use their brains this time?
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 07:24 PM
Mar 26

Or are they going to double down on their stupidity? Because no one in this failing, fuckwitted country wants to admit when they're wrong.

Mariana

(15,545 posts)
26. It might be a better idea to try to get more older voters to support Democrats.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:24 PM
Mar 26

The majority of voters aged 45 and up cast their ballots for Trump, according to the exit polls. Surely we can convince some of them, especially with Social Security and Medicare at risk.

Aristus

(70,193 posts)
30. Those things were at risk before, and they didn't give a shit.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:32 PM
Mar 26

They wanted bigotry, hatred, distrust, paranoia, and blinding incompetence, and they got it. So did those of us who didn’t vote for him.

It’s incomprehensible why they would want all of those things at the risk of their earned benefits. But then, I’m not a Trumpster. I’m accustomed to using my brain, and can’t understand why others refuse to.

multigraincracker

(35,865 posts)
38. Older folks are starting find out about Health Care Costs.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:51 PM
Mar 26

That could swing them. Seems 47 screws a new group every day. He’s running out of suckers.

pstokely

(10,792 posts)
61. or maybe better messaging in a fractured media landscape
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 01:07 AM
Mar 27

Last edited Thu Mar 27, 2025, 10:59 PM - Edit history (1)

some data indicates tRump won the disengaged, Harris won the engaged

betsuni

(28,006 posts)
31. So true, Americans never want to admit they're wrong or if they don't know something.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:39 PM
Mar 26

They'll bullshit. Bullshitting is admired. Can't learn anything that way.

WarGamer

(17,326 posts)
18. The parents who work full time, sticking the kids in front of a video game?
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 07:34 PM
Mar 26

Or daycare at 3 years old?

Or expected them to turn out normal when from 8th grade until 10th grade they wore masks and moved their desks 10' from each other in class?

Or attended class from home?

Gen Z hasn't had it that easy.

WarGamer

(17,326 posts)
17. The NYT Author misses the whole point...
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 07:32 PM
Mar 26

For decades the "right track wrong track" polling numbers have gotten worse and worse...

In general, Americans are pretty unhappy about the state of the country.

To many... Trump is NOT seen as a conservative, like Romney or McCain... Trump is seen as a disruptor, one to overturn the apple cart.

PLUS... Trump wisely played the right chords to attract younger MEN in the campaign through Rogan, MMA, etc...

Trump cobbled together an extremely WEIRD coalition... from old skool GOP'ers, PTA Moms, incel youth, haters, racists and lifes "losers" with grievances.

Calling Trump a "conservative" is weird.

I'm sure Steve Schmidt, Liz Cheney, Shrub and Bill Kristol would be the first to claim he's not a conservative.

He's a carnival barker and that's really the whole point.

Ars Longa

(169 posts)
20. " Guess they're in the "Find Out" stage now. the
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 08:37 PM
Mar 26

maddening thing is-
They knew who this guy was beforehand......

valleyrogue

(2,140 posts)
21. Bullshit. This is all on young white males
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 09:38 PM
Mar 26

who have been radicalized thanks to the poison called the "manosphere."

The "economy" is a bullshit excuse.

pstokely

(10,792 posts)
62. according to data, majority of young men voted for tRump, majority of young women voted for Harris
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 01:09 AM
Mar 27

but young people are hard to poll

womanofthehills

(9,884 posts)
24. YouGov poll had different results
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:04 PM
Mar 26

Their poll said 19 thousand who voted for Biden in 2020 did not vote in 2024.

Many reasons given but top reason was genocide.

ProfessorGAC

(73,157 posts)
116. 19 Thousand?
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 03:34 PM
Mar 27

Or is that supposed to be 19 million.
19 thousand votes out of 140 million seems hardly worth reporting.

NoveltySocks

(414 posts)
27. Between stuff like this and
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:24 PM
Mar 26

the morons doing moron stuff in the Clown Cabinet, I'm amazed at how people like this are even able to make it to adulthood. Whew.

Jack Valentino

(2,385 posts)
33. They thought "inflation" was high?? They should have been around in 1980...
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:41 PM
Mar 26

The inflation rate in 1980 was up to 13.5 percent,
1979 was 11.3 percent, and 1981 was 10.3 percent---
that's over 34 percent over those three years!!
https://www.google.com/search?q=inflation+rate+in+1980&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS1151US1151&oq=inflation+rate+in+1980&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l9.4244j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Despite the spike we experienced, mostly in 2022, this was nothing compared to that time, especially over a three-year period!

Also, they misinterpret "high prices" as "inflation"--
lower inflation does not mean that prices are going to go down,
it only means the rate of increase will be less...

Prices will not go down much across the board without a "deflation"--
which will usually only come with a recession or a depression or severe economic crisis,
such as we experienced in 2008, and at the beginning of the covid pandemic...

AlanAdam

(100 posts)
79. Inflation in Early 1980s.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 03:45 AM
Mar 27

Ah yes, I remember it well. I graduated from university in 1979. For first two years of the 80s, home mortgage loan rates were around 20%. I didn’t buy a house, but many of my friends were frantically trying get into a house, worried that rates would just keep rising.

