The Big Problem: how to make kids get out to vote?

[Sematary]

I'm confused.

I thought roughly 40% of all the youth that vote, voted for Ron Paul in Nevada. That's a huge landslide for Ron Paul getting youth votes. He only got 11% of the people his age.

It would seem to me that old people need to get voting.

Old people DO vote - but not for Ron Paul
Young people vote in small numbers so ya, he gets alot of them but they are still only a small percentage. The OP is right.

 

[RDM]

God this is so true. Last minute voters really screw things up.

How do these people feel good about voting when many of them are clearly uneducated about the issues? It's just another example of how the most powerful office in the world is treated as seriously as voting for American Idol.

You might enjoy this article I have posted on SodaHead. http://www.sodahead.com/united-stat...nto-a-american-idol-contest/question-2432437/

 

[tbone717]

God this is so true. Last minute voters really screw things up.

How do these people feel good about voting when many of them are clearly uneducated about the issues? It's just another example of how the most powerful office in the world is treated as seriously as voting for American Idol.

This is nothing new though, it has been like this for generations and likely will continue to be this way. So, instead of hoping that people will make a more educated choice (which a decent percentage will never do) we need to work within the current scenario and have our candidate be the one that they make that last minute decision for. The only way that I can see that occurring this election cycle is by improving Paul's viability and that can only be done with a win. It is a bit of a "Catch 22" situation, but it is the reality of what we currently face.

 

[FreeMind&Market]

I'm surprised by the number of older adults I talk with that don't even know they can vote in the primaries. I'm not convinced that many people even understand the process, other than political junkies.

 

[tbone717]

I'm surprised by the number of older adults I talk with that don't even know they can vote in the primaries. I'm not convinced that many people even understand the process, other than political junkies.

Most don't which explains low turnout for primaries. Trying to get people to understand it is an uphill battle. It is much more effective to find the people that do vote in the primaries and persuade them to vote for Paul, rather than trying to persuade people to vote in a primary if they never have before.

 

[sailingaway]

Show them the polls saying Ron was in FOURTH in NV, the results, the pledges of support and the numbers who showed up.

In other words, show them THEY make the difference to success.

 

[dbill27]

I'm confused.

I thought roughly 40% of all the youth that vote, voted for Ron Paul in Nevada. That's a huge landslide for Ron Paul getting youth votes. He only got 11% of the people his age.

It would seem to me that old people need to get voting.

You're not getting the point. Yes, young people that show up vote for ron, that's why we need more young people to show up. He's not talking about convincing young people who to vote for, he's talking about convincing them to vote.

 

[Maximus]

I think the worst problem we face are the vast majority of people who don't think about who they're going to vote for until they show up at the ballot booth.

Someone who doesn't vote, doesn't help. But it's really the reckless, last-minute voters who have absolutely ruined this country.

I look at some people and think:

How the hell do you have four f***ing years between presidential elections, with a year or even two years of campaigning, and yet you are still undecided on primary night? Try putting some effort into researching candidates and maybe you won't have that issue.

This single handedly cost us Iowa, all the last minute voters went for the "safe" bet with Santorum

 

[Tumn1s]

The big reason that you haven't seen young people showing up en masse to vote for Ron is because of two different factors.

1. Most young people are not registered Republican.. or registered at all. (they tend to be very idealistic and register independent or democrat)

2. There is no sense of urgency among the youth because most of them don't understand how much trouble our country is actually in. Sure, they like Ron Pauls anit-war, pro liberty positions... but that's not enough by itself to get them out to vote. You have to galvanize them by getting them to understand how dire our situation really is. That goes for everyone though.

 

[FSP-Rebel]

Yep, this goes with Ron constantly hyping up his "young people" narrative in interviews as well, seniors over and over are the one's who vote in large numbers, not college kids, why does he keep preaching to the choir, get off the campuses and start going to bingo night at the local VFW.

I'm quickly coming to agree with this sentiment. If something clearly isn't working, we gotta change formulas or we plead insanity.

