Focus on America
“Youthquake” Expected in 2008 U.S. Election
It is a historic presidential election, no matter what the outcome: Either an African American or a woman will be elected to one of the United States’ top two elected positions for the first time. But 18- to 29-year-olds also will be making history, as they turn out to vote in numbers projected to set new records.
Youth voting and increased youth engagement in the 2008 election process were the topic of a forum in Washington. It was sponsored by American University and held on October 14. Panelists discussed “Youthquake ’08: How Millennials are Shaking Up the Media, Mavericks, and History-Makers This Election.”
Moderator Jane Hall, a professor at the university, asked the crowd: “How many of you plan to vote? How many think your vote will matter?” The audience, mostly students, responded with loud cheers and clapping.
Panelists talked for an hour about new media and political participation, but they were most emphatic about voting. “Voting is the main power we have in a democracy,” said James Kotecki, video blogger for the Politico Web site.
Heather Smith, executive director of Rock the Vote, also spoke about the strength of a vote. “It gives power to leverage for change we want in our lives,” Smith said. Rock the Vote is a national organization dedicated to getting young people involved politically.
“I’ve got a feeling election officials and politicos are going to hear you pretty loud,” said Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster.
Election officials, candidates and the public already have gotten a preview of a more youthful Election Day. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University put turnout in 2008 primary elections among 18- to 29-year-olds at double the national average in 2004. In some places, primary turnout was triple that of the last presidential election.
The increased turnout among young voters “really changed the face of the electorate in the primary process,” Belcher said.
According to Rock the Vote, the millennial generation (those born between 1980 and 2000) numbers 44 million, the largest generation in history. They constitute more than one-fifth of the American electorate. Researchers and the news media expect a surge in youth voting in November.
NEW MEDIA
Young voters frequently turn to new media and new technology to get and share information about candidates and issues. “It’s cool to talk about politics,” Smith said.
Young voters can bring the discussion to the Web through videos, podcasts and other applications. Kotecki got his start as an undergraduate at Georgetown University preparing two-minute video commentaries in his dorm room on the use of YouTube in the presidential campaign.
Kotecki landed the first dorm-room interview with then-candidate Ron Paul, a Republican from Texas. “You don’t have to use mainstream media to push the envelope and take risks,” Kotecki said.
Emily Freifeld makes a living in new media. As a multimedia producer on the politics desk at washingtonpost.com, she is thinking constantly about how to build a package, integrating video, sound, pictures and text around the latest political news. She said there is a hunger for the “story behind a story” — what the reporter sees and hears but does not always have space to talk about in traditional news outlets.
Rock the Vote also uses new media and technology to reach out to young voters. The organization recently partnered with ChaCha, a mobile answers service, to provide answers about voting and polling via text message.
POST-PARTISANSHIP
Kotecki said party politics are not a top concern for young voters. “Our generation has been steeped in a very partisan political environment,” he said, terming the condition “post-partisanship.”
Others had a different take.
“It’s about engaging the group,” said David Winston, president and founder of The Winston Group, a marketing research company. Young voters are particularly dedicated to causes, like health care and education reform, and want to elect the person that they think will support their goal.
“It’s not that you are for someone who’s about saving the environment,” Belcher said. “You want to save the environment.”
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