Posted on 09/22/2004 10:31:05 AM PDT by No Surrender Monkey
Younger voters think the country is heading in the wrong direction and that President Bush does not share their priorities, but they like Bush personally and are unsure about John Kerry.
Overall, Kerry has a substantial lead among voters under thirty, a reversal of the Bush's nine-point advantage among all registered voters. In a head-to-head contest, Kerry is leading Bush by 10 points (51-41), and in a contest that includes Ralph Nader, Kerry is ahead by 6 (46-40-4).
These results came from a new poll of 18-29-year-olds (conducted September 8-13) by CBS News on behalf of MTV and the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE).
Kerry's support, however, could be described as lukewarm. A full two-thirds of his supporters harbor reservations or are voting for Kerry merely out of a greater dislike for the other guy. Less than half of all respondents like Kerry personally.
While those aren't Clintonian numbers, they might be enough, especially given young voters' negative appraisal of Bush's first term. Only 39 percent of the respondents have a favorable impression of the president, only 44 percent approve of the way he is handling his job, and more than half feel he does not share their priorities.
On the other hand, more than half of the respondents like Bush personally (including a fair percentage of Kerry voters) and his supporters are generally more enthusiastic than Kerry's. To muddle the picture even further, when asked to match the candidates to different roles, the respondents chose Bush as the preferred dad, boss and guy to hang out with, while Kerry was tapped as the better teacher and — oh, so crucially — slightly cooler.
Cool or not, the support for both candidates among young voters is more tepid than among voters generally. Forty percent of all Kerry's supporters "strongly favor" him, while only a third of young voters feel the same way. Similarly, nearly two-thirds of Bush's supporters "strongly favor" the president, compared to just over half of his younger supporters.
This does not appear to be a case of youthful political cynicism: 75 percent feel this is one of the most important elections in their lifetime — if not the most — and 85 percent say that it matters who wins. Young voters are following this election closely and nearly 8 in 10 say they definitely plan to vote. The last time voters under 30 were paying as much attention at this stage in the campaign was the 1992 battle between Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush and Ross Perot.
As in 1992, the top issues for young voters this year are the economy and jobs. Only 3 percent of respondents rated the economy as "very good," although over half think it is at least "fairly good." Almost two-thirds describe the job prospects for young people as "fair" or "poor."
Other top concerns of survey respondents were terrorism, education and safeguarding civil liberties. A majority expect some terrorist attack in the next few months. Health care, a major issue for older voters, did not appear on the survey.
Feelings about the war in Iraq are mixed, as slightly more of the respondents agreed that invading Iraq was a good thing than disagreed. There is overwhelming opposition to reinstating the military draft to provide additional soldiers to the conflict. Interestingly, young men are slightly less opposed to a draft than young women.
Somewhat surprisingly, the vice-presidential candidates don't appear to have made much of a splash. Despite the Democrats' frequent attacks on Dick Cheney, 42 percent of respondents have no opinion of the current vice president. John Edwards is even more of an unknown: 58 percent of respondents don't know enough about him to render a view.
Perhaps the most interesting numbers in the survey are that 1 in 4 of the respondents were not registered to vote and that 1 in 5 of registered voters were still undecided as to who to vote for. In a race this close, these votes and potential votes could decide the next president.
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I'm 26 and find this poll to be absurd. It helps push a stereotype of lazy, listless youth that is easily sold by propaganda and anything that might force them to earn an honest days' pay. I've been in the job force since I was 19 and I pay my taxes and my rent. I'm a Republican because I recognize which party respects my desire to be independant and proud of myself, not the one that wants everyone to think they can't do it and you don't have to work because someone will do it for you.
He held a "staged" press conference yesterday. Couldn't even hear the questions.
Just saying hwat Rendell does up there......LOL..
Same here, I'm 27 and have been conservative since I was in diapers.
Cooler? I've heard that, up close and personal, he's downright frigid to most people.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1223740/posts
"Universal National Service Act of 2003 (The DRAFT) - HR 163 - ALL DEMS behind it"
I was in the same boat. My family really thought I was a heartless [fill in the blank].
Frank
Some quotes by Winston Churchill (found online):
The whole history of the world is summed up in the fact that, when nations are strong, they are not always just, and when they wish to be just, they are no longer strong. -
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
Show me a young Conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains.
Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy.
A liberal is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air.
... it is the people who control the Government, not the Government the people.
Lady Astor: "Winston, if I were your wife I'd put poison in your coffee!"
Churchill: "Nancy, if I were your husband I'd drink it."
Sure. Right after they clean up their rooms.
The real news is that he is ONLY up by 6 points with this crowd.
There was a recent poll here in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois of all cemeteries and those interred. The results show that the dearly departed will be voting for Kerry and local Democrats in record numbers!
Deceptive headline. These aren't voters - they're "adults"... 1/4 of them are not even registered to vote.
I've said it before and I'll say it again...my generation (I'm 23) is quite possibly the most ignorant generation in the history of this planet.
Sure Kerry has a 6 point lead in polls taken of my generation...but you know what, the ones who chose Kerry are the same ones who are too lazy or just won't go vote so it really doesn't matter.
I watched Barrymore's show. Ratio of Dim to Republican interviewees was about 10 to 1. Typical.
well i'm 28 and i'm voting for bush!
Who the F**k cares about Drew Barrymore - this is the bullsh*t that fills young people's heads (i'm a tail-end Xer).
Drew Barrymore is an irrelevant, over hyped product of nepotism with a 9th grade education.
She can't undersatnd the problem because she is part of the problem.
MTV is the worst thing in the world. It's rock the vote program is a phony, contrived, doublespeak initiative designed to create liberal voters out of the already brainwashed hordes of Generation Y zombies who tune into it religiously.
Young kids don't vote in elections because they are too concerned about who to vote for on American Idol.
The average 18 year old be turned off by the voter pamplets and other mail they will be recieving, and then just think... They will have to got down to the polling place that is run by really, really old people. This age group generally tries to stay away from old people doing boring things like running polling places.
They are polling NONVOTERS? That's what it takes to get Kerry a lead. I am LMAO at this.
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