Ursus Rex

(392 posts)
113. And who got elected POTUS in 1980?
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 03:24 PM
Mar 27

and what happened to the cohort that voted him in?

The 80's were a total bullshit decade and the end of the America that we learned about in school -= at least those of us who had paid attention.

Probatim

(3,140 posts)
34. I love ageism on this site... Especially when it's directed at a generation of voters most of you don't understand.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:46 PM
Mar 26

What about the full grown adults in this country who voted for the orange asshole? I assume they get a free pass?

Mariana

(15,545 posts)
73. Congratulations on being part of the minority of people your age
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 03:19 AM
Mar 27

who have never voted for a Republican.

multigraincracker

(35,865 posts)
78. My father lived to age 90 and also did the same,
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 03:36 AM
Mar 27

except for Ike, and we are from the South. He was an Emirati PhD.

multigraincracker

(35,865 posts)
68. I belong to the local Democratic Party and
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 02:14 AM
Mar 27

There are lots of local college kids that are members too.

JI7

(92,087 posts)
65. Most young people voted for Kamala Harris. This is about those that voted for Trump
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 01:49 AM
Mar 27

Not about young people in general.

Ilikepurple

(232 posts)
36. For all that would condemn an entire generation to stupidity, how'd your age demographic vote?
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:50 PM
Mar 26

I agree it was alarming how we lost any momentum we had with younger voters, but I grow tired of the generation wars. The propaganda is so well seated now that I don’t think any generation is immune to it. It seems that many will need a direct negative effect on their lives traceable to a specific Trump policy to shake loose propaganda’s hold.

Mariana

(15,545 posts)
72. It's not fair to expect the young voters to bail us out every time
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 03:16 AM
Mar 27

when the majority of their elders consistently vote for Republicans.

Mariana

(15,545 posts)
44. Not quite.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 11:01 PM
Mar 26

A smaller percentage of them voted for Trump than any other age group. If young people had been the only voters, Harris would have won in a landslide.

NoMoreRepugs

(11,424 posts)
43. My non-existent confidence in young people and their decision making process
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 10:58 PM
Mar 26

continues to be verified.

Jit423

(1,446 posts)
50. Proof that many young people do not have the lived experience to discern fact from fiction, truth from lies,
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 11:08 PM
Mar 26

reality from BS.

Mariana

(15,545 posts)
70. I doubt that lived experience has much to do with it.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 03:12 AM
Mar 27

The majority of voters 45 and older cast their ballots for Trump, according to the exit polls. The majority of those 18-44 supported Harris. The youngest voters were the least likely to vote for Trump.

ananda

(32,260 posts)
52. If that is true, young people are remarkably stupid and gullible.
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 11:11 PM
Mar 26

They seem to have had no critical thinking skills whatsoever
possibly due to also having no powers of observation or
bullshit detection.

The economy was doing fine under Biden's leadership, after
suffering badly under Trump's.

So... duuuhhh

Mariana

(15,545 posts)
71. Older people were more likely to vote for Trump than young people.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 03:14 AM
Mar 27

What happened to their critical thinking skills, I wonder?

ananda

(32,260 posts)
103. Who the hell knows, but a lot of it is tied in with misogyny and racism.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 12:39 PM
Mar 27

IOW, many people listened to the lies and fearmongering
and literally chose to buy into them as a kind of
confirmation of their underlying fears and phobias
which used to be kept in line through political correctness.

With no more political correctness, well... you know.

B.See

(5,646 posts)
121. Not all older people.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 10:20 PM
Mar 27

93 PERCENT of Black voters 55 and older voted for Kamala. As did 59 percent of Hispanic voters 55 and older. Our critical thinking skills are just fine, I think.

https://navigatorresearch.org/2024-post-election-survey-racial-analysis-of-2024-election-results/

pstokely

(10,792 posts)
117. who do you think buys male enhancement pills?
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 03:35 PM
Mar 27

a large portion of young men are anti-vaxxers

LudwigPastorius

(12,703 posts)
54. "A substantial number of young people...hoped that Mr. Trump would bring relief (from high prices)."
Wed Mar 26, 2025, 11:12 PM
Mar 26

Hey kids, how's that working out for you?

legallyblondeNYC

(95 posts)
66. Because they get their news from social media.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 01:51 AM
Mar 27

And the right just gave them a better and easier story.

RockRaven

(17,431 posts)
77. They may be the most propagandized-to generation of western youth since 1930s Germany.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 03:35 AM
Mar 27

Not an excuse by any means, but the information environment experienced by today's 18-35 year old Americans during their formative/aware years has been utter horseshit of other people's makings.

Now what is to be done about it? Because this isn't going to get better just by pointing at it.

tavernier

(13,759 posts)
86. I just flat out don't believe it.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 07:50 AM
Mar 27

I know hundreds of young people and not one of them voted for Trump. All of my relatives who are in that age group say that their peers detest him and make fun of him. Something is rotten in Denmark.

betsuni

(28,006 posts)
89. Wonder what the hell "the economy" means to Americans these days. Has to have a new meaning, but what.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 08:26 AM
Mar 27

nini

(16,799 posts)
92. This is what happens when you only read headlines on social media.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 09:16 AM
Mar 27

Then don’t follow up with your own research. They have no clue what the facts really are.

