Finally a report on new voters that gets it right. NYT

[abrock]

After dismal turnout by young voters in 2000, surveys this year show that interest in the election among the young is near the highest level it has reached at any time since 18- to 20-year-olds were given the vote in 1972. And state election officials say registration of new young voters is coming in at levels they have not seen in years.

*SNIP*


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/15/politics/campaign/15youth.html?hp


Want to know why young people are interested in voting this year? I'll tell you, since I am one, and I know dozens who all agree with me without a single exception:

1) We're scared of Bush.
2) We're scared of Bush.
3) WE ARE SCARED OF BUSH.

We don't want this power hungry dinosaur ruining our future. He's done a good enough job of it in his first 4 years, another 4 might screw us forever.

[rumguy]

1. Yep - all the likely voter models skip these people

There are number of massive voter registrations efforts going on - they will pay off for Kerry.

[cthrumatrix]

12. vote for bush = vote for Draft in 2005...make a choice

and tell your friends

[Arkana]

16. There's actually one going on at my school today

I'm at Providence College up in Rhode Island...we're safe Kerry, but it's still good to see that young people have the desire to vote

[Erika]

2. Good For You!

Bush has gotten us into a quagmire that he doesn't know how to get out of, and if he stays in, it will be the young who pay the price for his faulty decisions.

[BurtWorm]

3. I'm going to assume that's great news.

Unfortunately, when I assumed young people in 1980 were going to help reelect Carter, boy, was I wrong! :wtf:

[retread]

9. Didn´t the "youth" vote go for Nixon in '72?

*

[BurtWorm]

11. I think the youth vote sat out that election.

As it usually does.

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. The future is now and

you're it!!! Congratulations on recognizing this and getting involved to have an impact.

My son is 19. He's not highly motivated...I had to print out his voter registration form, fill it out, then hand him the pen to sign it. Well, unfortunately, one of our cats coughed up a hairball on it and it had to be re-done.

So, a few days ago, it was an extraordinary media Bush blitz on the TV. It started getting to me. He walked into the room and saw me shaking my head then asked what's wrong? I told him I really worry if Kerry's going to be able to win. He asked why (sounded a bit worried and got wide eyed). Next question was, "Did you send my form in yet?!?!"

The point is, he's realized that he has to be a part of this too! We're counting on you!

[abrock]

5. To be honest, my dad wishes I didn't care.

Because he is a firm Bush believer... blind believer, but still, a believer. He's extremely religeous, and he has told me repeatedly that its not Bush he supports, its the Republican party... er, excuse me, the conservative WAY OF LIFE. (Whatever that means!) I keep trying to show him that Bush does not stand for the Republican party, but he won't listen. He dismisses articles stating that fact as left wing extremism.

He also ignores the fact that I'm not even really a Democrat, more a Dem leaning independent. Bleh.

[Norquist Nemesis]

7. My dad wishes the same thing.

It's been that way as long as I can remember...and I'm 45. My dad is staunch conservative Republican, but it doesn't matter what is put in front of him.

I can empathize with you completely. It's frustrating. But I know I'm working for making things better and can live with myself. Once you have a family and kids, it will still be frustrating that you've had differences with how to make things better from the political stand point...but you'll know you're doing the best thing for your kids and the greater community as a whole. :)

[Chili]

6. this could be the biggest story of the election

This:

“The pool of potential young voters is substantial - about 40.6 million Americans ages 18 to 29, or one in five eligible voters, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, or Circle, a nonprofit research group that has concentrated on the youth vote.

plus this:

”As one of many young voters who say they get most of their campaign news from the irreverent "Indecision 2004" segment on "The Daily Show,'' on the Comedy Channel, Jeff Leek, 22, a statistics major at the University of Washington, said politics were a big topic this year among his friends.

= 65% of this age group is going for Kerry (that’s the figure I’ve seen in a poll this summer, confirmed tonight by a Democratic party organizer here in Ohio).

My friend, who invited me to this volunteer’s gathering, has 2 kids who’ve both reached voting age this election. She lives in a very heavily Republican, fairly affluent suburb. She says that, all summer, the kids have eagerly been talking politics on their own …and are eager to vote. For KERRY.

[OneBlueSky]

8. seems to support my post about MTV's "Get Out The Vote" . . .

and what their polls are showing vis-a-vis projected high voter turnout among young people . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=795889

[noamnety]

10. registering young voters

My daughter's high school has a group of students (about 4% of the student body) actively registering voters. They just got permission from the administration to go out on field trips to other high schools to set up registration tables during lunch. Several of the kids working on it (including mine) aren't old enough to vote, but they are still out their doing their part. The funny thing is, it's a nonpartisan voter registration drive, run through a nonpartisan organization ... but it came out at the first workshop that 100% of the kids working on it are for Kerry.

[cthrumatrix]

13. great to hear...!

[roseBudd]

18. Four More Wars 8x10 poster files for download here

http://somnamblst.tripod.com to download high res files

[cthrumatrix]

14. where is the media polling the "young vote"...? I wonder why

[GoldenOldie]

15. The Youth Vote - Edwards Rally in Tucson

Spouse and I went to the Edwards rally in Tucson on Monday. It was held at the Tucson Convention Center and the announced that there was 10,000+ and they had to turn many away. I would say that 50% of the attendees were from 18-35. The University of Arizona is a few blocks away and many of them were students. It gave us great hope that these young people are working hard to get the vote out and are truly interested in this election. In my many years of voting I have never seen the young ones so actively involved.

[cthrumatrix]

17. notice the media does not talk about this group and voting for a draft

under the chimp

[NoBorders]

19. great article - kick

good chance that youth vote will impact the election - and they are not heavily weighted in likely voter polls.