I am not buying this meme from the MSM, and the right that the college age are not voting again

[Peacetrain]

Because I happen to be a proud parent of one of those college age adults, and guess what.. They all voted early using absentee ballots. That was the big push in Iowa. Every college age kid I know, has voted, absentee.

So they have not been at the polls for early voting because ta dah.. they voted already.

mini rant is now finished :)

[Warren Stupidity]

1. voter participation rates for under 30 are not great

that is just an historical fact. This year might be different, but probably not by a huge amount. I do not think that Obama needs an unprecedented participation rate from this cohort to win. Relax, volunteer, donate, vote. My kids are all voting. We are going to win.

[Peacetrain]

23. Well all I can really tell from is empirical info with my sons'

friends and co horts.. but I will give you a donut if it is not just as good as Rasmussen :rofl:

[EFerrari]

32. They're trending very good. Kerry got a record number of youth votes

and it was spun into "they didn't show up" -- like so much was spun that year.

[Peacetrain]

37. I hear that.. that is why I started this thread.. I got up this morning

turned on the tv, and there it was again, some pollster commiserating with a media type and a right wing type on how McCain was going to win this thing. Dumber than a bag of rocks. Like I said in my op, they voted absentee.. hello, of course they are not going to be in the early voting polls.. it was mailed in! :hi:

[EFerrari]

42. Exactly! That was the very first piece of spin I noticed in 2004

and the one that led me into finding out something about our elections.

I worked with hundreds of young kids for Kerry. They were THE GLUE. To see them knocked that way so thoughtlessly was terrible! A lot of them weren't even Democrats -- they were just good people who set aside their party registration to elect John Kerry.

I wrote this on 11/06 in response to on such knocking by an idiot at the Chronicle:

Getting it Wrong on the Youth Vote

For the last two years, our young people have registered to vote, they've registered their friends and neighbors. They've phone banked and fund raised. They've listened to debates, invited candidates to speak to them and helped maintain the broad progressive coalition that swept over this country. They got out the vote last Tuesday. They helped mind the polls, often traveling to other states to go where they were needed.

They did an amazing job. So, when the pundits say, they were unnoticed, someone is looking in the wrong direction. And missing the as yet untold story of this election and the youth vote.

Because our young people were also targeted for voter intimidation and suppression. They got robocalls threatening their student financial aid. As a group, somehow their absentee ballots went missing at a higher rate. Their registration forms where shredded in Oregon and Washington. Precincts closest to their colleges were understaffed and under equipped. In Ohio, they were made to stand in alternate lines and to wait for hours as they watched other voters come, cast their vote and go. And as the reports come in, this list will get longer.

But, in other words, on Tuesday, the youth vote was Black in America, had their rights violated in the same old ways that the black community has been fighting for decades. So, if we don't see the difference our young people made on Nov 2, it may be because we may be too ashamed to look and see what really happened to them, after they worked their hearts out for our election.

They were there. Where were we? Where is the leadership that should be helping our youth understand the lessons learned last Tuesday? To point out to them that they just went through a trial by fire, and that we're all proud of them and grateful. Most of all, to promise them that together we will continue fighting for fair elections. And to mean that.

* * *

To our young volunteers and voters: :yourock:

[Peacetrain]

43. Thank you for all that work in 2004

I know a number of those in college at the time, and post college, really worked their hearts out for Kerry..

You said it much more eloquently than I can..


So to all those younger adults who did and do put in all that time:yourock:

[Cha]

47. It's the corporatemediawhore$ who

need to change big time. Without them we wouldn't be scrambling for our country's very existence.

[PA Democrat]

2. My son voted absentee already, too.

I asked him about his friends from school who also support Obama and he said they have already voted absentee or will be voting in person on the 4th. PA has no early voting. According to him, he is confident that the people he knows will vote.

[Peacetrain]

24. Did we not just raise the best guys!!

:)

[BlueIdaho]

Both my kids voted early this year too. nm.

[Peacetrain]

25. Oh good for them.. that seems to be what I am hearing

on line and in real life!.. :thumbsup:

[BlueIdaho]

3. sorry - dupe.

[salbi]

4. My 19 yr old called me from college yesterday, He voted for the 1st time!

Yes, I'm a proud mom! My son called very excited to tell me that he voted! He registered at school, and voted early. And of course, it was for Obama! One of my proudest moments!

