Can We Have Real Democracy in a Two-Party System?
Like generations before them, Millennials lament the two-party system. They want more choices, more accurate representations of their ideals and values. As one student in CIRCLE's study measuring political attitudes among college students, said, "I think everyone is just too afraid to agree with one another because there's this mindset where you have to either be completely Democratic or completely Republican."
The two-party system controlled by the Democrats and Republicans shuts out voices of other, legitimate political parties and interests. Other forces, such as the media, have colluded with the two major parties in order to define America's political choices. A fellow WireTap writer, Kameelah Rasheed, has criticized already some of the positions of the Democratic candidates, as not her cup of tea.
So here's my -- unabashedly -- very unoriginal plan that can move us close to a multi-party system in the next few elections. Let's move to small towns and big cities in states across the country, to affect very local elections, such as city and school boards. Conservatives have already done just that - created small pockets of conservatism by controlling local school boards.
Let's say there is an existing party, Party M, that has a small presence in towns and cities all over the country. We then identify where elected seats could be won. One vote really matters in local elections and our experience in peer-to-peer outreach and online fundraising can make us a serious voting bloc for any local election. Assuming we win, we next build upon that base, getting more Party M candidates elected to municipal- and city-level seats. After securing those seats, we can now make a run at state districts, and so on. The goal isn't to get one person elected to the highest office, but to elect many people in many different localities and in many different states. This way is very grassroots, which is to our advantage, and it is more pluralistic than segregating oneself in a political oasis. We join the system, but with fresh ideas and attitudes, and more importantly, we bring a progressive ideology that won't bent to the politics of those before us. And we offer others another choice.
Now is the time because of today's political engagement and the evolving work culture. Millennials are energized and participating in politics at level not seen since 1992, perhaps earlier. The presence is real and it's already helping to decide this election's outcome. Not only has voting been up in all the primaries, save New York, but young people have been the face of politics in the media and on the campaign trail. So, we must use this energy to make seismic changes in the political system, just as in other areas of civic engagement. Isn't that why we're getting involved in the first place?
We are not limited to a few geographic locations, and picking the right community is not as difficult as before. Millennials are demanding a change in work culture that allows us to work from where we want to live (and where we want to bring democracy). For example, one of my colleagues works full-time from her home in Chicago; our office, where I work, is in Washington, DC. I've encouraged her to run for school board and I hope that she does, but as a third party candidate.
Some Millennials don't want to choose between the two parties, but still we give into the system. But this moment is our chance to carry forth on our lofty goals and ambitions. Let's leap at the opportunity, because we've arrived.
This weekend Demos hosted a conference that focused solely on the economic black hole the Millennial Generation seems to be spiraling into.
"This generation of young people are engaging in politics in a way we haven't seen for a long time," said Tamara Draut, Director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, author of a new report, "The Economic State of Young America," and also a book entitled Strapped: Why America's 20-and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead.
"They are reeling from the effects of a decades-long retrenchment in the investments and public policies that helped previous generations work or educate their way into the middle class. This conference is the first step in building a sustained movement of young people to repair our social contract and build a better future."
In conjunction with The Center for American Progress, a recent report was released regarding the state of the economy and its specific effects and attitudes for/by young people. On the conference call linked from the CAP page above, Tamara Draut specifically says that "Millennials are having the hardest time educating themselves into the middle class."
Her recent article in the March edition of the American Prospect also says that 18-29 year olds are
"very likely to be the first generation to not surpass the living standards of their parents. Evidence of their declining economic opportunities and security abound, from widespread debt to lower earnings in today's labor market for all but those with advanced degrees."
Mike Connery's recap of the conference call and report details a fascinating point:
"The real significance of CAP's research is that all the data is compiled from long-term studies and surveys. That allows them to speak not only to the concerns of Millennials, but to compare those concerns to those of Generation X and the late Baby Boomers when they were of a comparable age. In doing so, they help dispel the myth that voters become more conservative as they age (what the study calls "lifecycle factors"), and paints a picture of a generation that is far more progressive than its predecessors ever were. The CAP report argues that this is evidence of a long-term, generational shift towards a more progressive set of political beliefs.
