ISLA VISTA, CA—A multitude of post adolescent youth descend onto house lined Del Playa Drive, known simply as “DP”, while others cheer from their balconies in unison as the news unfolds that Barack Obama has won the election and has become the first elected African-American U.S. president.
Bicyclists and long boarders chant Obama’s name as they zip neatly through the crowd. Streakers run past everyone at full speed, and although it is a school night UC Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College students continue to pour into DP in any wayward direction.
Almost two years later, midterm election day comes and goes with an eerie silence having fallen on the very streets that once received the previously buoyant crowds celebrating Obama’s victory. “I didn’t even know who was running,” said 20-year-old, Starbucks Barista, Claiborne.
Instead voiceless one-click responses seem to be sufficient enough to participate in the day’s events. “I Voted” buttons popped up sporadically throughout the day on Facebook newsfeeds, while a few status updates correctly anticipated the Republicans would win the house, but lose the senate. Despite the marginal interest showed it is evident, however, the midterm elections are not the foremost thought on young people’s minds. There is no spontaneous parade today, and everyone remains fully clothed.
Republicans win the house with a total of 239 seats. Democrats narrowly hold on to the senate majority with a total of 51 seats compared to the republican’s 46. The Republican Party’s success almost immediately raises questions among various news outlets, “Where was the youth turn out in this election?” “Have they already lost interest in the Democratic Party?”
Rightwing commentators began to eagerly speculate perhaps Obama is losing his hold on the demographic that had once loved him so dearly. After all, they were the ones who had plastered multi-colored posters of his face on their dorm room walls. They had incorporated him into their wardrobe, and had given up plans with their friends, and missed days of school, for the opportunity to catch a glimpse of him at town hall meetings and possibly shake his hand.
Obama, however, was not on the ballot this year, and the majority of his youthful supporters don’t seem to care who was. “I don’t really pay attention to state politics, or national politics really. I don’t have a good reason why I didn’t [vote] I just didn’t,” said Eden, a young unenthused nonvoter.
Despite the overwhelming support Obama received initially from young voters, historically, youth turnout has always been low. So, when midterm elections come around--which always sees a lower voter turn out across the board--it comes as no surprise the youth demographic rounded out the bottom. According to Mark Bauerlein’s article, “The Youth Vote, 2010,” in the midterm elections only 20.9% of young adults between the ages of 18-29 voted—a 5% decrease from the 2006-midterm elections, and a 30% decrease from the 2008 presidential elections.
Is it indifference on the part of the youth to blame? According to political analyst William John Cox, a whopping 36% of young adults said it wouldn’t make a difference who they voted for.
However in states where non-profit organizations like Rock the Vote—specializing in youth voter registration—were present, the percentage of voters in between the ages of 18-29 exceeded the 25% youth voter turnout in 2006.
Organizations such as Rock the Vote bring to light that encouragement and incentive paves the way to the voting booth for young voters. “These young people are willing to participate and be active by nature, but they are not going to show up unless they are invited,” said Heather Smith, executive director of Rock the Vote. In fact Rock the Vote registered an estimated 300,000 new young voters before the midterm election.
Currently the majority of the youth demographic are voting democratic, however, a common political myth is the older one becomes the more likely one will lean conservative. According to Deva Woodley, Professor of Political Science at the New School, “Some generations are more progressive than others. Those that came of age in WWII tend to vote democrat, though now they are mostly in their 80’s, and those that came of age in the 1980’s tend to vote republican. Political disposition gets set pretty early on and doesn’t waver.”
Political disposition may not waver, but methods used to reach young voters have evolved significantly. Today, young voters are more likely to use the internet to educate themselves about politics. Politicians who are seeking to obtain young voters to their respected party—knowing full well whatever party they align with will most likely be their party for life—are beginning to utilize the internet and technology more and more with campaigns targeting social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter with every election. Although Obama was not the first candidate to utilize this tool, he was the first to make it an overwhelming success.
Despite the youth turnout always being among the lowest of the voting demographics, the vitality the youth possesses is invaluable to any candidate that can harness their energy.
“A certain energy is infused when youth is involved. It creates a cultural movement. Obama created a cultural movement. He was used as a figurehead,” adds Woodley.
This was especially true when the youth vote first emerged in the 1960’s, coinciding with the Vietnam War, when the voting age was still 21. How to obtain the youth vote rests large in part on what motivates them to mobilize. In the case of the Vietnam War Draft—men under the voting age were not exempt from the draft lottery. Subsequently, young people saw this discrepancy as a result of their lack of political voice in public affairs.
Traditionally during campaigning we see “electoral politics” and the endorsement of a particular candidate. However it’s “protest politics”—political issues that take precedence over the candidates—that historically mobilizes young voters, according to Woodley. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement were the catalysts in sparking the youth movement that would come to symbolize the 60’s. Nowadays, despite the current state of foreign affairs; the war in Afghanistan; and the war in Iraq, the youth do not seem to be impacted directly in a manner comparable to the youth of the 1960's.
Throughout the decades young voter turnout has weaned off and picked up again most notably in the 1984 and 2008 elections. This midterm election saw no particular candidate or party that targeted young voters with the same gusto as Obama’s campaign had. This was due in large part because it was not just one central election that gripped the attention of the entire country, but multiple local elections targeting multiple local populations. "This is about local politics,” said Maegan Carberry, from Rock the Vote, “and we are seeing local media markets pick up our public service ads.”
What may be being done on a local level does not seem to be counteracting the disillusionment felt among the young demographic. Many young voters have expressed their frustration at the lack of political change they have seen occur since Obama’s election. “ I am disappointed,” said 18-year-old Samantha Morris of Boston, Massachusetts, “from the things I have read it doesn’t seem like he is sticking to all the things he promised.”
The initial burst of excitement may have worn off. However, despite the seemingly slow response from the Obama administration, William Cox continues to urge young voters, “No matter what youth consider themselves in terms of political party, we all must mobilize. Voting should be a sacrament in our national political religion.”
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