Youth Is Fleeting for Bush --Younger Voters Going With Kerry

[CatWoman]

Surveys suggest that Bush's popularity has plummeted among 18- to 29-year-olds in the past four months, posing a new obstacle to the president's bid to win reelection and an immediate challenge to Republicans seeking to win over impressionable and lightly committed young people during their upcoming convention.

Four years ago, network exit polls found that Bush and Democrat Al Gore split the vote of 18- to 29-year-olds, with Gore claiming 48 percent and Bush getting 46 percent -- the best showing by a Republican presidential candidate in more than a decade.

But that was then. In the latest Post-ABC News poll taken immediately after the Democratic convention, Kerry led Bush 2-1 among registered voters younger than 30. Among older voters, the race was virtually tied.

Bush's problems with younger voters began months before the Democratic convention, Post-ABC polls suggest. The last time Bush and Kerry were tied among the under-30 crowd was back in April. In the five surveys conducted since then, Bush has trailed Kerry by an average of 18 percentage points.

Virtually every other major poll conducted in the past month confirms Kerry's newfound and perhaps transient popularity with voters under the age of 30. The size of this advantage varies, due in part to the relatively small number of younger voters and correspondingly large margin of sampling error in each survey.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59072-2004Aug12.html

[AspenRose]

1. Mad props to P Diddy and his get-out-the-youth-vote campaign

http://www.mtv.com/chooseorlose/headlines/news.jhtml?id=1489969

<snip> P Diddy talking to Senator Clinton:

"Thank you. We're not going to get into sophisticated politics, we're gonna get into a problem that we have in young America, and that is young Americans being disenfranchised. Only 36 percent of us have voted. You are one of the few politicians that young people relate to. And we want to get a message on why you think it's important for young people to vote this year. And please talk to the people who are disenfranchised and don't believe in the power of their vote."

[michigandem2]

2. very reminicent of 1992...

when I turned 18 it was all abotu Clinton...bush one looked so old and uncool! LOL!

i hope its the same..the young vote was important to electing Clinton

[DinahMoeHum]

3. Two words, CW: The Draft. . . (or fear thereof)

at least that's my take.

:evilgrin:

[oasis]

5. Proclaiming himself the "War President" is yet another Bush blunder.

Karl Rove....you're fired.

[WilliamPitt]

4. The Phish fans have gotten political

Lots of anti-Bush stickers in the parking lot this week. A voter-registration booth set up at the venue gate. I asked the lady running it, and she said they had registered thousands of kids, all of whom were pumped up to vote.

[rlpincus]

6. Even more interesting nugget from WP article

The American public seemed to be far ahead of the curve pre 9/11 when compared to the Bush Buddies in regards to terror concerns. Check out page 2 of the linked WP article on the youth vote.

[Liberal Veteran]

7. Perhaps Bush should try to raise the voting age to 29?

I wouldn't put it past him!

[beyurslf]

8. Can anyone say DRAFT?

Young people may not pay much attention but you don't have to say much to get them to hear DRAFT.

[PopSixSquish]

9. The Younger People I Talk to

are very anti-Bush as well. A lot of them are having trouble finding jobs, don't agree with the war in Iraq, have problems with the bigotry and homophobia exhibited by the Bush bunch, etc. Let's hope this translates to votes in November.

[lil-petunia]

10. and those are the good points from shrub

this is wonderful news.