CNN exit polls: Majority of voters were over 50 years old

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Guess the frightened, angry Boomers are hell-bent on destroying this country and leaving it a wreck for those who are here after them.

And great job staying home, young folks! That'll learn 'em!

I'm sure Mitch McConnell and John Boehner will work hard for you.

Russell Brand revolution and what-not!

[oh08dem]

1. Mitch McTurtlehead will thank the boomers by raising the retirement age

And John Bonehead will break bread with the frat bros over higher college costs.

[madville]

75. They'll raise it for people currently under 50

Like Reagan and the Congressional Democrats did in 1983

[standingtall]

2. Young voters don't think

midterms matter that's a failure of the democratic party to educate them.

[politicman]

11. its about giving them something to vote for...

Its not about educating them, its about giving them a reason to go and vote.

Give them something more than just words and empty promises, give them actual policy and show them that you are willing to stand your ground and fight for change, and they will respond by electing you again and again.

Why should any politician or leader get any votes just for being the lesser of 2 evils, how on earth can things get better if no politician or leader has their feet held to the fire when they don't deliver.

Fight and fight hard for the Hispanics, fight and fight hard for the young ones, fight and fight hard for the democratic base and ideals, and they will have a reason to fight hard for you.

We saw it in 2008 and 2012, when Obama was a fresh face who espoused all the right ideas and policies, we saw how hard these groups worked for him to get elected, how long they stood in polling lines to vote for him, BUT Obama squandered that by caving in and returning that dedication to those groups through policy.

[standingtall]

25. The lesser of 2 evils line is old

It always going to be the lesser of 2 evils for someone. There was plenty of reasons for the youth to vote today. Like not having to work until there 75. Not having there wages suppressed student loans and so on. Obama is not above criticism, but he's not a magician he can't wave a magic wand and fix all the worlds problems all at once by himself. If the youth would've showed up to vote in 2010 Obama would've gotten more of agenda passed. So I stand by it young voters don't care about midterms.

[merrily]

35. LOTE is the reason many give for how they vote, be they Democrats or Republicans.

Also the bit about not wanting to help the other side win. So, it may be old, but it has enormous political power, like a lot of old rich folk.

[politicman]

46. burn me once, shame on you, burn me twice, shame on me.

Well when you promise the world whilst campaigning to get elected, and then you don't deliver on a big amount of those promises, you end up not being trusted anymore by those that voted for you.

Rightly or wrongly, his fault or the obstructionist GOP's fault, Obama has failed to deliver on many of the promises he made whilst campaigning.

That's why politicians should be wary of promising massive change when they cannot deliver it, because if you fail for whatever reason, the blowback will hurt you and your party down the road.

Look, all those young people that worked hard for Obama when he was a nobody who espoused progressive ideals and justice and helped him come over the top and beat Clinton when no one gave him a chance, and then worked extra hard to get him elected twice, have not been repaid with the same vigour and dedication of Obama fighting for the things he espoused as a candidate.

Obama very quickly settled into the old Washington way of courting the big money donations and giving up plenty to a select few for those donations, rather than sticking to his early community organiser way of raising money through helping the millions of small people and getting small donations in return.

Ultimately, Obama burned the young ones that fought for him by not following through with many promises in his first 2 years and paid for it in the 2010 mid-terms, but he was able to instil hope into them again in 2012 with his speeches and then again failed to follow through with many promises resulting in tonight's bloodbath.

I just hope that the young people haven't lost complete faith with the democratic party and even more I hope that the Hispanics who Obama promised immigration reform, don't turn around and abandon the democratic party because they also feel burnt.

[RiverLover]

59. +1 Well said...but duck, incoming! Obama can do no wrong to many here...

Young people aren't the only ones disappointed.

[LittleBlue]

90. Exactly

Young people who grew into their political lives on Hope and Change won't respond to the lesser of two evils crap. Not in a mid-term.

[politicman]

3. stop with blaming the young folks, lay the balme where it is derserved, at the party and its leader

Its people like you that are to blame for the state of politics in the country.
You think choosing the lesser of evil is the best option.

