How did it happen

[clipslinger]

I wonder why so many of our youth are for Obama. They act like hes the messiah or something. These are our kids out there. What could we have done different? Did we roll over too much letting schools and cable raise our kids or were our hands tied and was this enevitable. Just curious.

[Guest dwrd]

It seems like this election cycle, Obama is the trendy choice. It seems that most want to be seen as being part of something that could change history. In the group of my friends and coworkers, I am definitely in the minority by having a conservative way of thinking. I honestly think that there are many younger voters who are saying that they are for Obama so that they are included in activities with the crowd, but come election day, their vote won't match their t-shirt.

[towerclimber37]

I think they don't recognize a liar when they see one. I DO know that the change he brings will not be one that they'll be happy with. and chances are, if he does get elected and he attempts to "get in my face and get me out of my comfort zone"....I"m not going to so much cling to my guns and religion as I will to pray to God almighty that my aim is true...then we'll see if we can narrow the margin of HIS comfort zone.

[Guest canynracer]

I watched an interview last night after the debate...the interview was with several college students (about 20 of them)...they ALL said the are going for Obama cause of his Education plan...and during the debate, Obama was the ONLY one to mention education...they are stressing on student loans.

so they are basically only voting for the ONE thing..they also said that Obama seems to carry himself better, they said McCain keeps reflecting on the past (true) and Obama seems to touch more on the solutions with more detail, they said McCain gave more of a general idea, where Obama seemed more specific.

but mostly...Education.

[Guest coldblackwind]

You know, everytime I see an interview they want obama, but everytime I ask someone in person they want mccain. On the college campus I work on I see mccain stickers (and tons of ron paul stickers) and once in a great while I see an obama sticker, and most of them someone has walked by and torn it half off their bumper.

[Guest EasilyObsessed]

I have yet to see a McCain sticker anywhere on campus at Vandy...but

I was in school at UT during the last election. Everyone walked around talking about Kerry and voting for him, but when election day came, the vast majority of those people did not vote. The "youth" movement is great at making a lot of noise, but the fact of the matter is that college kids just dont get out and vote in mass.

[Guest jwp]

They think it's "cool" to support the candidate who supports the "poor" and "under-appreciated" because they don't have jobs and still live off of mommy and daddy.

I think it was Twain who once said "anyone under 30 who isn't a liberal is heartless. Anyone over 30 who isn't a conservative is brainless."

Or something like that.

[Almond27]

At my work we have vast majority of McCain supporters and then we have some people who say they are voting for Obama cause "won't it be great to have a black president finally." Now to me that is a very stupid reason to vote for him. Also we had an 18 year old girl say she is voting for Obama because "he gives good speeches". Makes me sick:puke:

[Oh Shoot]

oops, duplicate

Edited October 8, 2008 by OhShoot
duplicate

[Oh Shoot]

Did we roll over too much letting schools ... raise our kids ...

Federal and state government should have nothing to do with education.

I mean, NOTHING, ZIP, NADA.

- OS

[saintsfanbrian]

Too many people are caught up in the historic factor of it. Forget the fact that either way history is being made. So a black man will get elected president before a white woman will be elected vice president.

I think what you will find is that the majority of the youth will not show up on election day to vote either way.

The Universities are breeding grounds for liberalism. Personally, I don't like the voting rules any more. I think you should be a property owner in order to vote. But hey, who am I.

[Oh Shoot]

... I think you should be a property owner in order to vote....

I see. Should slaves still count as property?

I mean, they used to be worth 3/5 of a real person for enumeration purposes.

- OS

[Guest EasilyObsessed]

I think you should be a property owner in order to vote. But hey, who am I.

Sounds good. As long as you dont have to pay taxes if you aren't voting.

[Buzz]

I wonder why so many of our youth are for Obama. They act like hes the messiah or something.

I don't wonder why.

Consider the typical 20 year old college student.

They were born in 1988. The only presidents they have known in their lifetimes have been Bush 41, Clinton, and Bush 43.

In their memory - the Clinton years were pretty good economically, but that was probably before they were really that interested.

By contrast, the Bush 43 years have been horrible. He/she was 13 years old on 9/11/01 when the towers went down. Old enough to understand the nationwide fear. Things have gone downhill since. They feel lied to about Iraq. They probably know personally kids who have either been there or are going. The economy is bad. Gas prices are through the roof. They are facing uncertain future employment. The hype is that health insurance is unaffordable and everybody is getting kicked out of their homes due to foreclosure.

If that was ALL you knew in your lifetime, wouldn't you be ready to embrace the candidate who seemed the most different from the prior administration?

Edited October 8, 2008 by Buzz

[Oh Shoot]

I don't wonder why.

Consider the typical 20 year old college student.

They were born in 1988. The only presidents they have known in their lifetimes have been Bush 41, Clinton, and Bush 43.

In their memory - the Clinton years were pretty good economically, but that was probably before they were really that interested.