Paul Starr has some potential ideas for building the young middle class in his piece A New Deal of their Own:
"Beyond health care, however, the GI Bill may provide the most relevant model. It was the one concerted effort in recent history to focus public resources on expanding opportunity for young adults, and it had a big pay-off in postwar prosperity."
Even though he's old -- I really love Jack Cafferty on this:
I wish I had some answers, but if I did, I'd probably be writing somewhere a lot less entertaining. What do you think is the worst place you are feeling the squeeze?
Young people aren't always liberals. And the majority didn't always vote for Democrats.
Surprised? No, for real, are you?
The eighties are remembered mostly for its pop culture, but the decade was also famous for Reagan and the expansion of the Republican Party. The plurality of young people in that decade, like other age groups, voted for Reagan and identified with the G.O.P. In other words, the G.O.P. attracted more young voters than the Democratic Party while Reagan was in office.
In 1988, young people helped elect George H.W. Bush into the Oval Office. That was also the last time when more young people voted for the G.O.P. than Democrats.
The next decade was then when the Democrat's began to ride on a wave of youth energy and participation, which was reinforced at the beginning of the new century. Bill Clinton's victory in 1992 was helped in part by the second highest recorded turnout of young people since 1972 -- 52 percent. (pdf)
Even though young people have favored the Democrats since 1992, it hasn't always been by an overwhelming margin; young people were split more evenly in 1998 and 2000. Gore won the plurality of the youth vote in 2000, but only by a 2 percentage-point margin. (pdf)
This was followed by a burst in youth support in 2004; the margin soared to nine percentage points in favor of Kerry. More recently, in the 2006 Congressional house races, 58 percent of young people supported a Democratic Candidate. (pdf) Moreover, the plurality of young voters identified with the Democratic Party, a 12 percentage point advantage over the G.O.P. And even more recently, in the 2008 primary contests, for which we have exit poll data for both parties, roughly three-quarters of all young voters participated in the Democratic primary.
So yes, divisive politics turns out voters -- of all stripes -- and young voters are no different. In 2004 and 2006, young voters came out in larger numbers -- by a greater margin -- than any other age group. The 2008 primary season is no different.
But what is different in this election, isn't just the energy, it's proof that the strategy of reaching out to young voters works. The growing support for Democrats, especially in this primary season, is partly the result of direct and tailored outreach to young people; the GOP is not putting as much effort into recruiting young voters.
Youth outreach matters, as in, it just might win you an election, especially when the Millennials are about to surpass the Baby Boomers generation in numbers. Democrats were the first to recognize this in the 2008 election.
Party affiliation, and more importantly, preferences are not dictated by time and age, but through the strength of the argument made in its case. Progressives have been making their case now for years, and most are not buying into any stereotypes about young voters. This is a movement that is years in the making and still growing.
Indiana and North Carolina Outcomes
In the most exciting news I've seen on election coverage, The Washington Post declares young voters to be one of the winners of last night's election.
"No age group has been more ridiculed for their lack of participation than those under 30. But in Indiana that age group comprised 16 percent of the overall vote while those 65 or older comprised 15 percent. Under 30s went for Obama 61 percent to 39 percent, a margin that all but neutralized Clinton's 44 percent margin among older Hoosiers."
And those were the ones who were able to vote! The US Supreme Court decided to uphold Indiana's Voter ID law they "rejected arguments that Indiana’s law imposes unjustified burdens on people who are old, poor or members of minority groups and less likely to have driver’s licenses or other acceptable forms of identification."
What was rejected by the Supremes was seen in Tuesday's elections. According to a release by the Student PIRGs
"Student PIRG New Voters Project staff stationed at polling locations near Indiana campuses today are beginning to hear from young voters turned away at the polls for a failure to meet voter identification laws upheld by the Supreme Court last week....
