Joni Balter in today's column reports on a Pew survey of 18-25 year olds. Balter trumpets the finding that these young voters "are identifying more and more with the Democratic Party"
Candidates hoping to do big business in 2008 should carefully observe the voting tendencies of these younger voters. They are socially tolerant, open-minded about race and gay issues, and they grow angrier all the time about the fighting in Iraq.Whenever a newspaper cites an opinion poll, always look at the original. You're likely to find a great deal of important information that was left out of the newspaper article. In this case, the 18-25 year olds:
are the most likely of any generation to support privatization of the Social Security systemand
They are the most likely of any age group to say that automation, the outsourcing of jobs, and the growing number of immigrants have helped and not hurt American workers.Not exactly core Democrat positions.
I'd be careful of ascribing too much future significance to the current views of these youngest voters. For example, we learn that:
They are significantly less cynical about government and political leaders than are other Americans or the previous generation of young people. A majority of Americans agree with the statement: "When something is run by the government, it is usually inefficient and wasteful," but most Generation Nexters reject this idea.That's the finding that surprised me the most, but it can be plausibly explained by this fact reported in the more detailed write-up:
Young people read the newspaper, watch television news and listen to news on the radio at much lower rates than their older counterparts.In general, it's hard to know how well government actually performs if you don't follow the news about it. And as far as younger voters being a potent Democrat political force? Consider their views on the leadership in Washington, DC:
They are less likely than older Americans to embrace a "throw the bums out" philosophyThe survey was taken last September and October, on the eve of the congressional election. If these youngsters were such strong Democrats, you'd think they would have been more motivated to throw out the Republicans who were in control in Washington
Some free and friendly business advice to the Seattle Times -- it would be both more cost-effective for you, and a better public service for your readers, if instead of paying Joni Balter for biased, cherry-picked items from public opinion surveys, you would simply publish links to the surveys and let your readers read the reports for themselves.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at May 24, 2007 12:12 PM | Email This
Joni's still PO'd about text messaging...
The Piper
Posted by: Piper Scott on May 24, 2007 12:39 PMNo one, including me, questioned him. But I think back to that comment and realized how much personal politics played into classroom instruction.
Posted by: Palouse on May 24, 2007 01:08 PMThe only thing less relavant than Balter's article is the survey it cites, although at least the survey has the advantage of being somewhat recent. Balter's article is essentially a repeat of the same "findings" of other studies done in and aournd election times dating back to the year prior to the lowering of the voting age.
I remember.
I was there.
And voters in this age demographic have demonstrated again and again they have a notoriously poor turn-out.
PS: I'm also taking my money with me too.
Posted by: John425 on May 24, 2007 02:10 PMIt would be interesting to see the breakdown by race. I'll bet that over time the white component (or what's left of it) will become increasingly conservative as it comes more disproportionately from religious families (Jewish and Christian alike). They will be likely to embrace their parents' politics because they simply won't be able to find age white peers with other views since liberals refuse to breed.
Posted by: sestamibi on May 24, 2007 02:58 PMStart off a leftist twit, end up a libertarian cynic. The crap I tended to believe when I was that age won't get past the front door of an older, wiser me...
Posted by: H Moul on May 24, 2007 02:59 PMAs such, they will oppose whatever the current dominant party is and try to supplant them.
Posted by: John Bailo on May 24, 2007 03:03 PMSeriously, asking them about comparing social standards from when they were small children or even before they were born is just asinine. They have no point of reference, which those of us that actually lived through those times as adult do, so their answers are meaningless. Hysterically funny in some instances, but meaningless. Quite obviously, they have fallen victim to thinking that their parents were never young once.
Posted by: H Moul on May 24, 2007 03:10 PMI try to give her both sides of an argument (or so I say to her, heh-heh) and try to get her to start the process to think things through. That way, when she meets the other young-uns she will be more self-sufficient.
Posted by: swatter on May 24, 2007 03:18 PMWhats even more telling is that more people identify themselves these days as "independent" than as either R or D, according to CNN yesterday.
SoundPolitics would do well to remember that, the news here is so R based as to be another clone of Fox "News" on most occasions. Republican hypocrisy is being flushed nationally, I am not arguing for D, just against R. You people have led us into mistake after mistake, now you attempt to justify it with blaming the poll. This one poll might be flawed, but I doubt the conclusion that R's are flawed as leaders is .
Posted by: DaveD on May 24, 2007 04:19 PMAnd yet here you are...
Posted by: Ken on May 24, 2007 04:52 PMAnd like his democrat peers, DaveD has no original ideas, he is "just against R". It's no wonder the Reid/Pelosi Congressional' approval ratings are hovering below the Mendoza Line.
Posted by: Saltherring on May 25, 2007 05:48 AMDamn forgot to post that didn't they. LOL
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on May 25, 2007 06:49 AMSo a lot of the kids referenced in the column are simply reacting in horror. Just like the rest of the population.
Posted by: Spooge on May 25, 2007 07:44 PMThis is the best news I've read all week! :)
Posted by: Bruce Guthrie on May 30, 2007 11:10 PM