The reason why nothing gets change is because when politician's feet aren't held to the fire because they are the lesser of the 2 evils, the nothing ever gets advanced because the politician doesn't need to fight for you, he/she knows he will get you vote anyway.

When the Dem party and its president actually stand up to big money, when they fight for the little guy like they are supposed to do, when they don't give up progressive ideas because the fat cats ply them with hefty political donations, then maybe, just maybe the young ones and others will see that fighting for and voting for your party is worth it.

Until then, continue on with your lesser of 2 evils crap, and nothing can ever get any better, it can only stay the way it is, or even worse, you may get worse results they way we have seen tonight.

[BlindTiresias]

4. haha yeah!

Blame the youth, not the fact that the party has brought out extremely little of substance that helps the youth.

I swear to fucking God you olds do not fucking get it. At all.

[Live and Learn]

10. LOL You forget that we were young once.

But most of us wizened up and learned that voting is extremely important even when you don't love the choices.

You youngsters are about to learn the importance, the hard way.

[BlindTiresias]

16. Yeah

That jocular attitude is very helpful when you want millenials you degenerate.

[Live and Learn]

19. Actually, they failed us before I 'degenerated' them.

Not to mention the fact that you 'degenerated' us first.

And it is your future you are selling out.

[BlindTiresias]

22. The hell are you talking about?

I voted, I am talking about the youth as a group.

[Live and Learn]

26. I wasn't talking about Hell at all. nt

[Scootaloo]

29. Didn't boomers vote overwhelmingly for Reagan? Twice?

Knock the smugness, please.

[Live and Learn]

33. Well, given they were about the same ages

then as the generations in question now, I doubt it. What makes you think many of them voted then? That was my original point! Live and Learn.

And I don't think you are old enough to tell me to knock anything off.

[Scootaloo]

47. I'm younger than Mitch McConnel, too

So do spare me that admonishment, as well.

Point I'm getting at, you don't want to get into a generational slapfight here.

Just take your smug self-congratulations, and go.

[Live and Learn]

81. You really don't get it. nt

[joeglow3]

86. That is what my parents say about voting republican

Sorry, but that logic doesn't work.

[Live and Learn]

88. No idea what you are talking about.

All I am saying is that it is always hard to get the young to take voting seriously. It has been proven time and time again. And this election was no different.

[standingtall]

15. Actually the party has brought plenty of substance that helps the youth

Affordable care act,minimum wage increase last time that was accomplished was with a democratic congress. Problem is democrats didn't seem to be running on core economic issues.Seem to be running on nothing instead of pointing out he record.

[BlindTiresias]

20. ACA, eh

Mixed bag there considering it amounted to a somewhat more regulated private mandate, and the minimum wage is a good measure but not the path to careers that are currently blocked off from the millenials for a variety of reasons.

The dems need to get radical and bold if they want the youth to consistently side with them, which means tapping into the growing allegiance of left-liberal socialism among the youth as opposed to center-right Friedman-esque orthodoxy which is doing us no favors at all.

[Chathamization]

78. Politicians don't court demographics that don't vote. Not voting is the best way to get ignored. N/T

[Scootaloo]

48. The only running Democrats seem to be doing, is running away from liberalism

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

39. Well, I'm sure Boner and Mitch will give you lots of substance

And I'm hardly an "olds." Im in my 30s, junior.

[LowOiL]

5. Maybe only ones willing to talk to pollers were that age group

I think exit poll takers have to get whomever they can to reveal information to them. I don't know just how much faith I put in their data. Personally I am too busy to be bothered if asked (not that I have been) and would brush off such people. I vote and go.

[BarackTheVote]

6. Gen X and Millennials have embraced the idea that

apathy is the mark of maturity and the only way you can be passionate about something is to do so ironically. This is not conducive to a healthy electorate.

Edit, in response to post #3--my generation got this way because of what you're talking about. The meme "lesser of two evils" or "they're both equally bad" are things we've internalized. There's no point in being active because we'll just be disappointed. Not caring is a defense against being disappointed, loving ironically is a defense against loving earnestly and then being heartbroken.

