Challenging the Young Vote to Come of Age
The so-called young vote, those under the age of thirty, has been assumed to be the sole province of Barack Obama. That is not hard to understand, as vague promises of “change” play best among those who have little history to match change against and are prone to be discontented with where they are. For far too many, the sense of civic and social responsibility so strongly taught to upcoming generations in the past was replaced with a willful institutional indoctrination that pushed both benign socialization among groups and finding self-fulfillment above all else. While this training may benefit some at twenty years of age, it is poor preparation as time matures a person’s desire for a more serious and meaningful adult life. Might this lack of a sense of something bigger than self be a reason the traditional advancement to marriage, family, and career choice is increasingly delayed by the current generation of young people?
If so, there is an incredible opportunity to appeal to the generation that will soon be making the critical decisions in this country. A lack of clear direction leaves a void where leadership can gather individuals to a traditional American direction. John McCain is in a unique position to describe the duties and responsibilities of being a citizen in America and the pride that comes with honoring her founding principles. In urban areas at a minimum, few of the young have heard this call clearly made. For those seeking a direction and meaning for the rest of their lives, a call to seriousness might just be a siren’s song.
Were I to step into John McCain’s shoes for a moment, here is what I might say:
What people don’t understand is why some of us are so against the current Republican ticket, but we have an obligation to fight against history of ever being repeated again. Many of us out here are not fighting for the Democratic campaign but are fighting against an ideology.
1) An ideology that completely mirrors the ideology of this past 8 years.
2) An ideology that recognizes the few while completely disregarding the masses.
3) An ideology that believes in taking military action against Iraq, an incident that is completely unrelated to 9/11, without solidifying our claims beforehand. In the present, we have found no evidence of weapons of mass destructions or a tie to Osama Bin Laden. The devastation of this war has cost us over 4,000 of our brave troops and counting, over 1/2 trillion dollars of taxpayer’s money and counting, and over 1 million Iraqi lives unrelated to the terrorists or insurgency.
Cost of the Iraq War — http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home
4) An ideology that still believes that the Iraq War is the right war on terrorism when the Afghanistan War should had been the right war on terrorism, where Osama Bin Laden actually was until he slipped into the mountains and into Pakistan’s territory now. The Iraq War also diverted our attention away from the Afghanistan War. We now have extended our resources in two separate places and have heightened our risk to our troops, our expenses, and creating another dilemma that will take quite some time to finalize. The Iraq War will not go away overnight and it is now our obligation to see it all the way through for God knows how many more years. This has also been the most unpopular war in the eyes of the world’s communities.
5) An ideology that believes that we are at our safest state since 9/11, when a recent terrorist plot was still trying to enter Great Britain’s airports with liquid explosives heading directly to us, but thankfully the plot was foiled. While in Afghanistan, the terrorists are regrouping and strengthening and we have recently suffered another high casualty to our troops yet again within this past month. We currently have the least amount of alliances in the world’s communities due to this unpopular Iraq War. True national securities are the ties that bind us to our world’s communities and the ties that bind them to us.
6) An ideology that vetted one of the most inexperience VP ticket in history, from foreign policies to national defense. If God forbids that anything happens to this President if elected and is stricken with illness, this VP will be running the country. For a more compelling look at Sarah Palin’s VP readiness, please look at these links below —
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loUHRv3ipLE
http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/election_2008/2008/09/30/palin_gaffes/
7) An ideology that believes in “the fundamentals of our economy are strong” while we are facing the highest mortgage foreclosure crisis, high unemployment rate, and the largest collapse of our financial infrastructures since The Great Depression of 1929.
This is an ideology that many of us in America are against. Whether this ideology is in the Republican or Democratic ticket is not the main issue but the fact is that America does not want to fall into another 4 more years of devastation. We cannot afford this anymore.
I am not under thirty myself and I would like to see what a younger person would think about this speech. Being an old cynic I read between the lines of this and see McCain telling youth they are over-pampered, over-indulgent, brats.
