Young Voters Let Down Kerry

Young voters did turn out in record numbers on Tuesday, but they thwarted expectations by awarding President Bush the same 45% of their vote he received in 2000.The efforts of Eminem, P. Diddy, and Bruce Springsteen generated a nine point increase in the percentage of 18-to 29-year-olds who voted compared to 2000, according to a report from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement. But exit polls showed Mr. Bush claimed the same 45% of the demographic that he took in 2000. Mr. Kerry only added the five percentage points taken in 2000 by Ralph Nader, giving him 54% this year. Vice President Gore received 48% of the youth vote in the last presidential election.The percentage of young people who cast their ballots rose to 51.6% from 2000’s 47.6%, according to the Circle study. The analysis said about 21 million young voters went to the polls on Tuesday, making up 17% of the overall electorate. Although that was the same percentage of the electorate as in 2000, 18- to 29-year-olds now make up a smaller part of the population.Part of the reason for all the optimism on Election Day was the emergence of a highly visible cadre of young activists, particularly on the left. Groups like Drinking Liberally, Swing the States, and the Leagues of Pissed Off Voters sought to engage younger voters in the political process – and vote for Mr. Kerry.Other groups, including the Republican Youth Majority and the Young Republican Federation, worked to mobilize young conservative voters.“Young people are being most directly effected in this election: $20,000 student loans, a soft job market, and they’re shouldering the war in Iraq,” said the communications director for Rock the Vote, Jay Strell. “They’re concerned over the possibility of the draft.”A 25-year-old spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, Adam Brown, argued that “the false rumor of the draft” did not change any votes.“I think that young people are not as stupid as the liberal bloggers took them to be,” he said. “They saw through that fully.”After the election, members of the groups fumbled for reasons why young people didn’t turn out for Mr. Kerry in the expected numbers. One reason, some said, is that the pundits did not understand the extent to which young people are concerned about the same issues as their parents.Many Democrats “don’t respect the Christian base,” said the program director for the League of Pissed Off Voters, Adrienne Brown. “So many people felt disrespected. They felt like their voice wasn’t being heard. They couldn’t vote for progressives.”She said the Democrats did a poor job addressing “moral wedge issues” like abortion and gay marriage. Though the election may have turned on the war on terror, Mr. Bush diluted Mr. Kerry’s base among Latinos and blacks by playing to the social conservatism of some members of these groups.A retired politician and political consultant, Mel Miller, said any anticipation of a huge victory among young people may have been irrational exuberance.“The youth vote has been trending Republican for years,” he said. “My own opinion is that youth is not so terribly different than older people.”Mr. Miller also expressed concern about the quality of the data so soon after the election. Many of the exit polls predicted Mr. Kerry would win Florida and Ohio Tuesday evening, and they are the same surveys being used to show youth voter turnout. The official data will not be available for months.

Young Voters Let Down Kerry

Young Voters Let Down Kerry

More from the New York Sun

Trump-Nominated Judge Appears Skeptical of White House Press Ban, Promises Swift Ruling

Young Blood and High Stakes: Snedeker Gambles on Rookie Jackson Koivun at Presidents Cup

Getting Rid of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Houthis Is Better Than a Diesel Export Price Control Ban

Inside Gaza: Hamas Sends Children To Test IDF on New Frontline

‘Neria Needs a Miracle’

Britain Reappraises Its Global Retreat

China-Watching Means Watching China’s President Xi for Signs of Ill Health as He Arrives for Summit with Trump

Has Social Media Killed Pot? Teen Marijuana Use at Historic Low

More from the New York Sun

Trump-Nominated Judge Appears Skeptical of White House Press Ban, Promises Swift Ruling

Young Blood and High Stakes: Snedeker Gambles on Rookie Jackson Koivun at Presidents Cup

Getting Rid of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Houthis Is Better Than a Diesel Export Price Control Ban

Inside Gaza: Hamas Sends Children To Test IDF on New Frontline

‘Neria Needs a Miracle’

Britain Reappraises Its Global Retreat

China-Watching Means Watching China’s President Xi for Signs of Ill Health as He Arrives for Summit with Trump

Has Social Media Killed Pot? Teen Marijuana Use at Historic Low