19-year-old Angela Hiss, a sophomore and computer science major at the University of Notre Dame, was turned away from the polls this afternoon, as she attempted to vote in her first election. After arriving at her polling location, she presented several forms of identification - her school ID, a piece of mail that showed her campus address and an Illinois driver’s license – but was misinformed that she could not vote because she could not show in-state ID. Poll-workers, according to Hiss, also did not advise her that she could cast a provisional ballot, as required by state and federal law. Instead, they suggested visiting local Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain the in-state identification required by Indiana’s newly-upheld law...
19-year-old Allyson Miller, a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame and volunteer at a local children’s clinic was similarly turned away from the polls today. An Indiana resident since the age of five, Miller left her driver’s license in her dorm room, and arrived straight from class at the polls with her school ID and registration confirmation papers from the County Registrar. Upon arriving, however, poll-workers did not allow her to vote without a state-issued ID. "I plan to come back because voting is a big deal to me," said Miller, "but it’s a huge inconvenience, especially with a final tomorrow."
19-year-old Becky Jenkins, a sophomore and member of the tennis team at Butler University was also unable to vote in her first election today. "I didn’t know that I had to have an Indiana ID," she said after she was turned away from the polls for attempting to cast her ballot using a driver's licenses issued by the State of Illinois. When asked if she would instead cast a provisional ballot, Jenkins also said her travel plans wouldn’t allow her to."
Similar accounts were heard by elderly nuns who were also prevented from voting
"The nuns, all in their 80s or 90s, didn't get one but came to the precinct anyway. One came down this morning, and she was 98, and she said, 'I don't want to go do that,'" Sister McGuire said. Some showed up with outdated passports. None of them drives.
Read the rest of the post »
Young Religious Voters Focus on Social Justice
A new piece from The Associated Press suggests that some young voters of faith will be voting with regard to social justice issues. The piece notes the drastic diversion from the 2000 and 2004 elections, when so-called religious voters turned out in droves for President Bush.
There is "a growing number of other young, left-leaning believers are entering the political arena as campaign aides, lobbyists, grass-root activists and engaged voters. They are trying to expand the focus of faith-based politics beyond the religious right's hot-button issues of abortion and gay marriage. And they are placing social justice issues, like poverty and war, at the intersection of their moral and political decision making...
"In three decades I've never seen this sort of student-youth involvement," said Jim Wallis, author of the best-seller "The Great Awakening." "I do think there's a major shift under way."
The shift of young faith-based voters both dramatic and complex. "They're leaving the Republican Party in droves, but they're not automatically Democrats," Wallis said. "They're not going to jump in the pocket of the Democratic Party the way they did with the Republican Party."
As we've seen in the past, many young people are using their traditional beliefs to extend beyond single-issue candidacies and so-called values campaigns to decide for themselves what the issue du jour is. But these newly-named social values and reborn politics are more slated for the ever-growing Independent Party or "decline to state" voters.
And according to some, that may account for the major calling from faith based voters under 30 who contribute to the success of candidates like Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee.
"The message that Barack Obama tends to have definitely appeals to people in my generation, especially people in the faith and justice movement," said Jon Gromek, a 22-year-old organizing associate at Network, a Catholic social justice group based in Washington.
Gromek, who favors Obama, majored in theology and political science and sees his faith-based social work as part of a larger generational shift. "There's a growing movement of people, especially youth, who are ready to work on these issues, whether from a political or social standpoint."
One thing is for certain, these same beliefs are affecting the non-profit organizations across the country. More social justice organizations have developed in the past several years to fight genocide and help children in war-torn areas, not to mention hundreds of domestic-based organizations.
Whether through elections or issue campaigns, giving voice to young values has brought to light issues that campaigns often times lack and I believe our country is all the better for having the dialogue.
Tough Education Choice for Sen. McCain
A great blog called "Education Election" has been running courtesy of the National Education Writers Association at Edelection. It covers news stories in which presidential candidates have discussed education, and adds a good bit of analysis as well.
