Does The GOP Need To Get More Youth-Friendly?
Looking at this graphic, it clearly does:
Now, part of the youth vote going for Obama probably has to do (unfortunately) with image. Obama was the young, vibrant, hip candidate. McCain was the old, crusty candidate. That’s unfair, of course, but image is an important part of politics. It’s not a good thing, but there it is.
The other part, I think, is that the GOP needs to lose this image of being a stodgy organization of party poopers. That doesn’t mean abandoning the principles of individualism and personal responsibility, but I do think it means embracing a platform that’s more about freedom.
The GOP needs to go more libertarian, I believe.
Not the big-L libertarianism of the Libertarian Party, but the small-L libertarianism of limited government. If Republicans could advance an agenda of actually limiting government I think it would resonate with young voters. Entitlement reform, especially, would resonate well.
As someone in that 20’s-age demographic that went so heavily for Obama, I can tell you that one thing I get tired of is seeing more and more of paycheck going to FICA. Paying for Social Security and prescription drugs for people who could afford to buy them for themselves (which is most of the people who qualify for those programs) while I struggle to save for my own retirement is galling, and I’m not the only young person who feels that way.
Now, Obama clearly isn’t the solution to that, but if the Republicans could convince younger voters (particularly those just entering the workforce, not necessarily those still clueless and in college) that they are the solution I think they could make some serious inroads.
Putting a fiscally conservative agenda at the top in general instead of a socially conservative agenda would help too.