If I was a twenty year old American I would be wondering if McCain was going to re-introduce the draft.
We Canadians are in favour of the US bringing back the draft. Last time you had one it led to a wave of immigration of American men (as well as wives and girlfriends) to Canada. This was great for my country. But the Vietnam generation is aging and we could use some younger people moving here.
Just as an aside, under the current economic conditions is this the right time to be fighting against over-regulation?
The last thing we need are more uninformed people showing up to vote. Even someone as bright as me was a leftist into my early 30′s. The voting age should be raised to 40 and a civics exam should be mandatory.
Lights out clueless- all those me-first shirkers being welcomed by leftists into Canada. Whose going to keep you free from the Islamists?
This other Jeff wants to fight an ideology and replace it with something far more irresponsible.
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs
Psshaw!
There is noting wrong with the kids. It’s the adults that are screwing up and leaving the debt, pension, mess tab to the kids.
McCain has enough targets for a life time right in the Senate. Attack, clean up, fight, whatever, that which is right in front of you.
“An ideology that still believes that the Iraq War is the right war on terrorism when the Afghanistan War should had been the right war on terrorism, where Osama Bin Laden actually was until he slipped into the mountains and into Pakistan’s territory now.”
Nonsense. bin Laden slipped into Pakistan from Tora Bora in December 2001. The liberation of Iraq began 15 months later.
—
“The Iraq War also diverted our attention away from the Afghanistan War. We now have extended our resources in two separate places and have heightened our risk to our troops, our expenses, and creating another dilemma that will take quite some time to finalize.”
More nonsense. The Islamic attack on civilization is a world wide phenomenon. We can’t just fight them where Democrats want us to. We must fight them everywhere or they will win. They went into Iraq to depose a fledgling democracy. If they hadn’t gone into Iraq they would have been creating mayhem elsewhere including Afghanistan.
—
‘The Iraq War will not go away overnight and it is now our obligation to see it all the way through for God knows how many more years.”
Correct. The War To Defend Western Civilization Against Islam will not be won if victories are thrown away.
The defeat al Qaeda suffered in Iraq is now one of the world’s best secrets. Bush needs to get the word out. He should declare al Qaeda’s defeat in Iraq a state secret.
Jeff, spare me the lib talking points. Your insistence on catastrophizing the current situation in the U.S. is typical of the left. The left has successfully (through liberal faculty)indoctrinated young folks like you into a form of pervasive negativism that blinds you to the true evils of socialism that will unfold with an Obama presidency. You should research how well regulation worked in the Soviet Union, not to mention the heavy handed gov’t interference with the mortgage industry. A couple of questions? What do YOU know about “true national securities”? You are parroting what every leftist poli-sci professor spews to his students. I like your use of the term “Masses”, right out of Marxist ideology. Hey, you forgot the proletariat and the bourgeois. Get a job, serve your country in uniform (as I have for 20 years), pay some taxes, raise 3 kids (two of them serving now)and then come back and tell us about the horrors of the last 8 years. You are another reason that full voting privileges should be extended only to property owners and those over 35.
Um, I’m under 30, and your speech is pretty condescending and uninspiring.
Jeff Pope–”Put down the iPods from time to time”
Looks like you’re out of touch. I use my iPod to listen to books, podcasts, and media from many sources and sides about current events.
Terry Gain–”The War To Defend Western Civilization Against Islam”
We’re not defending sh*t, we’ve created MORE terrorists, check the NIE or our intelligence agencies for some facts.
Dr Mark–”true evils of socialism that will unfold with an Obama presidency”
Yeah, those EVIL green energy initiatives that will stop funding terrorists and actually WIN THE WAR ON TERROR. haha.
Jeff Pope–”the forces of Islamist extremism that, once again, have a stated goal of wiping out the West.”