[BlindTiresias]

8. Fuck off

We (millenials) are discouraged because the political orthodoxy either wants to truly fuck us (Republicans) or begs for our votes but does fuck all afterwards (Democrats). If you push policies that benefit the youth they will indeed turn out.

[BarackTheVote]

21. I'm a millennial, too

And that's exactly what I'm talking about. You get screwed enough times, either passively or aggressively, you develop defensive mechanisms, apathy and irony. The trick is, after Democratic politicians have sold us out to the 1% so many times, how exactly do you get the message across in a believable way, especially as a new candidate on the scene? The old guard, with some exceptions, has lost credibility.

[BlindTiresias]

24. Oh, right, sorry

I get a bit defensive at times because I constantly see older folks denigrate us for not being good little troopers and sucking it up for their benefit.

You are right, I don't think the orthodoxy has any credibility anymore and it will take more dynamic actors to reinvigorate things.

[BarackTheVote]

30. No problem. I'm frustrated.

I went to art school, as did most of my friends. We're all extremely progressive, but I don't know how many of them actually voted, and I know a few who definitely didn't because of the whole "you can't trust politicians" thing. I thought for sure that what's been going on lately with anti-gay anti-womens' rights legislation at the state level would wake some people up, but apparently not.

And the thing I want to stress is this: our attitudes are NOT OUR FAULT. We're shafted when it comes to school funding, we're shafted when it comes to college debt, we're working dead-end low-pay jobs that we sure as hell didn't go to school for. We're derided as lazy underachievers, but I know, and you know, that we're working out asses off and running a race hobbled from the start. And a lot of the ones who "make it" are greedy to keep it because it's a scramble for the scraps down here. Grossly oversimplifying, but that's how I and a lot of my friends feel about the whole situation.

[KingCharlemagne]

9. Not true of my Socialist and Communist comrades, most of whom are deeply

and authentically passionate and very committed to moving society forward.

[FrodosPet]

55. What flavor of Socialism do your comrades support?

Are they pure Marxists, Trotskyists, Anarcho-syndicalists, or Social Democrats? Do they support nationalization or worker's co-ops? It's a lot easier to set socialists at each other's throats over relatively minor points then it is to unite them to do anything significant against the mainstream.

[Scootaloo]

18. well no...

We've discovered that our votes, when made, simply enable policies that we oppose. We're taken for granted and dismissed by the very people we vote for. The party that demands out money and our votes, stands by and smirks when we get police batons rammed up our asses. They giggle at our debts, because money for the banks means money for their pockets. They snicker and elbow each other at watching us have to compete with our grandparents for entry jobs, because of policies they refuse to oppose.

For a lot of us, there's not much worth voting for. For a lot of the remainder, life consists of waking up, working, and going back to sleep so we can wake up in time for work tomorrow. when you're working to exhaustion and still in debt, it turns out that driving across town to cast a ballot for someone who sees you as vermin isn't really appealing.

[TransitJohn]

67. This divide and conquer bullshit sucks eom

n/t

[seabeyond]

80. my yet to be able to vote 17 yr old was talking this. he is disappointed by repug sweep in colo.

he was texting me from his bedroom, suppose to be sleeping, but reading the news, lol.

i told him, women that generally carry, didnt get out but more, the young didnt get out.

that is exactly what he was saying, his friends say. their the same wont matter.

part of that has gotta be, that when we do put a dem in, they get things important to them passed, like raising minimum wage, to living wage. we adults think that word has changed to be much harder? well, the kids are growing up in outrageous costs, absurd healthcare costs, living wage so far away from living expense, college fees, and lack of jobs when they come out.

ya.... they are not feeling too positive.

they loved them their obama in 2008 and disappointed in what wasnt done.

the disconnect is realizing what repugs did to thwart. that takes a minimal interest in what is happening in washington which many people do not have

[merrily]

7. Missing the relevant point. The GOTV effort needs improvement.

Remember ACORN, which registered voters? A Democratic Congress and President signed the legislation that rang its death knell.