One intriguing note is that Barack Obama has made news with his positions and proposals for education a total of 37 times since the start of the campaign season, Hillary has been covered 34 times, and John McCain has been covered only 10 times. Though it doesn't mean anything about the content or quality of their views on education, there may be some conclusion that is reachable regarding the priority with which each campaign views education as an election issue.
You don't need to take it from me or the education writers association, however. You can take it from the McCain campaign itself, which has all but admitted that education will not play a major role in his campaign. Indeed, "education" only appeared on the issues section of his website very recently, and he has refrained from virtually any substantive discussion thus far.
Why has the Arizona Senator said so little about schools and school reform? This terrific article by Richard Whitmire on Politico.com explains it well. Basically, McCain has a choice to make. On the one hand, he can do what most GOP nominees have done for the past quarter-century and minimize education as a federal election issue by mostly talking up school choice, empowering parents, and avoiding tougher issues around NCLB and accountability. This is what worked for Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush.
On the other hand, Senator McCain can do what the current President Bush did back in 2000 and 2004, which was to encroach upon traditionally democratic territory by pushing more centrist and aggressive reforms such as charter schools, teacher quality reform, and other ideas that are less appealing to the Republican base but more promising from a student achievement perspective.
Which one will he choose? It looks like the former right now, except for the fact that his chief education advisor is a woman named Lisa Graham Keegan -- a real firecracker who has made major waves as chief of schools in Arizona and as the head of a DC based group called the Education Leaders Council (*full disclosure -- I worked for Ms. Keegan as an intern back in 2001 and was quite impressed with her passion for finding solutions to help children learn*). Arizona is perhaps the premier state in the country when it comes to putting conservative talking points on school reform into action, as it has widely available charter schools, vouchers, and other parent choice mechanisms in play. The results haven't been conclusive however -- one study, at least, has gone so far as to rank Arizona last in K-12 education outcomes.
It will bear watching in the coming months, while the Dems continue to slug it out, whether Sen. McCain sets up an aggressive reform agenda on education, or whether he lets it serve as a back-burner issue to Iraq and national security.
Also, I wanted to leave you with this humorous video from Comedy Central's the Colbert Report that is education-related:
The League of Pennsylvania Voters
Liz Rincon is the state director for the Pennsylvania League of Young Voters, and while she's only been organizing on the ground for more a few months she's done a lot.
"This was never supposed to happen. I think everyone was unprepared for this because Pennsylvania has never mattered before!" she said over the phone between spirits of answering questions to shouting voices in the background.
The League has worked non-stop for the past several years to energize community members to help engage "sometimes" and "never" voters into participating in the primary elections this year because it helps encourage more consistent voting in the general election as well as other elections.
"It's a catalyst," Rincon said. "There is a lot of excitment this year and a lot of get out the vote, when too often we are ignored. This will really help us, not just this year, but with all elections in the future down to our mayoral elections, even...
The major question is if they [candidates] will come back and holding them accountable for the things they say here. Will they come here and do the town hall [meetings] in the general election? We have to keep people engaged."
Time will tell about the general election, but for now the turnout in Pennsylvania has been substantial. When asked about the campaign activity among the Republican candidates Rincon told me that while The League was non-partisan the GOP was not engaged at all because they didn't have to be. With Republican candidate John McCain as a shoe-in, the democratic candidates had the monopoly on the enthusiasm in the state.
There were some problems reported in voting in PA that one blogger reported the encounters faced by a friend in Pittsburgh, PA:
"New voters were sent cards in the mail with the wrong polling place. Her voting site was a construction area, and she subsequently spent 40 minutes wandering the streets with other would-be voters. Eventually they got the number for campaign headquarters and found the polling area several blocks away."
Another came from someone who emailed friends of mine who said that he recently signed up to vote by the deadline, had a copy of his registration form, and proof that it was received by the necessary authorities before the date, but was not on the voter rolls. Electronic voting problems were also reported in places.
You can view preliminary exit polling via the chart to the right from Mike over at Future Majority. In the end the Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund says that of the 218,923 new voter registration in Pennsylvania since January 2008, 70 percent of new registrants are between 18 and 35 years of age.