[Peacetrain]

26. Awesome!!!

Give your son a :grouphug: from all of us!!

[matt819]

5. Add two more college age kids here

Both voted absentee, with time to spare.

[Peacetrain]

27. Oh Matt.. wonderful.. I am reading all the responses on the thread

and it makes me so proud and hopeful. They are doing great. Hey even my 79 year old mother who has to use a walker is getting herself to the polls. Obama of course. Right up and down the age lines.

[Kukesa]

6. My 2 Repub grandkids haven't voted. I'm not reminding them. n/t

[Peacetrain]

29. Good Idea!!

:hug:, we will keep it all to ourselves for the time being ;)

[redstateblues]

7. Every election in my 60 years I've heard about the youth vote

I'm hopeful but honestly based on history the youth vote is an illusion. Don't count on it- but if it happens it will help Obama.

[Peacetrain]

31. Well Obama is not relying on one age group, His appeal is generational

It was just something the media is trying to stir, to keep their ratings up. But from where I am sitting they have voted. :)

[SheilaT]

8. My 21 year old son

is planning to vote in person on Tuesday where he goes to college. He chose that over absentee ballot in his home state because, as he told me. he really wanted the experience of standing in line on election day.

And here's something else to ponder, for all those who doubt the youth vote this year:

I used to live in Kansas and I participated in the caucus there both in 2004 and 2008. In 2004 there were somewhat fewer than 200 voters at my caucus location, and only one, as I recall, was under 40. In 2008, 1800 participated at my caucus location and about 20 percent (just from eyeballing it) were under 25. Oh, and I don't recall any African Americans in 2004, and while I didn't pay enough attention to guess the numbers or percent, there was a noticeable number of African Americans in 2008. Plus, they (and I'm very impressed at this) were well enough organized to lock up most of the delegate slots to the local convention which would choose our delegates to the DNC. And normally, in Kansas, it feels as if African Americans just aren't there. This year they were very noticeable in the caucus process, along with the young voters.

[Peacetrain]

33. We caucus here in Iowa also

It is a wonderful experience. My son especially wanted to vote absentee because he wanted to vote against King who is a congressperson from our area, and a real embarrassment to Iowans..

I love that feeling of being with my neighbors standing in line, waiting to vote.. It is really a touching moment, but I voted early this time, to make sure that others who have more stringent schedules than me, would not be caught in long lines waiting to vote.. But there is nothing like standing in that line! It is great.

[tomg]

9. My entire class of 18 year

old first year students has voted already by absentee. In my upper-division courses, almost every student who hasn't voted yet is local.
This is absurdly higher than it was in 2004 or 2000. I am really impressed by it. I don't discuss politics in class, but obviously stuff comes up from them. My conservative students are just as vocal, active, involved and committed as my liberal and progressive students ( although, interestingly, they can't stand Palin).

[Peacetrain]

13. That is what I have been seeing.

They got those absentee ballots and got them out pronto.. as of yesterday

[Peacetrain]

34. That is wonderful to hear, even on those who are on the other side.

Just the act of voting makes you stop and think how important you are , we are to the country. Gives us that identity! But that is really interesting about Palin. I have talked to more than one conservative, that is appalled by her. So I know what you mean

[Atman]

10. It's just another vote-suppression tactic

"Don't bother, kids. None of your friends are showing up, either. There's no point."

Again, the idiots on the right tend not to be very tech-savvy, and the whole concept of texting and instant communication among peers is foreign to them. Don't let this shit work, you young people!

.

[Peacetrain]

12. That is what I thought Altman..that is sounded like voter suppression

in a strange and odd way.

[tallahasseedem]

11. As an "older"

graduate student at Florida State, I can tell you that I have seen many early voting. Not only that, Barack supporters have been providing free van transportation to the voting site. It was highlighted in our local paper the other day.

I think that the MSM is just trying to tell themselves that. You know, kind of like the AA vote.

[Peacetrain]

14. Good point from someone on the ground!

[FloridaGrl]

17. When he wins

they want to say it's solely because AA turned out for him nothing else. He will be the black president elected by the black people.

