What Matters to Young Voters?
of Obama was improbable because he was such an unconventional candidate. His race, his nuanced positions in most issues, his advocacy of diplomacy, his support of expanding social welfare systems, and his refusal to engage in dirty politics all set him apart from recent presidential candidates. Despite these differences, Obama was elected by a clear majority and significant reason for his election was the youth vote. Post election analysis showed that 66% of voters under 30 preferred Obama over his rival John McCain. Despite these figures, some have commented that this youth vote is misleading and is largely a support of Obama the personality, and not his policies. However, I believe that this is totally false. The overwhelming youth support for Obama is saying something loud and clear: old barriers are breaking down. The youth of today do not view race as a barrier to achievement. This is not to say that racism no longer exists, but rather that today’s youth can see through skin color
