ACCOUNTING FOR THE YOUTH VOTE 1

Miki Saxon at Leadership Turn asks the question: does youth have follow-through (http://www.leadershipturn.com/can-youth-lead/), while Eric Eggertson at Common Sense PR lists seven tasks that a candidate has to accomplish to capture the youth vote (http://www.commonsensepr.com/2008/01/21/obamas-goal-getting-out-the-youth-vote/).

Chiming in, I remember one political analyst (I don’t remember who, when, or where) said that, in almost all US elections, the capture of voters is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans: a share of approximately 40% each. Although there are intensive / extensive discussions and airings of issues (in media and in all sorts of fora, promoted and participated in by both sides), whatever the issue, whoever is the candidate, voters on each side mostly follow the party line and vote the way they voted in the past.

There is, of course, some crossing of party lines and, in a closely contested election, these can decide the winner. However, campaign managers, avoiding the case of preaching to the choirs on their respective sides, focus on the uncommitted 20% (whether young or old) to swing them over to their side.

Where does the youth vote fall in this equation? As they reach voting age, how do they choose: Democrat, Republican, or Independent?

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