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Obama on Campus: Cramming to Reclaim the College Vote by Midterms

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For a few minutes on Monday afternoon, President Barack Obama slipped back into his former self. On the phone with a group of student journalists, he had already made the case for his administration's accomplishments -- the ways in which his White House had tackled concerns relating to education, health care and the economy. But he wanted his young audience to be very clear about what's at stake. And so, adopting the gently authoritarian tone of a college professor, the president announced: "You can't sit it out. You can't suddenly just check in once every 10 years or so -- on an exciting presidential election -- and then not pay attention during big midterm elections where we've got a real big choice between Democrats and Republicans."

On Tuesday, the president will travel to the University of Wisconsin at Madison to begin a series of "campaign-style" events at schools across the country. The efforts are part of a last-minute White House bid to rally the estimated 15 million "surge" voters -- 18- to 29-year-olds -- who helped hand him the keys to the Oval Office in 2008. As the president and his Democratic Congress look down the barrel to November, the support of these young Americans may be critical in their fight to stop the Republican bullet from hitting its target: namely, GOP takeover of the House and Senate.

For all the ink spilled lately about the president's declining popularity, he remains well liked among what have been termed "millennial voters" -- young voters who went to the polls for the first time in 2008 or will go for the first time in 2010. A Gallup poll conducted Sept. 13-19 had Obama's approval rating among 18- to 29-year-olds at 55 percent -- a drop from the 66 percent he enjoyed in 2008, but still not too shabby.

What's more, winning the admiration of these millennials might not prove to be all that difficult: on nearly every major issue held in high priority by young voters, Obama has made progress. According to a poll in early June conducted by the Democratic-leaning think tank NDN, millennials valued health care, education and financial reform -- issues the White House has taken up with gusto in the last 20 months:

On health care
:
Millennials favor the new health care law over repealing it, (48 percent to 32 percent.)
Obama may win specific points with younger voters on this issue: under the new health care reform bill, young adults can now stay on their parents' health plans until they are 26 years old.

On education:
Concern with education is high among millennials (45 percent). What's more: 37 percent of millennials consider the cost of college education a critical issue.
The president can point to a host of incentives aimed at making college more affordable: simplifying financial aid forms, changing the way in which student loans are administered, increasing college tax credits for the middle class, raising the value of Pell Grants, and the forgiveness of college loan debt for graduates who spend 10 years or more in public service.

On financial reform:
Prior to passage of the financial regulation bill, millennials (43 percent to 28 percent) expressed concern that Congress wouldn't do enough to protect consumers and control Wall Street excesses -- rather than fearing congressional action might go too far in limiting investment opportunities and future growth.
On this issue, Obama will cite his successful push to pass Wall Street reform -- the first financial reform in the U.S. since the Great Depression.

"It's a good strategy," said Mike Hais, who conducted the NDN poll and is the co-author of "Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics." But, said Hais, actually getting millennials to the voting booths come November, "is the tough thing. There's still the practical issue of getting them motivated, registered, and out to the polls."

According to a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll, only 55 percent of 18- to 28-year-old voters said they were "absolutely certain" to go to the polls this fall, compared with 78 percent of the 50- to 64-year-old crowd and 77 percent of those over 65.

And the same NDN poll found that only 33 percent of millennials felt the outcome of the 2010 elections was "very important." Further, of registered voters aged 18-29, 36 percent have moved since 2008 elections, necessitating new registrations and new forms -- an extra step for paperwork-fatigued college students and recent graduates.

Still, if you listened to the president on Monday, this November -- regardless of one's party affiliation -- sounded pretty significant. "Democracy is never a one-and-done proposition," he said. "It's something that requires sustained engagement and sustained involvement."

Whether Obama can count on his young foot soldiers this fall will depend as much on his rhetorical skills as it will their enthusiasm for a battle -- one that many are not even sure they care to fight.

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54 Comments

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commandervick

What!!!!! to young!! but not to old to die in a war? Whats up with that? I am 56 years old and am amazed at the knowledge and principles of my own 20 year old son.At times yes, youth lacks wisdom.But never vision.Its the old that go blind.Thank you for my post.

September 28 2010 at 10:11 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
catalogsplus

Did we learn nothing??? Most college age students are clearly too young and naive to vote in these national elections which affect the entire nation.