Yes, they are a threat. That’s why I don’t think McCain’s plan to put 45 nuclear power plants in the US is a good idea. Think about it…
Dr. Mark,
It is funny that you should say that because I am in fact in my early 40s, own property free and clear, and have my own businesses. I feel that this is the most critical time in our history since we are at the crossroads of deciding for our future or deciding to repeat the past yet again. Our young adults have the right to see both sides of the views and not just be reading all of the one-sided articles within this whole entire website. They need to hear from both sides and decide on whether they want to look to past or look to the future to solve 21st century crisis. This is now their time and NOT ours.
Eric:
In one paragraph you give a hint, that conservation of energy could undermine the terror funding.
But in next one you said “That’s why I don’t think McCain’s plan to put 45 nuclear power plants in the US is a good idea. Think about it…”.
Dude, don’t tell me that you are “reality-based”, or I choke with tea, that I am drinking now…
I am 24 years old and I completely agree with Mr. Pope. Every single person my age that I have tried to talk to about the upcoming elections and the situation our country is in right now has shown a decided lack of interest in any of it! They MOST CERTAINLY ARE too busy with their own “concerns” and I am disgusted by it!
I grew up in a household that couldn’t afford to hand me everything so I learned the value of hard work at a very early age. My family had 5 newspaper routes that we all helped with every morning AND every afternoon. I paid my own college tuition without help from the government or my parents and worked 20-30 hours per week ALL FOUR YEARS at the same time! I also managed to pay for my own car and cell phone.
The vast majority of my generation is LAZY and COMPLACENT, they all want the quick deal and the quick dollar because they have no idea how to work for something! They also unfortunately believe most of what they see on television and refuse to get the real story for themselves! I’m guessing this is the camp “Eric” comes from.
Come on, DoktorNo, those windmills will serve our power needs. Nothing says progress than using 600 year old technology to address our energy needs.
@DoktorNo: Well it’s more complex than “if both A & B achieve C, you must support both A & B”. Yes, conservation and alternative energy sources will decrease funds making it to terrorists. But I ALSO think throwing a bunch of nuclear power plants on our map isn’t the most STRATEGIC way of doing so given the current national security threat.
@Sarah: Saying I’m in the camp of a TV media zombie is entirely wrong if you actually read my post. I also worked newspaper routes growing up, and paid my own college via working, I don’t see how that’s relevant. Most people my age I talk to DOES care intensely about this election, I’ve gotten many ppl involved myself. I know plenty of LAZY and COMPLACENT 30, 40, 60 year olds. The line of hordes of lazy, self-involved, privileged kids is definitely pushed my the TV media. Who’s assigning camps now?
As I look at those who have responded to this article as well as think on those who I know that are under 30, I will have to say that I believe too many will take this speech in the wrong context. There are far too many people that are self indulgent weiners to understand that when a person says take off the ipod it actually means, listen to people and opinions, take the time to read a book. There are too many younger people who think that they are smarter and brighter than everyone else. There are far too many pampered children who have the right to vote but do not know how hard fought that right is to understand its significance. If they have been taught about the American Revolution it was in a snippet of information because now teachers are teaching to standardized tests instead (which let’s face it is a form of socialism). Brooke Hogan herself does not watch the news and she doesn’t look at anything that is ‘negative’ out there because she is tired of seeing it. At her age. This speech is a well written call to arms but the age to which it is aimed won’t get it because they will think their intelligence is doubted. And lots of them will have to look in the dictionary to see what some of the words mean since they don’t pick up books. In their youth they fail to understand that there is knowing without understanding and that for the most part, because of their lack of experience and lack of reading, they will fail to ‘get it’ for a very long time because they believe that they are the center of the universe. Who has brought them up to believe that they don’t have to think they simply have to know more?
