The New York Times/CBS/MTV poll (linked here) shows young voters age 17 to 29 are paying more attention to the upcoming presidential race than this age group did in 2004, and they're choosing to vote Democratic in larger numbers than ever before as well. Here's some of the takeaways from the poll - see the link above for more:
- More than half of Americans ages 17 to 29 -- 54 percent -- say they intend to vote for a Democrat for president in 2008.
- They hold a markedly more positive view of Democrats than they do of Republicans.
- 28 percent described themselves as liberal, compared with 20 percent of the nation at large. And 27 percent called themselves conservative, compared with 32 percent of the general public.
- 41 percent of 18-to-29-year-old voters said gay couples should be permitted to legally marry.
- 62 percent said they would support a universal, government-sponsored national health care insurance program; 47 percent of the general public holds that view.
- 30 percent said that "Americans should always welcome new immigrants," while 24 percent of the general public holds that view.
- Respondents, by overwhelming margins, said they believed that the nation was prepared to elect as president a woman, a black person or someone who admitted to having used marijuana.
- By a 52 to 36 majority, young Americans say that Democrats, rather than Republicans, come closer to sharing their moral values.
- 58 percent said they had a favorable view of the Democratic Party, and 38 percent said they had a favorable view of Republicans.
- 42 percent of young Americans thought it was likely or very likely that the nation would reinstate a military draft over the next few years -- and two-thirds said they thought the Republican Party was more likely to do so.
- Fifty-one percent said the United States was very or somewhat likely to succeed in Iraq, compared with 45 percent among all adults. Contrary to conventional wisdom, younger Americans have historically been more likely than the population as a whole to be supportive of what a president is doing in a time of war, as they were in Korea and Vietnam, polls have shown.
New York Times - Young Americans Are Leaning Left, New Poll Finds
Comments (8)
Good news for Democrats! But with the caveat implicit in the quotation of mid-nineteenth century French historian and politician Francois Guizot, "Not to be a republican at 20 is proof of want of heart; to be one at 30 is proof of want of head". He was referring to the controversy over whether France should be a republic or a monarchy.
1. Posted by Steve Crickmore | June 27, 2007 7:07 PM
Posted on June 27, 2007 19:07
I wonder how generation Y reconciles having open borders and free for all healthcare. I guess that sleep through that economics class that talks about constraints and limitations.
The U.S. is headed for being a one party state. Of course that one party nation will probably resemble the District of Columbia. At least, the healthcare, when you can ge it, can be free. '
2. Posted by superdestroyer | June 27, 2007 7:17 PM
Posted on June 27, 2007 19:17
Unfortunately for the Dems, that is the group which is LEAST likely to vote.
3. Posted by Paul Hamilton | June 27, 2007 8:43 PM
Posted on June 27, 2007 20:43
This year could be different. I've talked to a few who recognize that sitting out the last election cost this nation dearly.
4. Posted by Lee Ward | June 27, 2007 8:46 PM
Posted on June 27, 2007 20:46
But how many of them internalize the idea of "this nation" enough to get serious about politics. Seems like my generation was the last one to really get excited about politics and that was mainly because of the draft.
Believe me, I hope you're right, but outside of Obama, I don't see the sort of Bobby Kennedy figure it takes to really excite and inspire yourth.
5. Posted by Paul Hamilton | June 28, 2007 11:55 AM
Posted on June 28, 2007 11:55
Guisot.
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6. Posted by kim | June 28, 2007 5:28 PM
Posted on June 28, 2007 17:28
Or not. Or no.
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7. Posted by kim | June 29, 2007 9:15 AM
Posted on June 29, 2007 09:15
A knot, I know.
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8. Posted by kim | June 30, 2007 12:16 AM
Posted on June 30, 2007 00:16