By contrast, the Bush 43 years have been horrible. He/she was 13 years old on 9/11/01 when the towers went down. Old enough to understand the nationwide fear. Things have gone downhill since. They feel lied to about Iraq. They probably know personally kids who have either been there or are going. The economy is bad. Gas prices are through the roof. They are facing uncertain future employment. The hype is that health insurance is unaffordable and everybody is getting kicked out of their homes due to foreclosure.

If that was ALL you knew in your lifetime, wouldn't you be ready to embrace the candidate who seemed the most different from the prior administration?

I think that's really quite an intelligent explanation.

I left your entire quote in for emphasis.

Kudos.

- OS

[strickj]

I honestly think that there are many younger voters who are saying that they are for Obama so that they are included in activities with the crowd, but come election day, their vote won't match their t-shirt.

Yeah crazy kids now! When I was young and wanted to be included with the cool kids,I just started smoking! Meh,I guess they are just not as cool as I was

[analog_kidd]

Also, I think kids these days are wanting to be financially where their parents are. Only thing is, it took the parents 25 or 30 more years to get where they are. The kids want it now. Seeing a candidate who says it is a right to have it all looks enticing.

[Guest Grout]

Young people have always been drawn to the "idealists".

[fury2neon]

In their memory - the Clinton years were pretty good economically, but that was probably before they were really that interested.

You mean they are advertised as being economically better. The raw numbers until the last few month showed that have been much better off economically under Bush 43. But then the press has been trying to push us into a recession since January 2001. They (the press) almost got the recession they wanted after 9/11 but we as nation pulled through with some of the highest growth numbers since the 80's. That is until the past few months. Of course the democrat congress has not help by banning our ability to get our own oil out the ground.

[Buzz]

You mean they are advertised as being economically better. The raw numbers until the last few month showed that have been much better off economically under Bush 43.

There are facts to back up the perception that the economy was better.

The average GDP growth under Clinton (1993-2001) was 3.4% annually. From 2002-2007 (excluding '08 on purpose), it has been 2.57%. Unemployment was better under Clinton also.

Now... I happen to think Clinton was just lucky on timing. It wasn't through anything he or the government did. The dot com stock run fueled a BUNCH of that growth and that burst just as Clinton was leaving office.

By the same token, I think Bush 43 was just particularly unlucky that 9/11 happened on his watch. (Some of the other issues were of his own creation.)

[Guest Halfpint]

I think it was Twain who once said "anyone under 30 who isn't a liberal is heartless. Anyone over 30 who isn't a conservative is brainless."

I get called a heartless bastard at least once a week.

Proud of it, now that you reminded me of that quote!

[fury2neon]

There are facts to back up the perception that the economy was better.

The average GDP growth under Clinton (1993-2001) was 3.4% annually. From 2002-2007 (excluding '08 on purpose), it has been 2.57%. Unemployment was better under Clinton also.

Now... I happen to think Clinton was just lucky on timing. It wasn't through anything he or the government did. The dot com stock run fueled a BUNCH of that growth and that burst just as Clinton was leaving office.

By the same token, I think Bush 43 was just particularly unlucky that 9/11 happened on his watch. (Some of the other issues were of his own creation.)

If you will remember when unemployment under Clinton was 5.7% it was considered full employment but when it was 4.6% under Bush it was massive unemployment. Unemployment under Clinton averaged 4.8% and under Bush until 2008 it was averaging 4.7%. The largest layoffs in US history since the Depression occurred during the Clinton Administration. We maybe up for some massive layoffs this year so that W will take that title from Clinton.

Clinton gets a lot of good press and when the GOA numbers fro growth are adjusted to pre-Clinton calulation methods his numbers don't look as good.

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

Young people have always been drawn to the "idealists".

That's my perspective. Age and cynicism generally increase in a proportional manner. I think we all tend to gravitate towards the political views of our parents when we're young, and the idealism makes it difficult to question either those beliefs or the person espousing them.

I also agree that there's an element of trendiness involved. Right now, it's trendy to be liberal. Whether it's true or not, one would be led to believe that the liberal mindset is the only "enlightened" one, so these kids hitting college tend to lean that way, consciously or unconsciously.

Me, I'm not even 30, but I'm already pretty cynical. I guess I'm ahead of the curve.

[towerclimber37]

They act like he's the messiah because Louis (calypso Looey) Farrakan actually said that he was the messiah.

you know him right? friend to Jerimiah Wright..Obama's hate preacher.

[Mousegun]

Our parents ( in some cases) lived through WW11 and Korea. Some of us saw action in Viet Nam. At that time, very little was given to us as compared to what is passed along today. Many of today's kids never ran a paper route or bagged at a grocery store to get a few bucks for stuff because stuff was given to them by mom and pop.

Many people that are close to being seniors or are already there, started out by learning prejudice and gradually as we evolved and developed new ideas, that which used to be accepted in days gone by, became very politically incorrect. Some people may feel that they are making amends for past practices by giving Obama their vote. I have heard this more than once.

Add these things together along with the status of the country and you get what you got. A man that leads us to believe that he will continue to give us stuff without having to dig in deep and work for it. Socialism, I certainly think so.