Jeff, you are rather immature for a 40 something and are still an obvious product if liberal indoctrination (hurrah for public schools). Obama is a Marxist and if are in bed with him philosophically you are too. Business owner? You can claim ANYTHING to support your flaccid arguments. Jeff, when have you EVER put your @$$ on the line for your nation…let me guess, never. Instead, you stand on your leftist perch and cackle at the administration. “Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.” George S. Patton
For those of you who truly believe that the Iraq War was right, keep in mind that Al Qaida was not there before this war. We brought them to Iraq by going there. On top of that, before the Iraq War, Saddam Hussein was a formidable enemy to Iran. By taking him out, we now allow Iran to spread their influence in that most critical area. Thanks, Bush and McCain, for supporting this mistake of a war. We took out a guy that had not provoked us militarily, had no WMDs, and had no tie to Osama Bin Laden. We made that region completely fragile to Iran’s influence and propagandas.
Dr. Mark,
It is YOU, who is immature by labeling Obama a Marxist, simply because he doesn’t fit your close-minded ideals. Please realize your own hypocrisy before making a critique of others. So often, people don’t look at themselves in the mirror before labeling others and you are the true example of this.
Saddam Hussein’s regime was a state sponsor of terror. Why the focus on al Quaeda and al Quaeda only?
Quit feeding Jeff the Troll. He uses that first post on just about every subject on this site. I’ll give him this: At least he’s not an Obamabot; He actually uses his own words.
As to the article, well, it’s just ridiculous! It’s as fantastic as Marxism. You’d just be speaking Greek to the ‘kids’. You’d be trying to undo years of indoctrination with a single speech. People will only change when they encounter harsh realities. They simply have to live lives and make mistakes.
If you want to give a speech to make a difference, talk to the parents. Tell them not to spoil their kids. Cut back greatly on their standard of living. Spank their butts, time to time. Teach them to work. Make them study. Make them read books (classic literature, not the PC crap). Eat dinner together at the dinner table. Teach them manners. Teach them the traditional customs of society. Teach them to say: Sir and Ma’am and use of people’s titles; Please and Thank You; Teach the girls how to be ladies, and the boys how to be gentlemen. Teach them about honesty, decency, and integrity. Teach them right from wrong (and again, I don’t mean the PC stuff). Make them play outside. Get them off the useless video games.
The list goes on, but you get my drift. My kids are 11 and 9. They live with their Mother, but I have them 2-3 days/wk. Every time they come over, I have to re-teach them Please and Thank You, because they don’t hear it anywhere else. I correct them once, and they remember the whole time they’re with me, but forget by the time they come back to me. I correct their speech and tone of speech. i teach them how most current popular speech phrases are very, very rude. I’m swimming against the tide, but they’re my kids and my responsibility.
O! is a Marxist. He’s re-educating the youth already.
You can’t ask people to join the military and risk their lives for us without giving them a say in our political process. Sorry, raising the voting age doesn’t fly. In fact, properly it should be lowered to 14, so that no one can ever be sent to war by a President that they had no say in electing (18 years to join the military minus 4 years for the President’s term). That said, perhaps we should enact some sort of civics test to qualify people to vote.
As for Republicans, why oh why didn’t we nominate Mike Huckabee. Huckabee would be walking all over Obama right into the White House right now but for the stupidity of my fellow Republicans. Well, if Obama sends this country to hell in a hand basket, I say, “Don’t blame me, I voted for Huckabee.” PS I’m 19.
“mishu” beat me to it.
Go watch the video and get creeped out.
Sarah writes:
“I am 24 years old and I completely agree with Mr. Pope. Every single person my age that I have tried to talk to about the upcoming elections and the situation our country is in right now has shown a decided lack of interest in any of it! They MOST CERTAINLY ARE too busy with their own “concerns” and I am disgusted by it!”
Point taken but, that aside, this could be a cruel irony for Obama. The “polls” and consensus of the MSM is that he has this terrific ground game that will be energized on 4 November. It may very well involve dragging stiffs into the polling booths because the young ‘uns have to spend the day getting their frontal lobes permed.
..now, wouldn’t that be sweet; geezers like me and my ilk riding herd on the sel;ection of the president?
These posts demonstrate the problems in wash dc.