September 28 2010 at 9:25 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
joyvdk

Since when is youth wise? Obama is in office because the media made this nobody into a rockstar and a President was of the people. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He was a corrupted Senator put into the senate by an ex-sewage worker Senator Emil Jones, one of the biggest Chicago style hustlers ever. Now it's clear he has been a shill for the globalist bankster all along. Didn't you love it when he made BENANKE of all people FED Chair! The fox in the hen house. He enforced zero accountability, passed FISA wire tapping, extended war in Afghanistan, didn't honor his promise to pull out of Iraq, never revolked Bushes Homeland security fascist law but added to them, Prolonged Detention - Pre-crime, Cybercon to prevent the internet from being a "weapon of mass disruption", he has more lobbiest than ever before and they openly write bills he promotes! He is 100% bought and paid for by the same animals behind the Bush admin. MOTHERF@CKER! This is the most evil administration ever because he is nothing but a pawn. Grow up and wake up this country is being enslaved and we are discussing party politics! We must, for our own self-preservation remove this entire host of corrupt individuals, dismantle the FED and prosecute Greenspan, Bernake, Geithener, Cheney, Bush and down the line for treason. This is a new world and we need to act while and semblance of liberty remains.

September 28 2010 at 7:35 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
snrar

To late the wave is picking up steam and is about to crash down on the Democrats . What Obama does not understand is we do not like where he is taking this nation and are not buying his empty words anymore it's the people who are against him not the parties why doesn't he see this ?

September 28 2010 at 7:26 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
dc walker

Louisiana and Arizona are two states that need help and yet there goes the president and the vp to the same old states of NH and Wisconsin. What is with the people there? Easily swayed? Naive? Why universities? Univ of Wisc and Penn State are they saying the kids are too uninformed?? Sorry I think the kids are waking up, they will be stuck with the bailouts and they won't have the jobs to pay the bill. Three economists have quit, Emanuel is going, Axelrod is going it seems the president could stay home and work on these replacements.

September 28 2010 at 7:18 PM Report abuse +8 rate up rate down Reply
nflamingo

I remember, not too long ago, elementary, middle school, high school and college students supported Obama............ask them now. My granddaughter (now in middle school)came home and asked why Obama not helped the American People? She has seen her father lose his job (got another, but took almost 9 months), her friends families have lost homes, and jobs.

September 28 2010 at 6:54 PM Report abuse +8 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to nflamingo's comment
wolfsonnydiane

I gotta ask why didnt you tell her, her father lost his job due to the policys put in place by republicans the previous 8 years .Why would you let your grand daughter be lied to

September 28 2010 at 7:53 PM Report abuse -4 rate up rate down Reply
nnanciejean

Wonder why feingold didn't come to be with obama today. feingold is losing big time in the polls in WI :) You'd think with obama at his side his numbers would change....probably go down even more...

September 28 2010 at 6:48 PM Report abuse +8 rate up rate down Reply
Wonderful Gray

Go Obama! We democrats at Xavier University got your back...come and visit us in Cincinnati.

September 28 2010 at 6:34 PM Report abuse -12 rate up rate down Reply
dc walker

Back to Wisconsin again (what is it with these students, pushovers?) Biden at Penn state and couldn't fill the room. Maybe these kids are not as naive we think of them. Maybe they realize they won't be able to get a job and yet will be stuck with paying the price for these bailouts.

September 28 2010 at 3:24 PM Report abuse +14 rate up rate down Reply
msgusarmyret77

Today in the Senate the Republicans blocked a bill that would have taken away some of the tax breaks for large companies who ship jobs overseas. Pres. Obama needs to go on National TV including Fox News and tell the voters what he and the Democrats have done in less than two years despite being blocked by Republicans every step of the way. Equal pay for equal work, School Child Health Insurance after it was vetoed by Bush when he was still President, credit card reform, consumer protection agency, finance reform which is not enough but all he could get because of the hugh amounts of money spent by Wall Street to block it, Recovery Act which according to the CBO created by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million even as Republicans are stating it didn't create one job. The list goes on and on but I don't have time to list them all.

September 28 2010 at 2:52 PM Report abuse -11 rate up rate down Reply
3 replies to msgusarmyret77's comment

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