Not long have the 2008 election, I ran into a young woman at who had worked hard to elect Barack Obama President of the United States. She was all dewy-eyed about the changes her man would bring to this great country. But, when I pressed her as to what those changes would be, she couldn’t identify any specific proposals the Democrat supported, only reassured me he would be different from George W. Bush.
It does seem that many of the president’s young supports were more taken by the image this man projected (and was projected onto him) than the results he achieved. Heck, if they were going for a charismatic new politician who had accomplished real change in office, they would have flocked to the Republican banner in 2008, given the record of the party’s vice presidential nominee.
Their infatuation continues today, though someone lessened from 2008. A recent poll shows that while only 31 percent of those in the 18-29 age bracket approve of the president’s handling of the economy and youth unemployment, more than half of those younglings approve of Obama’s record in the White House:
Over at the Hill, Christina Marcos elaborates:
Forty-four percent of respondents disapprove of the president’s handling of youth unemployment while only 31 percent approved, according to the poll conducted by the polling company, inc./womantrend on behalf of Generation Opportunity, a youth mobilization group.
Sixty-one percent of respondents said they would place higher priority on a candidate’s position on issues and record in office, rather than charisma and likability when they cast their vote for president next year.
The president’s appeal has more to do with his persona than his policies.
Given the high rate of youth unemployment and the burden Obama’s deficit-spending places on the youngest in our society, young Americans are those most burdened by the president’s policies. And they remain his most enthusiastic supporters.
Puzzle that one out for me, folks.
I think you mean, “couldn’t identify,” Dan, if I’m not mistaken.
The youth vote is not going to turnout in 2012 because of the joblessness, inflation, & other factors, all ironically, due to Obama’s policies.
The youth has been taught the PC lessons well. The still support him because they can remember the school lessons of “you can’t talk badly about him because his skin is a different color than yours”. Pure and simple. They are afraid of being called/feeling like a racist. MLK’s message has been completely perverted in the American educational system.
The unionized, liberal-Democrat education system “works”: young people on average are not too bright, not able to think critically, and indoctrinated (thus confused) by left-wing tropes. Only hard experience can teach them now.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Obama was seen as some kind of messiah behind whom we’d all get in line. Instead, he turned out to be just another politician, and everybody knows it by now.
Obama was a tabula rasa, a blank slate, for people to project their ideas of “Hope & Change”; however, with Porkulus & ObamaCare just the tip of the iceberg as Obama initiatives are law, Hope & Change withered into a dried-up husk. As I said previously, the youth vote will not turn out for Obama. What youth vote will, they will vote against him.
Obama won his last election because he stirred up enthusiasm, and Americans were tired of President Bush, the war on terror and the down economic cycle.
However, I’m not seeing enthusiasm for Obama. The wars continue, the economy is much worse than it was, jobs are scarce.
Labor unions and people of color will turn out in big numbers. I doubt youth will turn out in large numbers. The so-called Jewish vote (and financial support) seem to be declining.
Gays say they are for him, but lack enthusiasm. I doubt they and many other so-called liberals will show up. Hope I’m right.
People are tired. They have lost their enthusiasm. Change turned out to be a change for the worse.They are worried about the economy. They are worried about their jobs, keeping their houses, inflation, and what they see as the decline of America.
IF they vote, I believe they will again vote for “change” but this time will be more clear-headed.