The Democracy Corp (.pdf) has a new poll out examining the opinions of young voters.
A major, multi-mode survey of America’s young people recently conducted by Democracy Corps shows young people profoundly alienated from the Republican Party and poised to deliver a significant majority to the Democratic nominee for President in 2008.
Young people disagree with Republicans on vitually every issue.
Exploring attitudes toward the parties themselves, young voters’ reaction to fundamental issues and their perceptions of the GOP suggest a fundamental alienation from the Republican Party, a crisis that will not leave with the Bush administration.
Young people react with hostility to the Republicans on almost every measure and
Republicans and younger voters disagree on almost every major issue of the day. The range of
the issue disagreements range from the most prominent issues of the day (Iraq, immigration) to
burning social issues (gay marriage, abortion) to fundamental ideological disagreements over
the size and scope of government.
And, yet, even among young people, the Republicans do better among white people.
It is also important to note that the large Democratic margin is driven, in part, by the diversity of this generation. Overall, Democrats are losing among white young voters.
It’s truly strange to feel like a minority in my own race. I can’t imagine supporting the Republicans. I don’t support them on any issue. Not one. I don’t feel that the Democrats are a threat to me, or treat me unfairly because of my race on any issue.
What explains this? Is Affirmative Action that unpopular? Does the new generation fall for the black welfare mother stereotype? Is it latent racism? Opposition to Hispanic immigration? There must be something that keeps young white voters in the Republican fold. I just don’t know what it is.
God, gays, guns and evil dark skinned people.
Then there are the more well heeled for whom its all tax cuts and capital gains.
I swear. Most of the people I know who are Republicans will bring up one of these issues as their “big Kahuna” reason to support the Republican Party. And it will revolve around some fear related to one or several of them.
I get accused all of the time by my Republican friends that because I’m a Democrat, I don’t believe in anything. All Dems are wishy washy, all Dems want to do is appease. Dems are wimps.
And when I look at them and what they believe, it is all, and I mean all based on some fear. They are perpetually afraid and want to feel like there is some authority out there that is on “their side”. And the Party and their leaders are it.
Just look at the Max Blumenthal video from the College Republican Convention. That says it as well as anything.
Complex issue though, lots of possibilities.
It’s greed.
If you have unfairly obtained a relative degree of wealth and power, there is nothing tangible for you to gain from egalitarianism. In fact, social justice is guaranteed to leave you worse off.
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The white folks blame the poor and minorities in general for their unfortunate situation. In Europe and especially in the Scandinavian countries there is still some feeling of solidarity and Christian principle to advance those groups op people in society that are born with a disadvantage. Also the immigration issue receives a great support from the church groups across all denominations: Jews, Protestant, Catholic and Muslim. Call it socialism or whatever.
Though also in Europe the tide is changing due to a political move to the right, especially after the terror of 9/11. It’s so much easier to find a scapegoat now for most violence, social issues of housing and jobs, or disruptions in communities.
Affluence and discrimination
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."stop the damned labeling.The young white voter is focusing on getting by. they are forced to examine what they are up against and they don’t have the time to watch the news as past gens did. aYjey pick up their news on the fly and who has focused on “news on the fly”- Faux news. So, as the young voter finds that getting by ain’t that easy, they look naturally for someone to blame and thats what the scum at faux feeds on.
And, as more and more right wing consolidation of the media takes place, these young folks just don’t have time to react to large scale issues. They do however, when pushed to respond to the individual problems, they are responding more progressively that the faux fools.
Remember — the younger voter takes their news better when it is presented with a humorous bent and that is our bread and butter!
“stop the damn labeling”, and then you proceed to talk about all the problems that beset “the young white voter.” “They don’t have the time to watch the news as past gens did”? Where are you getting this?
Every one makes choices on what is important and what is not in their lives. That includes taking the time to learn what is going on in the world, which is easier to do than it has ever been.
And I don’t believe for one minute that life is any more or less difficult now (in an overall, general way) than it was for any other generation.
So what is taking up the time of the “young white voter” do you imagine, that doesn’t also occupy the time of any other young voter?
