Republicans Rising on College Campuses

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News

Two years ago Edward Dooley called himself a "Kennedy-worshiping, stereotypical Massachusetts liberal."

Today Dooley, a sophomore at George Washington University, in Washington D.C., is active in the College Republicans and prefers the label "conservative independent."

According to a Pew Research Center study, Dooley is not alone.

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According to the study, two years ago young voters identified themselves more as Democrats than Republicans, 62 percent to 30 percent.

Now, a young voter is still more likely to be a Democrat, but the gap is closing. By the end of 2009, 54 percent were Democrats, while 40 percent were Republicans.




Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/republicans-rising-college-campuses/story?id=11712923

[vi5]

1. Wow. Another squandered opportunity....

Yet another demographic that was ripe for continued Democratic appeal and registration and voter trends, that the party just took for granted and assumed that "Well, the other guy is worse!" was going to be a powerful motivating tool.

I realize that this is just a study and can be skewed any number of ways, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's true given the way the party has acted and moved this past couple of years.

[roseBudd]

3. I am pretty sure it is the economy, and since the recession is what it is...

I don't know what could have been done differently.

Unfortunately the 24/7 hatefest that is Republicnbn media has an effect even on college students.

[vi5]

4. It is the economy....

..but it's also the fact that the continued "thread the needle" approach by Democrats on many key issues that young people are decidedly more progressive on, is doing nothing to draw them in to the party. To anyone not absurdly politically active and hyper aware and not spending their days reading political blogs and political news sites, it seems like the democrats sole claim is that they are not as scummy as the republicans. I would venture to bet based on the study it's not so much that Republicans are winning young voters over as much as they are just being less compelled to bother with the democratic party so it just seems like more are going with being republicans.

And even assuming it is the economy it's not like the Dems track record of (yet again) "well, we'll make it less bad than the republicans will" is just not a winning argument.

[ProSense]

6. It says it right in the article

However, some don't see conservatism as a rising trend on college campuses.

"There's still a lot of enthusiasm out there for the Democrats," said Ashlei Blue, traditional media director for College Democrats of America. "Maybe not as much as there was in 2008, but considering it's a midterm, not a presidential election year, we've still got a huge number of new registrations."

President of the College Democrats at the University of Delaware Bill Humphrey reports his membership is stable. Even if more students are joining the Republican Party, he said, the number of liberal students remains consistent.

Humphrey, a junior, believes the number of students identifying with the Republican Party slipped over the past eight years due to negative perceptions of President George W. Bush. Now, he adds, conservative students are "willing to be labeled Republican again."

It's more perception than anything, 54 percent to 40 percent in a mid-term isn't that bad, especially considering the political climate.

[merqz]

20. If my understanding is correct, a lot of these college conservatives/repubs

are likely to be of the "South Park Conservative" variety (a title of a recent book btw). Iow, they are more likely to be pro-gay rights, against the war on MJ, and not onboard with the paleocon or neocon agenda.

[TomCADem]

7. Wow, Another Corporate Media Outlet Pushing The Same Narrative, The NY Times...

...ran the same story a few weeks ago. How is this news? Because it is pro-right wing.

[ProSense]

11. It'll be interesting to see how Democrats make out after the elections

It will be with no help from the media, and with every positive Democratic message being trampled on while Republican spin is elevated to show how really good they, a party with no message built on years of deceit, hate and obstructionism, are at campaigning.

Good grief.

[vi5]

27. Until the democrats work as well to push the change....

Yes, I agree there are democratic positives to trumpet and promote that the media doesn't. But the party doesn't help themselves by internalizing every right wing narrative that the media pushes, and running scared at even the hint of perceptions of being "liberal". People like a lot of liberal policies, and the past however many years of democrats either running away from any hard decisions on those policies (see the most recent tax cut debacle) or not going all the way and promoting what they HAVE done at every turn is not helping the issue at all. And it's not just a matter of the poor helpless dems who have no say in and control in or power over the media messaging. They can make the best people and the best spokespeople available for talk shows. They don't and instead it's the same tired old faces splitting hairs over and over that people see on these shows. They could take cues from folks like Al Franken and Grayson who use aggressive tactics and humor to get the points across and trumpet liberal views. But they don't. And until they do we can blame it on the media all they want but without actions on the part of people in power to change these perceptions and reverse these narratives it's never going to happen and they'll continue to get beat up on like schoolyard wimps by the big bad bullies in the republican media.

[24601]

30. And a party set to make significant gains at the state level - where

Congressional redistricting will be decided. That's the longer term plan for controlling the House of Representatives. The last time this happened, they did things like redraw the lines so three incumbent Dems were in the same district. Of course the same thing happens on both sides. All the focus on Congress takes away from these very important state races.

[ProSense]

2. This makes no sense.

It's one thing to claim that younger voters are registering with the Republican Party, but this:

"Two years ago Edward Dooley called himself a "Kennedy-worshiping, stereotypical Massachusetts liberal. Today Dooley...is active in the College Republicans and prefers the label "conservative independent."

Sounds like Dooley is confused.

It's not like progressives do not have a presence on college campuses, one organization.

[onehandle]

5. It's money.

Jackboots are attractive when things go to shit.

[EFerrari]

15. It's ABC. They don't have to make sense or even, be truthful!

lol

[bloomington-lib]

9. I say bullshit

For one thing, he was 17 or so when he was supposedly a "Kennedy-worshiping, stereotypical Massachusetts liberal." It's not like he was some hard core, life long liberal that finally saw the conservative light. Another thing, a "Kennedy-worshiping, stereotypical Massachusetts liberal" wouldn't refer to themselves as that. Only republicans say shit like that. And the new label for the Republicans is being a "conservative independent".