Meanwhile, the likes of the Koch brothers have been funding a nationwide effort to organize the Republican antidote to what ACORN once was. Watching the IRS hearings on CSpan made that abundantly to clear to me. Testimony about WEEKLY Sunday night nationwide conference calls to discuss right wing GOTV efforts.

So, yeah, we can alternate between (1) punching older people for being too left hippie and (2) punching them for turning out to vote, as we say all citizens should. But, that does not address the issue that the Republicans are learning to GOTV on steroids while the systematic Democratic effort has diminished.

[adirondacker]

23. A video to prove your point.

[merrily]

27. Aww, you're just trying to keep me from stealing your lines.

kidding.

Was it, "If they ain't getting paid, they're getting played."

Thing is, the Republicans are working hard year round to get out their voters. Weekly nationwide conference calls to share tips and experiences? Are you kidding me? Meanwhile, Democrats have diminished their registration and GOTV efforts. Sorry, but one robo call a few days before election day and a bunch of signs tied to a traffic light on election day do not an organized, efficient, successful ground game make, even in blue Boston. Just ask Governor Martha Coakley.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

12. Like I said, when the government "shut down," it really did not shut completely down.

These old white folk who vote Republican and against their best interests still received their social security, Veterans benefits, and Medicare checks in the mail. The military folk, farmers who receive federal subsidies--all who vote Republican, they were not harmed by the government shutdown.

When the government shut down--and Republicans WILL shut it down again--I would like to see ALL of it completely shut down. Not that I wish pain on anyone, but it seems that the Republicans haven't inflicted enough pain on people.

Simply put, Americans have not learned their lesson.

[AZ Progressive]

13. Don't forget to credit the Silent Generation that voted Reagan in

And they continue to screw America by voting Republican.

http://aattp.org/editorial-why-i-hate-a-whole-generation-and-why-you-should-too/

"The biggest disparity in votes between Carter and Reagan in 1980 was in ages 30 to 59. This massive group (which made up more than half the voters in the country) voted a very steady 38-55 in Reagan’s favor. The 18 to 29 year old vote was split almost evenly, with a 1 percent edge to Carter. Without older voters siding with Reagan, he would very likely have lost the election to Carter. If the 30 to 44 group ALONE had gone even 2 points to Carter, he likely would have won, and America would have been spared the decade that created the corporate oligarch’s playground we call “Washington D.C.” today."

A bunch of spoiled brats, they took advantage of the American prosperity created by the WWII generation, and rode the wave of prosperity throughout most of their life, till now, which they are perhaps the wealthiest generation just as they are at or nearing the end of their lives. They didn't realize that it was FDR's socialism that helped to create that prosperity, and all they cared for was lower taxes.

[merrily]

28. Reagan, whom both Obama and Clinton put on their respective lists of best US Prez ever.

No respectable list omits Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR or Truman, leaving only 5 slots. And Hillary laughably, but understandably included her husband on her list, leaving her only four slots. Yet, both Obama and Hillary filled one of their few remaining slots with Reagan.

But, sure, let's blame one generation or another for not voting. Because we never get enough of dividing and conquering the 90%.

[WinkyDink]

53. Do you know how long ago 1980 was? Don't blame this election on 80-year-olds.

[newfie11]

14. Hey just because we are seniors doesn't mean we all voted for repugs

My husband and I voted a straight Dem ticket, not that it matters now!
Yes I'm pissed at idiots that voted against their own interests but not all seniors are idiots. There are plenty of idiots of all ages to blame this horrible election on.
Where are the non seniors? Why in the hell didn't they vote. Before throwing stones figure out why Americans aren't voting!
If you think SS, Medicare are safe think again. Repugs would be thrilled to get their fingers into that and you can count on it.

[JI7]

17. this is what happens when Obama is not on the ticket

[merrily]

31. It's called a midterm election after a term and a half of one President.

It's happened to almost every President, Republican or Democrat, since Eisenhower. This idea that everything is about Obama ignores history. That goes for the Republicans who ran against Obama this midterm, for the Democrats who tried to run away from him (and therefore from their very own votes) and for anyone else who thinks everything, good or bad, is about Obama.

