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Age And The Vote 2008-2012
Among all voters 30 and older, Obama ran behind Mitt Romney (48% for Obama, 50% for Romney). Four years ago, Obama edged John McCain, 50% to 49%, among all 30+ voters.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Selena Gomez Want You to "Vote 4 Stuff," So You Will
Right now you're thinking that those new PSAs from the stars of Titanic, Spider-Man andWizards of Waverly Place—along with Jonah Hill, Sarah Silverman and Ellen DeGeneres—cannot possibly have an influence on what you'll be doing on Nov. 6. You'll do whatever you want on Nov. 6, dammit.
But you're wrong. These people are worming their way into your subconscious as I write. By the time voting day comes around, you will be camped out in front of your local church/school/community center bright and early and ready to make your political wishes known. Because The Leo wills it. And I can prove it.
But according to people who know, they—along with the more obvious Gomez—still have a hold on people of college age.
"We live in an era where younger voters don't generally like, trust or look up to politicians, but they view A-list celebs with great reverence," Republican strategist and former presidential campaign advisor Ford O'Connell tells me. "While this video may seem odd to older voters, it is still more effective for the president than delivering a policy speech on the issues."
(The campaign is nonpartisan, but O'Connell, for his part, says the video will do much more good for President Barack Obama than challenger Mitt Romney.)
And in case that isn't enough proof for ya, fine: Maybe you'll trust some numbers.
Youth Vote Key To Obama Re-Election Bid
If Obama is to win re-election, he will need the youth vote in 2012. Given the state of the job market, Obama will have a difficult time attracting the youth vote. From Alex Roarty at the NationalJournal:
A Rutgers University study released this week reported, only half -- 51 percent -- of college graduates since 2006 are employed full-time. Eleven percent of them, the study found, are unemployed -- a figure well above the national rate of 8.1 percent. Another 12 percent are working part-time.
Imagine, then, the difficulty that other young people, those without the advantage of a college education, face in trying to find a job. Avoiding unemployment isn’t easy for most in this job market, but the struggles are acute for men and women younger than 30.
Their hardship explains President Obama’s dilemma this November. The White House incumbent enjoyed the overwhelming enthusiasm of young voters in 2008, winning them by a two-to-one margin over Republican John McCain -- an incredible edge even for a group that usually leans left. But replicating that success could prove difficult when so many of those same voters are beset by personal financial difficulty.
To do so, the Obama campaign might have to rely on a culturally oriented pitch, one that can tout the president’s support of same-sex marriage. That’s not necessarily a losing strategy, because many young people strongly identify with the president’s views. But it’s also one that Republicans bet won’t be enough to prevent them from making inroads on Election Day.
Romney Sympathizes With Young Voters On Student Debt
The future opportunities of young voters has really taken a hit under Obama's policies. Romney is trying to capitalize on the youth vote's lack of enthusiasm for the president. From CBS News:
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Monday embraced a student loan proposal that President Barack Obama is selling on the campaign trail.
"I think young voters in this country have to vote for me if they're really thinking of what's in the best interest of the country and what's in their personal best interest," Romney said as he stood next to Rubio, R-Fla.
House Republicans have said the estimated $6 billion annual cost of extending low-interest rates for student loans isn't affordable without offsetting cuts but that they are still deciding whether to support a temporary extension. Obama has started pushing Congress for the extension and planned a three-state tour this week to warn students of the potential financial catastrophe they will face if Congress fails to act.
Interest rates are set to double on July 1, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, on a popular federal loan for low- and middle-income undergraduates.
"I support extending the temporary relief on interest rates for students," Romney said Monday, a day before five states hold primaries, though he did not offer specifics on how the extension should be paid for or how long it should last. He said he supports the extension because of "extraordinarily poor conditions in the job market."
Culture Wars May Weaken Youth Support For Republicans
Colleen Wilson has all the makings of a foot soldier for whichever Republican becomes the nominee to oppose President Barack Obama in the November election.
The Virginia college student comes from a conservative family and describes herself as a Republican. She is an intern at the county Republican committee and paid her own way to attend the prominent Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington this month.
Her support should be a given for a Republican in Virginia, one of the closely contested "swing states" where the 2012 presidential election will likely be decided.
But it's not.
"I may vote for Obama," said Wilson, who is 19. "It's possible. I can't say now, but I'm not ruling it out."
Some Republicans said the party's moral tone could even revitalize support for the Democrats.
"If it's perceived as telling people what to do, then Republicans could awaken a sleeping giant that could significantly boost President Obama's re-election chances," said Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist.
"They're walking a very tight rope right now."
Obama's approval rating among 18- to 29-year olds had slipped since 2009, but has been rising again. It hit 60 percent this month in Gallup's tracking poll.
Read more from Patricia Zengerle at Reuters