To much negative talk. The country has a couple of problems. Grit your teeth, swallow ideals and focus on solutions.
Rumor has it that Elisabeth may even be leaving “The View” to host her own program on the FOX News Channel, where she can be with her own “kind” … and not have to face off with Joy and Whoopi on a daily basis! That sort of makes me sad. Although I think Hasselbeck often comes across as being out of touch, uninformed, and immature, I must admit that the outspoken 31-year-old makes for some good television!
It’s a waste of time to court the youth vote. No matter how strongly they feel about you, they still won’t show up on election day.
Tim:
..until they get older, graduate, put down their crack pipes, get a job, marry their college squeezes, have kids, buy houses (if they can get a mortgage), and then say to themselves, “Damn, man, now I understand what that McCain guy was talking about!”
I’ve read on some blog the following statement:
kids grow up to be Republicans, and those who refuse to grow up become democrats.
I happen to agree.
Very good article.McCAIN is truly a patriot[you too].McCAIN PALIN 08
Brilliant…thank you!
Good one, Captain!
So Eric why haven’t the so-called dangers of nuclear power plants caused France a lot of damage from the Isalmists? And don’t say they it’s because the French aren’t in Iraq, because you’ll get yourself into trouble on your arguements about the war on terrorism being fought in the wrong place (yeah the French are in Afghanistan, but now alot of people here in France want the French to leave because some of their soldiers died in some ambushes in Afghanistan, thankfully they didn’t pull out). I went to university with a lot of people like you…and know what, I think your self owned businesses don’t teach you much, I wonder do you pay others to run these businesses for you, so that you have more time to consecrate to new businesses, or are you a figment of an over active younger imagination, trying to pass themselves off as older? If you truly are my age as you say, I think that you were part of the early pampered that just wish the government would take care this poverty problem for you so you can just keep on earning your money and taking care of yourself…oops we’ve hit upon one of the topics of this article!!!!
As for if Obama is a marxist, well did you Eric even attempt to look at mishu’s link?Probably not, or you watched it with a mind so closed that you failed to even try and understand what in what Obama says might scare or even might bother someone else…that is the point of this article by the way…
Nearly finished, TXKATHY is right about modern intelligence not tolerating questions that make you think beyond the sound bites…Sarah I relate, only wish I wouldn’t have taken out some of my loans and would have done like you did.
AND finally bravo to the author of this article.
P. S. Eric please read the article by Bruce Bawer, Who’s sleeping more deeply-Europe or America? Then you will see another person talk about how people put blinders on to deal with difficult concepts or deal with ideas they just don’t want to accept as being possible (let alone real)
The speech Jeff Pope wrote is all well and good for the under-30 set, but it seems to me that McCain ought to be more concerned about the generation just before theirs: tail-end Boomers and older Gen-X’ers. This is the first generation raised mainly on liberal Boomer values, brought up to believe that self-esteem, self-fulfillment, self-identity and such could be had, and made paramount, without causing the downfall of the Republic. Barack Obama himself comes from this generation (as do I, for the sake of full disclosure), and unlike the under-30′s we actually vote in considerable numbers.
A President McCain would not only have to pass on the traditional American ethic to the under-30′s, but he would also have to find some way to reconcile it with the “autonomy ethic”, if you will, that millions of Boomers and Gen-X’ers were born and raised with, formed their lives around, and may or may not be ready, willing or even able to abandon so late in the game. For better or worse, McCain needs their votes at least as much as the under-30 votes, and he won’t get them if they perceive that he finds them expendable.
@Jeff Pope
McCain might hit a home run by issuing a uniquely American call to service that only he could make.
and pigs may fly into Alaska’s air space …. with or without lipstick … but it ain’t likely
@FOX In TANK:
Rumor has it that Elisabeth may even be leaving “The View” to host her own program on the FOX News Channel, where she can be with her own “kind” … and not have to face off with Joy and Whoopi on a daily basis! That sort of makes me sad. Although I think Hasselbeck often comes across as being out of touch, uninformed, and immature, I must admit that the outspoken 31-year-old makes for some good television!
