On election day, the first report I received outside of San Diego came from a friend. It said: "our daughter Sally said the polling place in her neighborhood in L.A. was swarming with smiling young people voting for Obama." Then I heard from a young cousin who wrote: “Since I only had one dot to fill in, and I wanted my vote for Obama to count in the great closely contested state of Connecticut, I filled in that dot like there was no tomorrow; you couldn’t find a drop of white with a microscope.” That’s enthusiasm! Earlier, I heard a KPBS reporter phoning in from the South Bay where young Democrats were at the polls voting for Obama. Their middle-aged mothers and aunts supported Clinton.
In our age-conscious society where youth drives television programming, fashions, and even language, how important will age be in deciding the race for president?
Will young people favor the youngest candidate? And if so, what would this mean for really young Republicans? Might they switch party allegiances in order to avoid filling in the oval next to John McCain’s name? The 71-year-old acknowledged the age challenge at the start of his campaign, and vowed to turn it into an advantage. Read “experience and authenticity” instead of old. Apparently, based on the results of Super Tuesday, he did.
Now we come to the Obama/Clinton showdown. Neither candidate is a clear winner after Super Tuesday. In the months ahead, both will be strategizing around race, gender, experience, vision, personality, issues, and age. National polls asked if older Americans were more ready to consider a woman president or a black president. The answers seemed to favor Hillary Clinton. In another pre-Super Tuesday poll of likely New York State voters, younger voters favored Obama while older voters planned to cast their ballots for Clinton. When the votes were counted, Clinton indeed came out ahead in New York State.
So, here’s a question worth some thought: if Clinton is the Democratic candidate, will a significant number of young Democratic voters not vote in the November general election, thus shrinking participation from Democrats? And, might some older Democratic voters be tempted to consider the older candidate, even if it means switching parties to vote for a Republican? Could age then determine who will be our next president?
Greg Duch from Le Gaslamp Quartier
February 12, 2008 at 12:41 AM
Gloria:
I think that unless a non-aggression pact is worked out between Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama there will be "bad " and antagonism between supporters of each of the two. They must agree to play nice, no matter who wins the Dem-nom.
You're too young to remember. But in 1968, Bobby Kennedy entered the race for president in early March 1968, only after Gene McCarthy had scored big in New Hampshire and opened the way for LBJ to be CHALLENGED for the nomination. LBJ jumped ship 03.31.68.
McCarthy's supporters resented RFK entering the race on "the back of" Gene McCarthy. (A "BOBBY-COME-LATELY")
After RFK entered the race he ted the remaining primaries.
His crown was assured after the California Primary on 6 June 1968.
Tragically, Bobby was ed at the moment of his greatest victory.
As fallout, the Democrats NEVER got their act together that year. Hubert tried hard, but he was too closely tied to LBJ's war.
One might argue that the Democrats have NEVER truly gotten it together since 1968.
BUT>>>>> If the GOP keeps eating its own children, as it has, a la Rush Bimbo and his ilk; then the GOP may tear itself apart into bitter rival factions.
Perhaps they (the GOPers) may destroy themselves with more gusto than even the Dems of 1968.....
An unpopular war rushed into by GWB and the GOP Congress.
Lives and treasure lost beyond any semblance of sanity.
An economy on cruise control, heading towards self-destruction.
Corruption and scandals by the dozens.
The Constitution tacitly declared null and void by the Bushistas.
Such is the legacy of GWB, to the nation as a whole.
A party divided against itself, his legacy to the GOP.
I really think 2008 will play out with many similarities to 1968--forty yrs. ago, but with
No assassinations, God willing!
Greg
Kevin from San Diego
February 26, 2008 at 06:23 PM
Young people like him because he has energy and enthusiasm... but that doesn't always make a person suitable for such a position. I am 23 yrs of age, and personally after careful consideration of the candidates, I have to go with somebody I feel is the best but I'm sure will lose the elections, Ralph Nader. And ya, in the Primaries I voted for Obama, I would take him over Clinton anyday.