[standingtall]

34. That's probably because voters have thought the

President has more power than he actually does. So the party that has the Presidency doesn't take the midterms that serious. Voters need to learn midterms matter.

[merrily]

37. So, you did not understand a word of my post at all.

[standingtall]

40. Yeah

The party that has the Presidency usually loses the midterm.

[merrily]

41. Not exactly. After almost six years of one Prez. And everything is not about Obama and only Obama.

[standingtall]

32. I'm not that old yet 39

and young voters don't care about midterms, but older people are to blame just as much sense the majority of them vote for repukes. And the democratic party is to blame for not educating voters on the stakes.

[merrily]

43. GOTV has to be a systematic, year round effort, starting with voter registration and education and

including legislation that actually changes lives for the better.

All of it is critical. A robo call the day before election is not a ground game. That's all I got in Boston, along with another Republican Governor.

[MADem]

36. Everyone I drove to the polls was over fifty.

Hell, everyone I drove to the polls was over seventy.

Wait....eighty.

Really. And I drove a shitload of people to the polls. Most I've done in a midterm, I think. I was at it all day with just a lunch break. Fat lot of good it did.

I wish more Dems would bring a friend or ten when they go to vote...

[Live and Learn]

38. I am so tired of the unending generational finger pointing.

It really is tiresome and goes on generation after generation.

The simple truth is that democrats win when they get out to vote. They didn't and we suffered a big loss tonight.

[merrily]

42. Divide and conquer the 90% relieves people of the need to make a lot of other efforts.

Why look at improving the ground game--from the top down, as well as from the bottom up, systematically, when we can bash older hippies for not voting, older Republicans for voting, and the youth vote?

[Scootaloo]

50. Didn't seem too tired of it upthread.

"Because we're not Republicans" doesn't work anymore.

[standingtall]

44. Trying to convince older people not

to vote for republicans is almost a lost cause. As for younger voters Democrats should've scared them to the polls.

[zazen]

45. the college vote was deliberately suppressed in North Carolina--don't know about elsewhere

Not to mention the non-college minority and immigrant vote.

In Georgia over 40,000 new voter registrations submitted well in advance of deadline went missing and the GOP Secretary of State refused to do anything about it.

Most of these elections were stolen. They are unconstitutional. These greedy fucks are accelerating the bus as they drive us over a cliff.

[marions ghost]

72. I agree

--we have to start seeing these suppression efforts as significant. And OBJECT to them in a more forceful way.

Our opposition has no ethics. It's the only way they can "win."

Yeah GA and NC : : college, minority, immigrant vote stripping....in every way they could do it.

[leftynyc]

49. This 53 year old voted straight Dem

So did just about everyone I know my age in NY.

[WinkyDink]

54. Not a Boomer, unless we count the Korean Conflict. :-)

[FrodosPet]

56. Saw wheat! I am NOT a Baby Boomer!

I'm a Gen Xer! So I am innocent of all the problems caused by the boomers!

Now get off my lawn, you damn Millennials!

[leftynyc]

64. But the OP says over 50

My mom - the consummate baby boomer also voted straight Dem (she's 74). I learned a long time ago that NYers are in somewhat of a bubble. Even our republicans are pro choice, pro environment. Guiliani was pro gun control. It's a weird state.

[Ilsa]

51. Some of us Boomers voted straight Blue. nt

[WinkyDink]

52. Why not MAJORLY blame the SAT-ON-THEIR-ARSES YOUNGER VOTERS?

[B Calm]

57. I blame the democratic politicians alienating their base by acting republican

and not embracing President Obama.

Grimes losing to the Turtle was a great example.

[a kennedy]

63. This in a nutshell....

ditto, ditto, ditto.