Wow! That makes her perfect for a Republican Vice Presidential VP!
By the way, I hear that video “mishu” posted has been taken down. Guess it was hurting BO more than helping.
Uh, yeah, we’ve got a problem here. It’s called stealing the election.
Youth vote? How about this story from a mother who called in a radio show today and told how her son, a tall, 15yr. old, was approached in a shopping center and when told his age, said he could vote and registered him anyway. His mother set him straight when he got home. But what do you want to bet someone else will vote for him.
Tonight I read about Ohio’s Sec. of State getting a court order to prohibit the usual ‘observers’ of voting at the polls — they’re needed there especially now that they’ve allowed voters to register and vote on the same day. “gatewaypundit.blogspot.com” has video of an observer being turned away.
I’ve been an observer — they’re needed to make sure there’s no hanky-panky. And if anybody’s capable of it, it’s the Dems. BO doesn’t know how to win an election with integrity. Just ask Hillary.
@Believer:
Uh, yeah, we’ve got a problem here. It’s called stealing the election.
if he can’t steal it, he’ll get the Supreme Court to give it to him
Youth vote? How about this story from a mother who called in a radio show today and told how her son, a tall, 15yr. old, was approached in a shopping center and when told his age, said he could vote and registered him anyway. His mother set him straight when he got home. But what do you want to bet someone else will vote for him.
well, why do you think Barack wanted comprehensive sex education for 2 year olds?
speaking of which, is Bristol old enough to vote?
“Nonsense. bin Laden slipped into Pakistan from Tora Bora in December 2001. The liberation of Iraq began 15 months later.”
Correction. Bin Laden was allowed to slip into Pakistan by the current administration.
“More nonsense. The Islamic attack on civilization is a world wide phenomenon. We can’t just fight them where Democrats want us to. We must fight them everywhere or they will win. They went into Iraq to depose a fledgling democracy. If they hadn’t gone into Iraq they would have been creating mayhem elsewhere including Afghanistan.”
They went into Iraq after we invaded. They weren’t in Iraq before that.
Also, according to statistics, those that went into Iraq were moderates who were radicalized by the invasion. In other words, it was the invasion that created them.
“Correct. The War To Defend Western Civilization Against Islam will not be won if victories are thrown away.
Western Civilization has never been threatened by Islam. Iraq was no threat and no, we haven;t had any victories yet.
“The defeat al Qaeda suffered in Iraq is now one of the world’s best secrets. Bush needs to get the word out. He should declare al Qaeda’s defeat in Iraq a state secret.”
This would of course, be jumping he gun. AQ in Iraq were not the only ones shooting at us. There is the small matter of the insurgency (ie. Iraqis who want us out of their country). After all, 60% of Iraqis believe that attacking US troops is legitimate. The insurgents (aka Son’s of Airaq/Anbar Awakening) have been holding their fire while we armed and bribed them (ie. the surge)and they are getting ready to resume their hostilities.
“Saddam Hussein’s regime was a state sponsor of terror. Why the focus on al Quaeda and al Quaeda only?”
You mean he gave money to terrorists groups? Aren’t we doing that with the MEK, listed by the Sate Department as a terrorist group? Darn, that must make the US tate sponsor of terror. When do we invade?
Yes, I agree. Any young voter who would consider Obama is just immature. Never mind that they may have listened to both sides, weighed the pros and cons, and decided on Obama for something more than an historical knowledge deficit. If only we could get these brainwashed youth to “grow up”, they’d realize McCain is what is good for them.
Inspiring and heartfelt words, Mr. Pope. Unfortunately, with the clowns from both parties in DC saddling these young people with an increasingly unpayable debt and the growing realization that once in, it is the campaign contributions that determine congressional votes, they may be more inclined to stay out of the process.