Add in the failure of the media being controlled by right wing assholes and it’s near impossible to get our messaging through.

And it’s not just young folks who fall for the game.

biocube

(88 posts)
100. This is exactly why I think Dems..
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 12:05 PM
Mar 27

need to lean in *hard* on economic populism. Republicans are literally talking about over-throwing "the woke oligarchy" while democrats are afraid of being called "soshalizt".

Ping Tung

(2,714 posts)
104. This is what Trump and MAGA offers them and they believe.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 12:54 PM
Mar 27
For every complex problem there is a simple solution... and it is wrong. H.L. Mencken

Quiet Em

(2,026 posts)
106. Many young people get their news solely from social media and podcasts,
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 01:10 PM
Mar 27

so it's not surprising that they are ill-informed on economic issues.

I find it hard to believe they thought the con would be good for them economically.

Rent is high, housing prices are out of reach, the costs of college is way too high so their student debt is way too high. Harris/Walz addressed all this, but apparently it isn't reaching them.

flamingdem

(40,516 posts)
109. Isn't it mostly young men -?
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 02:19 PM
Mar 27

And it wasn't economy but identity and masculinity according to the last round of analysis.

B.See

(5,646 posts)
120. This is deceptively worded, imo,
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 10:16 PM
Mar 27

when one looks at the demographics.

More accurately, the majority of WHITE men voted for Donald Trump As did the majority of white women.

Hispanic women supported Kamala while the splite among Hispanic men was almost 50-50.

And even though there was slippage among Black men for Harris as compared to support for Biden, Black men and women still overwhelmingly supported Harris.

https://navigatorresearch.org/2024-post-election-survey-racial-analysis-of-2024-election-results/

B.See

(5,646 posts)
123. Well, you're quoting an NBC exit poll, whereas
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 10:48 PM
Mar 27

the article I linked is the fifth in a series of releases and findings following the election.

And I would think that anyone interested in a clearer understanding of the demographic breakdowns of not only who voted, but why (as per the title of this thread) would be more interested in that kind of data,

rather than broad generalizations and brush strokes that tend to implicate everyone therein.

But hey, to each his/her own.

Mariana

(15,545 posts)
124. While all of that is interesting, it isn't really relevant to the topic of this thread.
Thu Mar 27, 2025, 11:01 PM
Mar 27

B.See

(5,646 posts)
125. Bottom line is,
Fri Mar 28, 2025, 05:49 AM
Mar 28

you're making blanket statements in this thread that may be misleading or inaccurate.

For example, in an earlier post you wrote, "Older people were more likely to vote for Trump than young people." and went on to question the congnitive skills of said older people. However I linked to documented evidence that by a large margin, older people from certain demographics supported Kamala Harris.

https://navigatorresearch.org/2024-post-election-survey-racial-analysis-of-2024-election-results/

Then in another post you implied that Harris would've won by a landslide if only young people had voted. However, another (later) study published by the same source I referenced above showed that it wasn't quite as clear cut as that:

https://navigatorresearch.org/2024-post-election-survey-gender-and-age-analysis-of-2024-election-results/

GiqueCee

(2,360 posts)
130. "...concern about the state of the economy..."
Fri Mar 28, 2025, 08:54 AM
Mar 28

... are you kidding me, New York Times?!!? The once-revered "Paper of Record" is now several notches below the "Paper of Toilet." The Biden administration left the economy in the strongest shape it's been in decades, you mendacious dick-warts!
I was young once, and I recall what it was like to be stricken with AD/OS (Attention Deficit/ OH, SHINY!) and the young are all in for anything that differentiates them from their parents, no matter how stupid or destructive those decisions ultimately turn out to be. Like voting for a narcissistic convicted felon with the mental faculties of a six-year-old, and the moral compass of a rabid hyena.
Hmmm... could this be the result of decades-long effort to reduce the value of education to the level of a bowl of soggy cereal? No wonder Trump said, "I love the poorly educated!" But he didn't finish the sentence: "... because they're so easy to deceive and manipulate!"
As much as I hate to give conservatives credit for anything, their long game has been very effective. Apparently, crime DOES pay, with interest. Lie, cheat, steal, bully, intimidate, threaten, take children's lunch money; ANYTHING to further the interests of corporations and the wealthy. As I've said countless times, the obscenely rich have more money than they could spend in twenty lifetimes, but they still begrudge those less fortunate even the lint-covered change between the sofa cushions. ICK! What if Vance had relations with that piece of furniture! Never mind; the point is, in their diseased fever dreams they crave total dominion over the lives of others, no matter the cost.
And what happens after they achieve that evil goal? I think we're about to find out.

Woodwizard

(1,178 posts)
131. Not many young people go into the details.
Fri Mar 28, 2025, 09:27 AM
Mar 28

A 20 year old was 16 at trumps last term, think they were paying attention? And some looking at the bleak housing and cost of living may have said screw it let it all burn to the ground.

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