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March
2, 2004 issue
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Presidential
campaign will target young voters
by Emily D. Johnson
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From left,
Deborah Perry Piscione, Mary Lynn Jones, Jenny Backus, and Regina
Corso
Photo by Jeff Watts |
It’s a fact:
young people supported Howard Dean’s presidential campaign with
enthusiasm but then didn’t vote in Democratic primaries. In past
elections they registered by the thousands through MTV’s Rock
the Vote and then didn’t turn out at the polls. Finding a solution
for young voter indifference to the voting booth was the main topic
at last week’s Women and Politics forum with Deborah Perry Piscione,
Independent Women’s Forum; Mary Lynn Jones, an on-line editor
of The Hill; and Jenny Backus, Democratic political consultant.
AU government professor Regina Corso moderated.
The panel agreed that not only will young voters be major targets
for both parties in the 2004 presidential election, but their political
participation has added a great deal to the campaign process even
if they haven’t been big voters. “The Rock the Vote debate
was one of the best debates I have seen [during the primaries],”
Backus told a primarily student audience. “I think you all have
the ability to shape the agenda and shake the races up.”
The panelists proposed several reasons for low voter turn out among
young Americans. Jones suggested that young women may be turned off
by not having a viable female candidate, and that many issues at the
fore, such as Vietnam service records, are not young voters issues.
Candidates need to target young voters through issues like jobs, and
project positive messages to a possibly jaded demographic. “This
is going to be a long and nasty campaign,” Jones said. “Maintaining
an optimistic message is important in this environment.”
Lack of familiarity with the logistics of voting may add to low turn
out. Piscione suggested, “Civics is not being taught in K through
12 the way it was. Every kindergartner in this country should be voting
in school on voting day.”
Backus said that young people need to understand that voting really
can affect their lives. “We have to convince you guys that your
core values are at stake,” she said. Unlike the previous generation,
“You join things . . . sororities, a group at your church, a
volunteer organization. You will be talked to through those groups.”
The parties will also target young voters through the Internet and
TV stations with a young demographic like the WB network, she surmised.
Both John Edwards and John Kerry have been reaching out through their
children and using the support of popular musicians and movie stars,
and Backus and Piscione noted that campaign route will become even
more common. “It is Dean’s band and late night talk shows.
It is MTV and VH1. It is the magazines young women are reading. You
really are a product of what you are surrounded by,” Piscione
said.
The panel concluded by encouraging students to get involved in the
voting process and to take time to select and support a candidate.
“Call everyone on your cell phone and tell them where a voting
place is,” urged Backus.
“Look at the candidate’s voting record,” said Jones.
“Listen to what groups you are interested in are saying. Talk
to your friends. E-mail both parties and say I want to know your issue
positions. ”
Chances are you’re not going to have a beer with the president,
so make sure you vote for someone whose policies will work for you
when you’re having beer with your friends,” she concluded.
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