And, with the unverifiable, unauditable voting systems now in place, who can be sure that one’s vote is actually counted. I am 52 years old and just about ready to drop out of the voting process myself. Disheartened and disgusted.
Copy and paste link http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/appel/judge-suppresses-report-voting-machine-security
Jeff, you sound like such an intelligent and articulare man. It saddens me to see that you too have been seduced by the Democrats’ promises of change. If you actually think things are different with them, think again. The Democrats currently in the majority of the Senate and House are without a doubt the most corrupt of any EVER elected to office. Since you are into sharing links, I suggest you look at this one. Just scroll down a bit and see your heros at work. http://www.maplight.org/map/us/bill/72675/N7DgM9/votes/votedetail-351995
After seeing this do you really believe they actually give a shit about the poor and average everyday American? Seriously, the only thing they care about is using the poor, helpless and niave for financial gain and establishing a sustained constituency. As a former radically left activist who worked several years as a community organizer, I too shared your zeal. But, suddenly something dawned on me and I actually decided to read the record of these Democrats and look at the results….but I couldn’t find them, the results. Sadly, what I saw was a enormous amount of lip service and no results. They are wonderful at getting you all riled up and indignant, sucking every bit of energy from you and then walking away. I encourage you to visit Senator Obama’s former stomping grounds where he had all the power to actually do some good. Go to Joe Biden’s old hometown and see, after 30+ years how much he improved his town. It’s the same over and over and over. It is a disgrace that Obama actually puts his community organizer work on his resume. I am ashamed that I swallowed the line and wasted so many years in the bubble. It horrifies me to think that this “bailout” will do absolutely nothing except enrich the likes of Warren Buffet and his ilk and the cofers of the Democrat politicians. The only good I can say about Democrats is that they are at least consistent in one area and that is lying to those people most need of hope and change. Your idealism and zeal are admirable but sadly, sadly misguided. The people of this country deserve so much more and once again the Democrats will rule and nothing will change. Jeff, your anger reflets the level of your frustration as well as the depth of their manipulation. You can speed your awakening by skipping to the end of the learning curve…….just look at the list of promises and then line up the results. If, as a business man you care about the bottom line, then if I were you, I’d cut my losses and look at new opportunities as to where to invest my political energy. Good luck.
Joshua II – Interesting thought about the tail-end boomers and GenX. My younger siblings and I, and all our friends, are in that group. All of them work hard and are good citizens (except one brother). They’re educated, generally successful, and good parents.
Most vote Independent or Republican. They often profess to some liberalism, but when the discussions come up, their views are all center-right, except on abortion.
The view I most often hear is the idea that they’ll soon be paying for everything as the Boomers retire. They don’t talk much about it outside of their circle of friends, if even that. They all vote, but never respond to pollsters.
Maybe that’s just my circle of friends. They’re all trying to achieve some success, and they’re at that point where it is possible, late-30′s to late-40′s. They’re very different from the Boomers before them, and GenY behind them, it seems to me.
Ellie,
What you and most Republicans seem to forget is that the Republicans have taken the executive office 20 years out of the past 28 years. They have also controlled Congress in the last 6 years out of the past 8 years. The financial meltdown of our entire country has been mostly under the Republican countrol. Democrats have been in control for only a brief amount of time in these past 28 years since Reagan. This is the final verdict of Republican control and this is what mainstreet is living with now.
talk about a bunch of old croaks, assuming that young people are too retarded to make decisions concerning their lives. While you thought we were spending all our highschool years on youtube or our ipods we were actually building one hell of a momentous force of anger against an administration that forbids us from receiving education about sex and our bodies, squanders money to blow things up halfway around the world while our schools are falling apart, and steals our parents tax money to bailout greedy billionaires. Surprise! we decided, very much collectively that we’ve had enough of THAT shit. we mobilized on got our guy in office.
I believe we ought to actually lower the voting age to 12 and make a cut off at 35.
Best,
YoungNaiveBiatch