According to Jane Flemming Kleeb at Young Voter's PAC
"The youth share of the overall electorate was 3 percent points above the average share for 2004. This number is consistent with the increased turnout in other states and an increased share compared to the last two general elections."
The report from CIRCLE (pdf) shows a 14 percent increase in turnout for voters under 30 and young voters were 12 percent of the total vote share.
Teachers Union in PA Goes Heavy on Endorsement Ads, Light on "Ed"
As millions of eyes have been trained on Pennsylvania for the past six weeks, incredible numbers of ads, speeches, and other forms of political messaging have hit the airwaves. Some of these ads have been though provoking, many have been negative, and all of them have been expensive. But one ad caught the attention of some education advocates last week.
The ad was a radio spot purchased by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in Pennsylvania, for the cost of $329,425. The ad supports Hillary Clinton for president, although previous AFT ads in New Hampshire and Iowa also supported Senators Obama and Edwards.
You can listen to the ad and read the script here. As you listen or read, pay attention to what is NOT said, bearing in mind that the ad was bought by the nation's largest urban teachers union, which has nearly one and a half million members.
If you don't have time to check out the ad, I'll cut to the chase for you. In 57 seconds of talking, the American Federation of Teachers advertisement mentions the word "education" a grand total of zero times. It mentions the word "school" just once -- when a woman named Margo announces that she is a public school teacher. Margo's next line should be about Hillary's plan to improve schools, help students learn, refocus our national energies on our children, right? Instead, Margo says that she supports Hillary Clinton because "She's capable, she's experienced, and she's a fighter."
In other words, the major education lobbyist group at play in the Democratic primary is buying ads that are education free. What hope do our children have if even the teachers don't think education is an issue that merits our attention this election cycle?
Rock the Vote / WireTap Call for Young Election 2008 Reporters!
This year's elections are without a doubt the most exciting for me, since my mom and I left the post-Soviet ethnic tensions of Eastern Europe in '94 for the promise of America. For many Millennials, this election may turn out the most important in their lifetime. For the first time in decades, the future of education, jobs, climate change, racial justice, immigration -- almost every major issue that young people care about is being debated by passionate and smart presidential candidates.
As young voters are coming out in record numbers, WireTap magazine partnered up with Rock the Vote to support the work of five emerging reporters for Rock the Trail project. These young reporters will rock their local, state and presidential campaign trails to deliver insightful and compelling blogs, articles and videos from the communities they live in, reporting on young people's top issues.
Rock the Trail reporters will help make this election relevant, fun and meaningful for new voters.
The issues and voices of Rock the Trail reporters will be posted on RocktheVote.com, WireTapMag.org, BET.com, and will also be available for viewing on AT&T mobile phones. In addition, we will be working with the WashingtonPost.com to contribute unique perspectives complementary to the site's vast coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign.
Entries will be judged by the young staff of Rock the Vote and WireTap, as well as an advisory panel of distinguished journalists including: Jeff Chang, award-winning author of Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation, Sian-Pierre Regis, producer, BET News, Peter Rothberg, associate publisher, The Nation magazine and Jose Antonio Vargas, political feature writer, The Washington Post.
Rock the Trail reporters will be paid a $500 monthly stipend and supplied with a laptop, cell phone and video camera to rock the 2008 campaign trail. Rock the Trail reporters will work approximately 10 hours a week from May 15 to November 30 interviewing candidates, elected officials, campaigners, young voters, youth organizers and Rock the Vote artists discussing everything from the Presidential race to mayoral elections and anything in between.
So, if you're a U.S. citizen between the ages of 18-29 and interested in reporting on one of the most exciting times in U.S. politics, please visit Rockthevote.com/rockthetrail to complete an application by May 7th (not a minute after 11:59pm).
Rock the Trail project is sponsored by AT&T.
