Young voters like Barack Obama. The polls show this, research shows this, conversations on blogs and in social networking groups show this. And when I requested that young readers of the On the Edge blog tell me what they care about, the environment and education were the steamiest issues. Immigration, the economy and health care were right behind - issues that are at the forefront of the Democratic Party's platform. And the young vote may make a big difference in this election. According to a poll conducted in mid-February by The Tarrance Group and Lake Research Partners and posted on the Rock the Vote Web site, the number of 18- to 29-year-olds who have come out to vote in the primaries has more than doubled what it was in 2000 and 2004. We're talking 5.7 million voters hitting the polls this time around, while only 2.2 million voted in the primaries for the two previous elections. So the Illinois senator attracts the iPod generation - 69 percent of young people have a favorable impression of Obama, nearly twice that of Hillary Clinton (51 percent) and John McCain (44 percent) - and, in turn, he relies on this crowd to support him at the polls and to fill up arenas at college campuses. He's charismatic, rarely negative, isn't mean and, when he talks issues, they are the ones the baby boomer offspring say they care about: education, health care, the environment. Why? Because these are the things most directly affecting the younger set - now and in the future - says Zoe Oxley, who chairs the political science department at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. Older people, those nearing retirement age and beyond, Oxley adds, are focused on Social Security and the quality of health care, because they'll likely need more medical attention as they age. Twenty- and 30-somethings grew up when protecting the environment was at the forefront. They recycle tuna cans, return bottles (because, as we know, at this age a single weekend can net lots of 5-cent returns) and view a hybrid - rather than Dad's 8 mpg ‘68 Camaro - as the car to have. Environmental issues are huge and real, and young people realize that when we are 50 years old we might not have fresh water and clean air, says Amelia Mindel who is 25 and lives in Schenectady: “If we do not do something now, we might be wearing oxygen tanks and using SPF 600.” Mindel says her No. 1 priority as a young person is “a change in this White House administration and refocusing our issues at home: economic restructuring, supporting our public education system and public universities so we can compete in a global economy.” She's also looking for a president who supports same-sex marriage, and equal rights, helps working poor families and disabled veterans. And says “recognizing and realizing that immigrants aren't terrorists and they are here living in our country and helping our economy” also gives the candidate a boost. Which is not to say all young voters are lining up with the Democrats. On the other side of the political seesaw is Nicholas Stefaniak from Rensselaer, N.Y. The 30-year-old has more traditional values. He wants someone who will restore our economy, will appoint strict constructionist judges, who opposes a descent into socialism, and, ultimately, a person who is strong on national security. Unlike Mindel, he wants someone who is tough on immigration. “Illegal immigrants do not pay taxes, and they drive up the cost of our health-care programs among other programs by milking the government,” says Stefaniak. “Unlike previous immigrants, like our grandparents and great-grandparents who went about things the legal way and melted into mainstream America and embraced our country, many of the illegal immigrants among us don't try to assimilate, (and even) less care to learn English, while taking advantage of public assistance they don't pay for.” So while young people may have a long-running reputation for complaining about the political administration, but not doing anything about it, this may be the year that reputation is blown apart, says Diane Phillips, chair and associate professor of marketing at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. She teaches a senior seminar class on decision-making where they regularly address political issues. “When (young people) look at the candidates, they're seeing the same rhetoric, but they're not getting that from Obama,” says Phillips. “There's this energy there I've never seen before, and it seems to be because of Obama. For the first time, young people can be the deciding factor in this election.” But the young voter high may not last. “I believe if the two nominees are Clinton and McCain, the young voters will feel disenfranchised again. They won't be energized and won't go out to vote,” says Phillips. “But if it's Obama, they're going to be jazzed about that and vote.” __