[Le Taz Hot]

58. Divide and conquer.

Yeah, that's a REAL good strategy,

[scarletlib]

60. F**k that remark.

I am a 65 yr old boomer who votes straight liberal democrat in every election. My 72 yr old husband (not a boomer) votes same as me. You can't say its all boomers who caused this. Lots os people born before 1946 (pre boomer) still alive & voting.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

61. They've always been the most dependable demographic

[Historic NY]

62. That why my election polling place looked like it was a presidential year...

more voted this year than last.

[TransitJohn]

66. This divide and conquer bullshit sucks eom

n/t

[GOLGO 13]

68. Yeah, lots of graybeards

I went after picking up the kids so I thought it would be packed with soccer moms but nope. Saw very few under 40 and more workers than voters.

[davidn3600]

69. It was known for a long time the enthusiasm gap among the youth was huge

The Democrats did nothing to even attempt to motivate the youth vote in this election.

This is what happens when you take voting blocs for granted.

[raccoon]

70. Guess what, Mr. Big. This "frightened, angry Boomer" voted a straight Democratic ticket.

Your approach isn't going to win hearts and minds.

[ProfessorGAC]

71. Pardon Me?!?!?

I'm 58 and i didn't vote for who you imply i did.

[alarimer]

73. How do voter suppression efforts on college campuses play in this?

Remember the Rachel Maddow show, where she talked about Appalachian State? The powers that be in Boone County moved the polling place well off campus that year. And they have done this repeatedly since then, even with all the negative publicity. Making it incredibly difficult for students at least to vote, especially those without cars.

I'm sure this played out in every single red state.

[zazen]

79. as I said upthread, at least 10,000 solid Dem votes were lost at Triangle univs alone

Duke, State, and Carolina all had polling places moved off campus, deliberately. I presume every place did except in Boone where App successfully challenged it.

At NC State, a poll on the last day of early voting indicated that 1/3 of students still believed they could vote at the on-campus site they had used two years prior, because they didn't know that the site had been eliminated. That's about 6,000 students right there, many of whom would have been Dem. That doesn't include the ones who knew who decided it was too much trouble (and not all who once learned of moving the site gave up, surely, but surely a lot did).

My daughter's registration at Duke was moved without her knowledge and the campus site also moved off campus (voting went up from 25 to 85% when the site was on campus, so presumably dropped by about that much because of malicious moving by Republicans). That's a good 2500 votes. How many degrees does our family have between us to find out where everyone could vote and when and for whom (because straight line voting was eliminated, gerrymandering was mind-blowing, etc.) It took hours and lots of correspondence. And we're not minorities or immigrants who were subtly threatened with voter ID challenges.

Add in Carolina--another 6-7k Dem students who probably didn't vote because of confusion, and yes, inconvenience, but that's part of it.

Then you have gerrymandering that put 7 of 13 congressional districts within the Triangle, to further split the urban/educated vote. So they have what they want: 3 solid Dem districts and 10 solid red.

[Heywood J]

74. Nothing beats the morning-after circular firing squad.

"It's your fault!"
"No, your fault!"
"You're both wrong. Both of you are to blame!"
"Everyone is wrong but my group!"

Haven't missed this.

[bklyncowgirl]

76. 58 years old and voted straight Democratic ticket

Admittedly looking at some of my old friends on Facebook I'm an outlier.

[City Lights]

77. My kids voted. They are 22 and 20. nt

[pstokely]

83. did their friends?

the ones who probably only show up ever 4 years?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

82. Gosh, those youngsters should have just accepted that NSA spying on everyone is a good thing.

.

[joshcryer]

84. Gotta love the boomers.

[liberal_at_heart]

85. maybe if the Democratic party gave the young people something to believe in they would vote.

They came out in big numbers for President Obama. Have their lives improved? No. They are still swimming in tens of thousands of dollars in school loans, can't find permanent jobs and those jobs they can find are contract, low wage, and have little to no benefits. It is not the voters fault. It is the party's fault.

[workinclasszero]

87. I'm over 50

My wife is in here 40's. We voted straight Democratic.

Thanks OP

[treestar]

89. I guess people get conservative when older

even if they were of the 60s baby boomer generation.

[taught_me_patience]

91. Another boomer fuck-you to everybody else n/t