Young Republicans feeling left out - Washington Post - MSNBC.com
The future of the Republican Party looks dim. A who's who of young conservatives had gathered, but they were few, and they were frustrated.
For most of them, Ronald Reagan and the good times he personified for conservatives were not even vague memories.
One young conservative said, referring to the GOP candidates talking about Reagan: They sounded like old fogies mentioning him at least a dozen times.
The Republicans are sort of talking down to Gen-Nexters, not bringing them in.
You don't hear Barack Obama going around saying, 'I'm John F. Kennedy.' He's saying, 'I'm Barack Obama.
There's a reason for that. He's inspiring an entire generation, and it's a generation that's trying to change the world in 160 characters or less through text messages.
Voters under 30 are more than twice as likely to identify themselves as Democrats, according to the most recent Washington Post-ABC News poll.
"I think the Republican Party is staring down a very long, dark, quiet night," All says.
Republicans haven't always been so disconnected. A quarter-century ago, Reagan charmed young voters and won 59 percent of their vote in 1984. In 1992, on the heels of the Reagan Revolution, voters under 30 split their allegiance about evenly between the two major parties. But every presidential cycle since then, Democrats have gained ground. This year, according to the Post-ABC poll, 44 percent of those under 30 call themselves Democrats, and only 18 percent identify as Republicans.
The future of the Republican Party looks dim. A who's who of young conservatives had gathered, but they were few, and they were frustrated.
For most of them, Ronald Reagan and the good times he personified for conservatives were not even vague memories.
One young conservative said, referring to the GOP candidates talking about Reagan: They sounded like old fogies mentioning him at least a dozen times.
The Republicans are sort of talking down to Gen-Nexters, not bringing them in.
You don't hear Barack Obama going around saying, 'I'm John F. Kennedy.' He's saying, 'I'm Barack Obama.
There's a reason for that. He's inspiring an entire generation, and it's a generation that's trying to change the world in 160 characters or less through text messages.
Voters under 30 are more than twice as likely to identify themselves as Democrats, according to the most recent Washington Post-ABC News poll.
"I think the Republican Party is staring down a very long, dark, quiet night," All says.
Republicans haven't always been so disconnected. A quarter-century ago, Reagan charmed young voters and won 59 percent of their vote in 1984. In 1992, on the heels of the Reagan Revolution, voters under 30 split their allegiance about evenly between the two major parties. But every presidential cycle since then, Democrats have gained ground. This year, according to the Post-ABC poll, 44 percent of those under 30 call themselves Democrats, and only 18 percent identify as Republicans.