To me it sounds like this guy got a memo saying we're trying to make the perception that we're winning the youth over too and if anyone asks you tell them this... ...oh, and by the way, we'll make sure someone asks.

[COLGATE4]

10. I agree. The language is just wrong. Either that, or he thought

he admired Kennedy as a High School Senior but he got on campus and became enamored of the BMOC who are generally Rethug legacies.

[AlbertCat]

17. Sounds like Dooley is confused.

He's a sophomore.... He is where the definition of "sophomoric" comes from.

He's in DC.... which is in a bubble and is ridiculously conservative.

And he probably was not a Kennedy worshiping anything. He certainly does not represent the majority of college students, conservative or liberal.

He's a red herring.

[merqz]

21. Not to get all pedantic, but...

Ok, I'll get a little pedantic (and Big Fat Greek Wedding on you)... Sophomore comes from the Greek words for "wise" and "idiot". We see these roots in other words - Sophist, Moron, etc. although obviously the current understanding of sophistry isn't really the knowing person, but that's a modern usage change.

Iow, a sophomore, as a 2nd year student knows just enough to be dangerous. They think they know more than they do - the wise idiot.

[msongs]

8. democrats incompetence and leadership failure - running behind public opinon to appease repubs nt

[alp227]

12. Stories like this make my stomach hurt badly.

One College Republican built up last decade's screwup of a president. Another also took down ACORN through fake videos distributed on a website with a sheepish audience that'd believe any of that site's tabloid headlines. And then there are others who've got soft spots for what they call "politically incorrect" expressions, y'know, statements that are likely to offend women, gays, people of color, etc., and are willing to defend them. Hell, some even go as far as to support creationism, global warming denialism, sexual orientation denialism, and other blatant junk science that fits a conservative worldview.

The anti-intellectual regressiveness of college conservatives sickens me. And now Fox News has exploited the naive minds of these young students.

[tomm2thumbs]

13. has BS written all over it - I smell a Breitfart

[JJ]

14. Kids whose parents are Democrats can't afford school any more

The wealthy brats who are likely to be raised as Repukes can still afford college.

[Spiderzumbie]

16. Untrue

All of us liberal college students were too busy getting high to fill out a stupid form. :sarcasm:

[Nostradammit]

18. BULLSHIT!

ABC News = BULLSHIT!

Pew Research Center = BULLSHIT!

"Edward Dooley" = BULLSHIT!

Yet another attempt to soften everybody up for yet another stolen election.

Electronic Voting = BULLSHIT!

[DeSwiss]

19. I've come to the conclusion.....

...that we can't believe anything we're told by anyone, anymore. The answers all depend on how one phrases the questions.

- Just more lies, damned lies and statistics......

[The Northerner]

22. And that's what they want people to believe anyway

[GETPLANING]

23. THERE's a contradiction in terms

"Conservative Independent?" LOL

[2Design]

24. immigrants kids don't understand how unions and other things from fdr made our middle class

they come from these dictator countries and vote for these milktoast repubs - most of the india owned motels, mcdonalds, convenience stores alwasy have faux news on - they are a huge population here and voting repub for their businesses because they believe repub lies

[Frank Booth]

25. Sad that college is making this kid dumber.

[onpatrol98]

26. Could it be the college influence...

I think most instructors tend to be liberal. But, I have been hearing quite a bit from college students who feel like they're being stiffed in a few of these plans. Some of it may be youthful ignorance.

For instance,

1)they can stay on parents health insurance until they are 25 (sounds good to me), however now they believe they're the generation mandated to buy it (even though they're young and healthy) to sustain the existences and unhealthy lifestyles of their elders.

2) they do hear the calls to save social security...but they believe its a clarion call to save it for someone else. They absolutely do not believe it'll be around for them.

3) they are actively competing for jobs against people twice their age and much better experience...the job opportunities seem to be diminishing

----------------------
They do seem to be socially liberal. But, the more vocal ones definitely seem to be conservative in other ways and really less likely to attach themselves to any party. I think they seem to be more into "causes". Which isn't a bad thing? To be a democrat or republican for life...doesn't fit some of them. To help the poor or needy, yes. To save the environment, yes. To loathe Fox News, Beck, and Palin...LOL...not so much. Indifference may be closer to the truth. Maybe they've got real boogeymen...student loan debt, social issues, etc.

The term socialism doesn't scare them, but neither does the concept of..."Bush got us into this mess". It's not a matter of short memories, some are just darn young.

I mean in 2012, will first time young voters feel as sympathetic when an inspiring president takes to the microphone in anticipation of a second term with..."the republicans gave us this economy." He'll be the only president they're really familiar with. That line will still work for me. But, maybe not so much with younger voters.

But, they are full of ideas. I'm excited at the prospect of watching each new group form their convictions. I think politics will get less divisive as "we" die out of the equation. They won't be dealing with some of the social issues quite the same way we've been dealing with them.

[Roland99]

28. Ok, who slipped the Viagra in the Kool-Aid?

[tinymontgomery]

29. Wonder if he is on a Pell grant

or some other kind of Goverment grant?

[krabigirl]

31. well, i bet many of them are paulites.

[less lee]

32. I remember a time when students hated the 2 party system.

It's usually Young Democrats and Young Republicans in universities. It's been that way for decades.
In my day, it was Young Americans for Freedom vs. Students For A democratic Society. Ahhhh...those were the days....