 

[P3ter_Griffin]

Many younger voters still favor Obama, many are caught up in the Occupy Wall-street mantra, and many are too busy partying not realizing the magnitude of the problems with our government. No way to "make" people do anything, we just gotta make sure they are receiving the message just as we have to do with the not-youth voters. I think age specific postcards would be the best play to try and gather more votes (youth and otherwise), but unfortunately I don't have the cash to run a PAC.

 

[RDM]

You're not getting the point. Yes, young people that show up vote for ron, that's why we need more young people to show up. He's not talking about convincing young people who to vote for, he's talking about convincing them to vote.

You people are making this more complicated than what it is. It's real simple. Follow my steps.

1. Grab your car keys.
2. Walk to your car.
3. Insert key into ignition and start engine
4. Place car in gear and drive to voter's house
5. Get them in your car and drive them to polls
6. Walk them inside and tell them what to do.
7. Take them home or stop and buy them a drink or meal for their time.

IT Ain't Rocket Science.

 

[tbone717]

7. Take them home or stop and buy them a drink or meal for their time.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that you cannot do that.

 

[RDM]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that you cannot do that.

A campaign can't but I as a individual on his way home from the polls can take my passenger out for a meal or drink.

 

[tbone717]

A campaign can't but I as a individual on his way home from the polls can take my passenger out for a meal or drink.

Thanks. Then if you plan on doing this, I think it would be best if you weren't registered as a volunteer for the campaign.

 

[Pisces]

Yep, this goes with Ron constantly hyping up his "young people" narrative in interviews as well, seniors over and over are the one's who vote in large numbers, not college kids, why does he keep preaching to the choir, get off the campuses and start going to bingo night at the local VFW.

I sometimes think Ron actually hurts himself with 40+ voters by constantly bringing up his high youth support. When people think of the "youth" candidate, the subconscience image they have is of someone idealistic but impractical that never wins - like Howard Dean, Eugene McCarthy, etc. The candidate of rebellious youth grabbing headlines and attention but ultimately always losing to the more grounded establishment candidate has become sort of an archetype in American politics, if that makes any sense. This may be contributing to the perception older voters have that Ron Paul is not really a viable candidate.

 

[tbone717]

I sometimes think Ron actually hurts himself with 40+ voters by constantly bringing up his high youth support. When people think of the "youth" candidate, the subconscience image they have is of someone idealistic but impractical that never wins - like Howard Dean, Eugene McCarthy, etc. The candidate of rebellious youth grabbing headlines and attention but ultimately always losing to the more grounded establishment candidate has become sort of an archetype in American politics, if that makes any sense. This may be contributing to the perception older voters have that Ron Paul is not really a viable candidate.

Excellent point. The youth support hasn't won us a contest, so I see no reason to continue to stroke their egos on the stump.

 

[HarryBrowneLives]

1. Lots of volunteers with registration tables at EVERY Ron Paul rally. Instead of just his regular talks, this needs to be the focus of the beginning of his speeches. All the entusiasm in the world means nothing if you don't or can't vote.

2. (Nevada is a great example of this) We have enough people in the state GOP's to change this going forward with these caucuses. 98% of voters could/did only vote between 9-12 during the day. Our young people are working or asleep at that time. We need to have the caucus later in the afternoons or extensive places around the state for a late afternoon caucus. If the caucus were held at 6PM, our numbers go up dramatically.

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Pitch a giant tent outside the radius of the polling place and set up a huge XBox LAN party with couches and junk food. Bus the kids into the LAN party, and every 90-120 minutes have a 'network error' that lasts for about 30 minutes, and withhold the doritos and jolt cola until they go vote.

 

[Orgoonian]

Pitch a giant tent outside the radius of the polling place and set up a huge XBox LAN party with couches and junk food. Bus the kids into the LAN party, and every 90-120 minutes have a 'network error' that lasts for about 30 minutes, and withhold the doritos and jolt cola until they go vote.