I remember working in the 2004 Election about as fondly as those who attend boot camp. It was a conservative state, in a conservative district, and more than once a day (when I was in the field with the candidate) I encounter someone asking me where the candidate was on "abortion." Jesus Christ! I wanted to shout. Don't you people get it? Hoping desperately that people of faith would look beyond the single issue and see the whole package. Guess what. This year, younger people of faith actually do get it.
This month's cover story in C&E Magazine is about the "new evangelical divide."
"It is generational; the way we view the Gospel is more well-rounded-or we see it that way," laughs Ginny, 33. . . But pro-life for us is more holistic, more all of life and all of the environment-endangered species, and not just the human species."
I feel like progressives of faith have been trying to advocate this kind of thinking since they were hoodwinked in the 2004 election by fear and clever marketing on behalf of power-hungry pastors. To put it in perspective check out these charts from a CBS poll done right after November 7, 2004.
"In the years since, white evangelicals between the ages of 18 and 29 "have become increasingly dissatisfied with Bush and are moving away from the GOP," according to Cox. Just since 2005, Republican affiliation among young evangelicals has slipped from 55 percent to 40 percent..."
The most beneficial of those numbers are issues specifically. Values voters who look outside the single issue box are now seen fighting causes previously ignored by these groups a few years ago. For example, as part of a series of blogs, Bid for Green has begun posting Unexplored Connections in dealing with the climate crisis.
C&E sees similar trends.
"Another factor is that so many Christian college students have been changed by their experience helping victims of poverty and natural catastrophe. For some, it was volunteering in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. For others, it was a spring break trip to a Third World country, now a common rite of passage for evangelical youth."
On campuses that trend continues. More and more students are becoming active in community outreach, causes that give back, preserve, clean up, or help those who need it most. In just a few short years we've managed to create a culture of compassion beyond the marketing ploys and church focus groups.
"On Christian campuses, academics have for a decade been moving away from "the either/or mindset of either fundamentalism or the Social Gospel," says Lisa Sharon Harper, author of the forthcoming Evangelical Does Not Equal Republican...or Democrat. But it's just in the last couple of years, she says, that "evangelicals en masse are beginning to realize that the Good News encompasses both." For her book, Harper interviewed 67 evangelical leaders across the country and found that "almost everybody said yes, absolutely there is a shift happening that's prevalent in this new generation."
I like the conversations now. Enhancing compassion and moving beyond "tolerance" instead to appreciation is something I find the Millennial Generation is more eager to embrace. And I say Amen to that!
Today's youth are more ethnically and racially diverse than ever before. This unprecedented diversity of Millenial's (pdf) though is not fully present at the voting booth, because of our antiquated Electoral College system.
After people of color and women won their right to vote, women have voted in high numbers, outvoting young men since 1972. Young people of color, on the other hand, still lag behind their white counterparts when it comes to voter turnout.
This voting gap between young people of color and whites highlights the problem with today's strategic electoral campaigning in 'swing states' -- a product of the Electoral College system.
Read the rest of the post »
My mom loves John McCain and she is definitely younger than he is, does that mean she's a young voter? That is a pretty tough question if you think about it!
But seriously, John McCain appeared this morning on FoxNews Sunday talking about his connection to young voters. (Thanks to C&L for the tip off)
“…It’s pretty clear that Senator Obama and Senator Clinton have energized the younger voters and I believe I have and I believe I’ve got to compete on that grounds too. That’s why I go on shows that young people watch, so I’m not sure that the old red state, blue state scenario that prevailed for the last several elections really works.”
I haven't seen Sen. McCain on adult swim on the cartoon network yet but I'm guessing the animators are totally on it.
A few weeks ago I talked about Megan McCain's outreach to young people through her blog. AP also picked up the story and included information about the disclaimer the Blogetts give saying that Megan's blog is in no way affiliated with the campaign.
Thus far that is the only thing that has anything to do with McCain and youth. Sadly the campaign has not placed anything friendly to youth on the website about how young people can get involved. Women? Donors? Heck, even Lawyers get a line item. Young people... not so much. Check it out for yourself here
Others who are or who have? Giuliani, Huckabee, and most notably Ron Paul, who still hasn't dropped out of the race.
