Study: Republicans Losing Young Voters in Droves

Younger voters have been distancing themselves from the Republican Party ever since 2002.  With each election cycle, the bleeding gets worse.  The last two election cycles have raised alarms for Republican strategists, and now they are faced with the seemingly unmanageable task of winning back those voters.

A recent Democracy Corps Poll spells out just how progressive the 18 to 29 crowd is:

The political stakes with this generation could not be higher. In 2008, young people (ages 18-31) will number 50 million, bigger than the baby boom generation. By 2015 they will likely comprise one-third of the U.S. electorate. While participation among young people still lags well behind other generations, turnout increased two election cycles in a row and, in 2004, jumped nine points (to 49 percent). In 2004, younger voters were the only generational cohort outside of the World War II generation to support John Kerry (56 percent). In 2006, younger voters supported Democrats by a 60 – 38 percent margin, the highest of any generation.

The poll finds that today Democrats hold an 18-point lead over Republicans when younger Americans are asked who they will vote for.  Democrats lead by especially large margins among women (28 points), Hispanics (42 points) and African-Americans (76 points).  Their weakest demographic is whites, who favor Republicans by 2 points.

But it's not just the Republican candidates that turn off voters -- it's their ideas as well, reports the survey:

"Young people react with hostility to the Republicans on almost everymeasure and Republicans and younger voters disagree on almost everymajor issue of the day."

Let's look how young people feel about the issues:

• 19% of young people are "warm" to the Iraq war, and 64% are "cool" to it.
• "Even Republican young people prefer a larger, more generous government."
• On global warming, 61% say it "represents an immediate threat that requires immediate action."
• 52% support gay marriage.
• 53% support giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.
• 60% say Democrats pay better attention to the issues facing young people -- a 39-point margin over Republicans.

This pretty much sums up the legacy of Karl Rove.

Comments

[granny]

That's why we need those paper trail ballots.

That's why we need to pursue the Republican party "caging" activity, and the involvement of Federal Judges in voter supression.

After two stolen elections you're not thinking it's going to stop there, are you? That's Karl Rove legacy, too.

[Jon]

I agree granny but young people also have to show up to vote. Even without these deplorable tactics by the republican party the young vote has been elusive.