Barack Obama, Pollsters, and the Youth Vote

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i think that young people should always vote because our vote does count so we should take advantage of it

JUILIUS JONES of OH 10:34AM November 06, 2008

There are over 28 million registered voters aged 18-24 and more than 70% are either democrat and/or an Obama supporter. An interesting stat, all they would have to do is show up at a 56% improvement in turnout from 2004 and Obama wins with over 300 electoral votes. If its anywhere near the turnout in the primaries, then he wins in a landslide. The polls underestimate his lead. The youth are almost never polled due to exclusive cell-phone use and thin voting history. The youth will decide this election in Obama's favor, no doubt.

Alan of CA 3:57AM September 30, 2008

On Obama, Inc.'s use of "action alerts," using money to influence Google search engines, MoveOn indoctrination, computer hacking, etc. etc. etc. in conjunction with the unwillingness exhibited by individuals employed by the corporate Media [Matters] monolith to "correctly gauge" the implications of such things as blatant legal intimidation of Jewish organizations in order to dictate who they are permitted to host at their own events (merely one example):

"The last thing I remember before I stripped and kneeled

Was a trainload of fools bogged down in a magnetic field."

-----Bob Dylan

trust your instincts

if a politician tells you to "get in people's faces"---the faces of your family, friends, coworkers, etc., and to intimidate them into voting a certain way, they do not respect your abilities to make decisions affecting your own interpersonal relationships, nor the freedom and dignity of others....and you could become one of the "others" some day

emerson of NC 4:14PM September 22, 2008

I really don't think this election is about white suburban women, or blue-collar white voters, or white independent men. Notice the pattern? Minorities are going overwhelmingly for Obama, yet white voters still get most of the press, as if they are the only ones who will decide the election. The media still can only focus on microgroups.

Well, a big macrogroup that everyone is overlooking is the youth vote. This election is about a generation gap. Yes, many voters will likely have an issue with voting for a black man. (And even the most ardent GOP apologist knows this to be true, but won't say it. Because if you deny it, it must not be true--right?). But the older generation has a much bigger problem with Obama's race than the younger generation. Racial prejudices run deep, and the GOP isn't talking about it, because they them to win.

Sarah isn't helping McCain gain any ground with this group because Obama was never about gender or race to start with.

Obama speaks their lingo. The lipstick joke was the dumbest thing I've heard come out of anyone's mouth--male or female. I groaned. Somehow I don't think Russia, Iran, or Syria, et al is cowering from fear after this remark left Sarah's lips. I cowered with disgust.

The media have no idea how to track the youth because they are too busy consuming their time wondering how white women are voting.

Mia of WI 12:48AM September 22, 2008

Young college students all over the country have organized on behalf of getting the vote out on campus for Barack and youth in this country want CHANGE and clearly understand the Republicans are through for this election therefore they are turning out in records numbers to convince other young people rich and poor, unemployed young people, young blacks and hispanics have Barack in their focus for change in this countryPolls are slanted and controlled by media and are unreliable -leading all youth is the idea of new ideas. jobs the economy student loans debacle, etc.

Claire Daley DiBerardino of NJ 8:22AM September 20, 2008

Don't worry, we the youth plan on voting in the coming election. Don't underestimate the blacks coming out for obama, or the rednecks coming out for palin/mccain. We're more concerned with who's out there telling the truth, and that candidate would be Ralph Nader.

Dylan of NY 8:02PM September 19, 2008

The pollsters have it all wrong,purposely. They want the people to believe that even in a climate of disaster that the status quo can continue to dominate over free thinking Americans. Our young people are already showing up in record numbers around the country voluntteering for the Obama campaign. Do we honestly think that they are going to let all their hard work be for naught? I know not. The young people will be the "real change agent" in this election, and thus will be the deciding factor that will usher Obama/Biden into the White House.

Sharon Q, from GA of GA 8:12AM September 19, 2008

McCain learned the wrong lessons from history and has degenerated into a deceitful parody of his maverick image. Getting tortured for a stupid war is no virtue, and the US is fading in the same way the British Empire failed. Young people get it because they see McCain as he is, not as he built his phony reputation on. And Palin's lies and bullying of all who oppose her are quite obvious once you look at her real record. Young people have to live with the consequences of living ghosts of the failures of the past while boomers can endlessly fight the battles of the past. I hope the young decide this election and not the living ghosts of the past.

Ed of CA 10:46PM September 18, 2008

Let's hope EVERY American thinks and votes wisely. McCain now wants to fire the SEC Chairman. McCain has a hair-trigger temper as a psychologically disturbed, post-traumatic-disordered candidate. For McCain, it is "Bomb, bomb, Iran!" "Drill, baby, drill!" and "Fire, everyone, fire!" When he slimes Obama, he is in fact the pot calling the faucet black. The McCain-Pain ticket is, even according to Rove, who wrote the book on slime politics, too dirty by far. Their lies, trashy hypocricy, clear power-corrupt past, cronyism, corrupt-money-driven, fear-mongering,obbyists-run campaign, in which McSlime steals every (rhetorical) line from Obama--Change! Enough! Washington needs to be reformed, etc--can only be bought by voters who either will never vote for a black man or who are persuaded by the sheer magnitude of the lies. Even conservatives like David Brooks, acknowledge that Palin is completely unfit to be VP and soon President, when the near-dementia 72-year-old, chronically angry, and endless-war McBush dies in office.

lin of 10:18PM September 18, 2008

The more I interact with kids these days, the more convinced I am that they are not only light years better than what we were in terms of comprehending issues and concepts that require multi-dimensional processing but at the same time, far more tolerant and equitable. I guess there always was this type of gradation from generation to generation, but what is quite obvious to many is the growth has been exponential since the ninety's. Herein lies hope for this planet as most of our seeimgly unsolvable problems are due to rigid mindsets.

I am not implying therefore that they will vote one way or another. But if they do vote, I am sure teir judgement will do a lot more justice to solving today's problems

Al of NJ 3:23PM September 18, 2008

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John A. Farrell

John A. Farrell

John Aloysius Farrell is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report. An award-winning Washington reporter, he has written for The Boston Globe and The Denver Post and is the author of Tip O’Neill and the Democratic Century and an upcoming biography of the great American defense attorney, Clarence Darrow.

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The GOP is stuck with Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, or Paul.

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