I don't know the extent to which young people are participating in McCain's campaign because I tend to roll solo. But I can tell you that young people are turning out in droves and it does wonders for candidates who recruit recruit recruit! And not just in votes either -- I'm talking some serious moral.
Many candidates today are doing outreach to young people. I'm curious what you all want speaking from the young perspective.
Obama's campagin provides a lot of leadership positions, Gen O, a fellowship academy, and of course students for... Clinton has HillBlazers featuring a Spring Break in hot Pennsylvania, and Ron Paul has his own Revolution.
Keep your eyes pealed for the new exciting John McCain youth program, everybody! According to the interview he's on all kinds of shows the young people are watching these days. I'm excited to see him Pimp his Campaign Bus and totally jazzed about what must be an upcoming South Park appearance.
When you look at political candidates that you support, what do you want to see from them in regard to youth outreach?
Obama Only Youth Game in Town?
Let me first say that generally mainstream media hasn't done the best job at covering young voters and the youth movement afoot in our country. From 60 Minutes, to CNN, and The New York Times, to more political wonky things like The Hill, many have fallen, so it was only a matter of time before the The Washington Post would contribute their latest round of blasphemy.
The piece starts out by talking about the excitment the media drums up each year about the youth vote actually coming out -- and claims that every year its a disappointment.
Wrong! Since 2000, the youth vote has continued to climb upward. Young people turned out in greater numbers each year including midterm elections like 2006. The most easily accessible research will prove that. You don't even have to comb through data to find this info, so already I'm annoyed.
"They make voter registration more convenient, and they try to make casting a ballot sound fashionably subversive. Both strategies have failed," an editorial page writer Catherine Rampell claims.
Wrong! If Rock the Vote didn't have significant data to back up what they were doing, me thinks they wouldn't have funding to soldier onward. But they do. And they have. For example, registering over a million people in 2004, 15,000 Community Street Team members, and signed up 118,000 young people to receive political information and GOTV messages through their cell phones -- a pioneering tactic now being utilized by everyone who is anyone. Rock the Vote has done more for the youth movement than than peanut butter has done for jelly.
Catherine goes on to say that because all of these other groups screwed it up so badly Barack Obama has been able to capitalize and swoop in to save the youth vote.
Wrong! I love Obama, and I love what he's done for young voters, but the only thing he has done that is different is actually reach out to young voters early and often. That makes him different than any other candidate since Bill Clinton's MTV Choose or Lose outreach in 1992. But it makes him just like Rock the Vote. The awesome text messaging program he is using isn't new, it was used before, as I mentioned above. Rule one is think outside the box and use what you got. Most youth orgs are good at this because they are already different and more willing to try something new.
I love that candidates are using these tactics and I think Obama should be commended for incorporating them into his operations at such an early stage, but the only people these tactics are new to are old people and candidates. We welcome you with open arms, but organizations have been doing this for the last few years. And now you're starting to see other candidates pick up on it. Thus the emergence of the HillBlazers this past winter, and McCain's sudden internet campaigns.
You don't want to read the rest. It gets pretty sad after that. She tries to claim that celebrity endorsements are all that orgs like Rock the Vote use and people dressed like thugs and rebellion... Its a diatribe that gets pretty embarrassing as she seems to be ignorant of the actual operation used by these organizations.
Read the rest of the post »
Differences in Political Participation Among Young Women and Men
Even when excluding elected officials, and even though women vote and volunteer at higher numbers, young men are still more active in political activities overall than young women.
Due to various legal and socioeconomic barriers, young women have historically been less engaged in politics and leadership than young men. On the other hand, they are what researchers refer to as 'civic specialists' -- citizens, who outperform their male counterparts in civic activities, such as volunteering for political issues and social causes, improving local communities, or raising money for charities.
This difference between young women and men owes a great deal to laws, institutions, and society. Often, women were dissuaded from voting, running for elected office, and participating in other meaningful political leadership activities. Civic participation, such as volunteering for causes, raising money, or community activism didn't have these same barriers, which offered a participatory outlet for young women.