My thought? See comments above re: “greed” and “evil dark-skinned people”.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072607A.shtml
Editor’s Note: A full examination of this issue will be the topic for this week’s program, “Voter Caging” on “NOW” airing Friday, July 27 on PBS (Check local listings at http://www.pbs.org/now/sched.html.). TO/vh
Also see:
Truthout’s interview with former US attorney for New Mexico David Iglesias *
Exclusive | Emails Detail RNC Voter Suppression in Five States
By Jason Leopold and Matt Renner
t r u t h o u t | Report
Thursday 26 July 2007
Truthout has obtained previously undisclosed GOP campaign emails from the 2004 presidential race that reveal and detail strategies to disenfranchise voters in crucial swing states.
Previously undisclosed documents detail how Republican operatives, with the knowledge of several White House officials, engaged in an illegal, racially-motivated effort to suppress tens of thousands of votes during the 2004 presidential campaign in a state where George W. Bush was trailing his Democratic challenger, Senator John Kerry.
The documents also contain details describing how Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign officials, and at least one individual who worked for White House political adviser Karl Rove, planned to stop minorities residing in Cuyahoga County from voting on election day.
The efforts to purge voters from registration rolls was spearheaded by Tim Griffin, a former Republican National Committee opposition researcher. Griffin recently resigned from his post as interim US attorney for Little Rock Arkansas. His predecessor, Bud Cummins, was forced out to make way for Griffin.
Another set of documents, 43 pages of emails, provided to Truthout by the PBS news program “NOW,” contains blueprints for a massive effort undertaken by RNC operatives in 2004, to challenge the eligibility of voters expected to support Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in states such as Nevada, New Mexico, Florida and Pennsylvania….” excerpt
As the mother of two sons, (both adults) I had to fight my husband (a liberal, espousing illiberal rhetoric) tooth and nail over his ridiculous comments concerning reverse discrimination. His complaints were in effect narcissistic, believing his kids were not on an equal playing field when competing against minorities. That minorities were not even allowed on the playing field to begin with and are still discriminated against does not enter into the equation as far as he’s concerned.
The fact that whites fear losing their majority status may be another reason they are drawn towards a party that’s enamored with racism. As a white middle-aged woman, (repelled by the thought of having to depict her race at all) I say good riddance. Racists don’t deserve a majority in anything whatsoever.
Simple answer to a simple question:
MONEY
White people assume they will earn more and consume more and acquire more than anybody else over their lifetime. Republicans protect wealth for the very tip-top of society (which is what these young whites aspire to).
The only real fear is that they won’t get as rich as humanly possible… that somebody else might share a portion of the wealth. No matter how much they have, it is never enough. (Look at their role models: Murdoch and the other tycoons still grasping for another gold piece.)
All their social issues are derived from avariciousness. The pastors who are most popular (mega-churches) are the ones who count the members of their flock the way any CEO considers contributions to his bottom-line. Abortion, immigration, federal lands, global-warming, war-mongering, health insurance, everything… can be looked at in terms of what will ensure the financial supremacy of white voters.
Example: If the costs of the unending war in Iraq and beyond (12 billion dollars/month and increasing) were borne by the Republicans, we wouldn’t be in this war. It was sold as something that would pay for itself… meanwhile the rich get several tax cuts, and the war profiteers are wallowing in their receipts. If pounding on the theme of the brown menace or religious differences continues the flow of money into their pockets, the Republicans will espouse any amount of nonsense and excuses for violence. Spreading democracy by bulldozing their civilization is nonsense. Calling it a crusade is simply inflammatory.
Example: If the Republicans were truly fiscally aware, they’d promote health insurance for children so that classroom attendance would increase their aptitude for education and provide a healthier, more productive, highly taxable workforce later. Besides, more parents would be working and attentive to their jobs, benefiting those companies. But SCHIP will cut into the already fat tax refunds now, so Bush will veto it.
Example: If the Republicans were responsible trustees of the national interest, they’d understand that preserving wilderness and protecting reserves serve our long-term interests. Where are we going to find genetic diversity when our engineered foodstuffs weaken to disease? Knowing what has happened to bananas and strawberries, why are the heads of companies such as Chiquita and Dole Republicans? New medicines? Maybe that clear-cut forest harbored far more than board-feet of lumber. Cheney orders the Klamath drained for his Republican voters, and 70,000 breeding fish go belly-up. They will always pocket a profit now, even if they are diminishing later returns. (Rapture feeds into this immediacy.)
Money.
Now, if not sooner.
All the rest is just excuses.