Edit to say: I am a young person who voted the first day of early voting, I stood in line for almost 2 hours. My brother who isn't into politics voted 3 days into early voting. Most of my friends have already voted. I am very skeptical of these polls.

[Peacetrain]

22. They may try it, but it will go nowhere... Obama is appealing across all ages

races, ethnicities, religions, income groups.. It is about his ideas.. They are just trying to keep the drama up because it brings in big bucks with everyone tuned in

[Jennicut]

15. I have kept saying this over and over again. College kids vote absentee.

When I was in college during the 1996 election I voted absentee for Clinton. All my friends voted absentee as well. None of us were able to be home on Nov. 4th and none of switched our registrations to the college area as it was a hassle. Young people will vote but this is the way they will do it.

[Peacetrain]

16. Back home from work!! Exactly what you said Jennicut

:hi:.. all of this nonsense about "will the youth vote happen or not"?.. well.. it already has .. in absentee ballots.. someone further up the line, pointed out that it was more like voter suppression attempts ..

Well the right wingnuts can attempt away.. they (those in college)many have already voted!!.

[sandnsea]

28. Good point

I'll quit worrying about it. :hi:

[IsItJustMe]

18. My daughter will vote Tuesday, or else she will figure out my shoe size. LOL Just teasing. She

will vote though.

On Edit. She is dressing as Sarah Palin tonight. She cant wait to vote for Obama on Tuesday. She just always puts things off to the last minute. She said she wants to be a part of history.

[Peacetrain]

20. Good for her!!! I can remember taking my 21 year old to vote

from diapers on up.. He went into the booth with either his Dad or me.. Well our booths here in Iowa are more like little stands with high sides..but you get the drift.

So after talking to him, and his making doubly sure his absentee ballot came through, and he was filling me in on all of his friends who of course had voted absentee.. it hit me.. Many of them have already voted.. duh!.. You would not be seeing that high a number in the early voting polls, because as they say.

It was in the mail :)

[BlueIdaho]

19. I hope they all vote

But I think the Obama campaign has moved beyond a campaign that than wins or loses on the college vote.

[Peacetrain]

21. Oh I agree with that.. His base is not the college students or old

or anything..his base is just like the 50 state strategy.. He moved to all age groups,income groups, etc.. and that is how it should be..

I was just commenting on the angst of some of the media pollsters and ooooooooooo this could be trouble for Obama.. yadda yadda yadda.

Every day it is a new crock of something for them

[fizzgig]

30. i think we're going to have wonderful turnout from 18-24s this year

and we're definitely going to top the 47 percent turnout from 2004

[Peacetrain]

36. I think that too!!

[dsomuah]

35. Many college students aren't voting early for a reason ...

Because for many of them their polling station is on campus and a lot of on campus polling stations are not open for early voting.

[Peacetrain]

38. AHHHH.. good information.

Thanks!!

[FVZA_Colonel]

40. Midterms and 10 to 15 page papers need to be taken into account.

A lot of students are bogged down by those at this time of year, and just don't have a chance to go to the polls before the 4th.

[Peacetrain]

45. I think that is another reason so many of them have voted absentee..

Mid terms, or papers from hell. It is that time of year

[FVZA_Colonel]

41. Self-Delete.

Double post.

[rvablue]

39. It's BS....seriously, how on earth is it possible that they could quantifiably know this

they don't have people standing at every polling place counting how many young people go in.

this is purely anecdotal and meaningless.

[Peacetrain]

44. By how long thery took in the voting booth

:rofl: just kidding..but I know what you mean,, it is ludicrous, unless they are going by age of voter by registration. I think they probably have access to that information .

But I am a 50plus who voted early, I got behind a couple of 70 or 80 plus, whew they were thoughtful.. long time in that little voting spot. Of course we had a lot on the ballot.. but yikes, they really thought it out. Happy they voted early!!

I told someone the other day, can you imagine how long our undecideds are going to take in the booth.. take a book, coffee, cookies, maybe a fold up chair ;)

[mnhtnbb]

46. My 18 yo college freshman went to vote early with his best friend from high school

when they were on their fall break--the second day of early voting in NC. Two Obama votes!

[liberalpress]

48. The polls we are already seeing

... the ones that have Obama with over 300 EV... those aren't particularly weighted to any demographic. HE's ahead without the "youth" vote. If they show, the youth make it a landslide.