The 15th, 19th, and 26th amendments knocked down the most significant barriers to women's electoral engagement. So what's happened since then? How are women getting involved?
Since 1972, young women have outdone young men in voting. But there is more. The voting gap has grown between young women and men from one point in 1972 to seven points in 2004. (pdf)
Different attitudes among the sexes to voting explain some of this annual drubbing of young men in voter turnout. Men are more likely to view voting as 'their responsibility as a citizen.' (Definitely no A+ in citizenship.) Women view voting 'as an expression of their choice.' And that's just it -- a choice. Voting is a signal in democracy of a citizen's preferences. One reason why voting isn't mandatory -- it's a choice! And by choosing to vote or not to vote, citizens send a clear signal to politicians that they must pay attention and respond to what citizens want. But voting is only one way to get involved politically.
This is where men make their preferences most known and why researchers still consider them to be more politically active than women. Young men are more engaged in persuading others to vote, donating to political candidates, and being a regular volunteer for political campaigns. (pdf) According to CIRCLE's, definition of electoral participation, which gives equal importance to all activities, young men are what researchers refer to as 'electoral specialists' -- that is, men are considered to be more engaged politically, as supposed to civically, than young women, even though young men turn out at lower numbers to the voting precincts.
There has been a surge in youth political activism in the 2008 primary season. And while we (perhaps just me) wait for all of the data to roll in about this election, we may see women close the gap in the entire spectrum of political engagement -- that is active engagement with issues and communities, as well as political candidates. And if young women become the 'electoral specialists,' then what? Maybe we'll need special programs to engage our young men.
Megan McCain and the Blogettes
Our friend Mike Connery over at Future Majority and author of the recently published book Youth to Power has spent much time criticizing John McCain, presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, for the lack of his campaign's outreach to youth save his daughter's blog which is packed with iTunes playlists, make-up tipes, and all around fluff.
One rip recently came post this USNews piece in which Mike said:
"In terms of the media narrative, I suppose that it's inevitable that events featuring the candidate's children get more coverage, particularly for youth vote stories. These stories have a natural news hook and they are easier to understand and report than a complicated field strategy. In some respects, it is a win for youth advocates whenever these stories are published, as they can provide positive media coverage for young voters in the campaign. Yet at times such 'celebrity' outreach can be merely a cloak covering up a lack of youth organizing within the campaign. Youth outreach isn't a media event, and campaigns should hire professional youth organizers, not punt the job to their children. And while I'm talking about the Presidential candidates here, this is a lesson that is just as true at the state and local level."
I couldn't agree more that a campaign should hire professionals to do this kind of work. Its unreasonable that youth outreach should come at the hands of the child of the candidate and only at her hands. Where I disagree with him is in the celebrity factor of Megan McCain. I think many campaigns like to highlight their children in efforts to connect with youth - you see this with Chelsea Clinton being used in the Clinton campaign flanked by several celebrities in tow. So maybe thats the baseline for the mistake.
Where I see Megan McCain and the Blogettes differ is once you look past the fluff. And believe me ... there is a lot of fluff you have to look through to find the gems. And she's upfront about that not being a place for serious policy and ideas for social change.... so perhaps we should forgive her there. The point is, I don't think its meant to be the youth outreach program. But maybe the GOP thinks that is their youth outreach and that's where the disconnect is.
One main thing she did do was in her March 10 post about her weight. It seems many people have been making comments about her "body shape."
" It recently reached a ridiculous level when someone handed me a business card for a plastic surgeon and suggested I needed liposuction. I am proud of my curves and have always loved my fuller figure, as should every woman who is not a size "0". I want to be a positive role model for my little sister and all of the other young women who read my blog and help perpetuate a more positive image for women, regardless of their body size. I feel empowered to tell everyone that it's important to maintain a healthy weight that works for them -- not everyone is going to be model thin, nor should they expect to be."
Read the rest of the post »