The Republicans Are Courting Millennials, But The Kids Aren't Buying It

[Photographer]

Since 1996, the Republican Party has placed second to the Democrats among voters aged 18 to 29, and especially in the last two elections with Obama gaining 45.2% of that particular demographic’s vote in 2008 and 60% thereof in 2012. As a result, numerous Republican Presidential hopefuls are making a more concerted effort to attract younger voters.

For example, Carly Fiorina appeared in a popular BuzzFeed video discussing workplace sexism (though ironically her voting record shows she supports policies that are deleterious to women’s health) and Rand Paul and Ben Carson have been touring college campuses. Ben Carson has also been aggressively plugging into social media. In the process, he has acquired nearly five million Facebook fans, though some suspect that some of those Like-clicks may have been purchased. Given that Ben Carson has been caught in a number of lies, I certainly wouldn’t be surprised.



Regardless of all the Republican Party’s best efforts, millennials generally tend to have more liberal values than any age group, regardless of which political affiliation they register, though a Pew Research study published in April 2015 found that 51% of millennials tend to side with the Democrats while only 35% lean Republican. As a result, younger and more socially liberal Republicans often feel ideologically disconnected from the elders of their party, and particularly feel as though their opinions are dismissed, particularly when it comes to issues like gay rights and drug policy reform.

The more liberal values among millennials could also be attributed to the fact that from the Reagan years forward, that same generation has had to contend with the cutting of government subsidies for college education in favor of a tuition-based model, along with more demanding job requirements, stagnating wages, a skyrocketing cost of living and decimated job security. Furthermore, the exponential growth and increasing widespread use of social media has coincided with a heightened sensitivity in regard to the treatment of demographics that have been historically more vulnerable to societal oppression, namely women, non-whites, and members of the LGBT community, along with new scientific discoveries.

More at http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/12/5/1453990/-The-Republicans-Are-Courting-Millennials-But-The-Kids-Aren-t-Buying-It

And they don't have a clue as they still think Hispanics love Trump.

[valerief]

1. They can only win them over via Jesus. nt

[MohRokTah]

2. And fewer millenials are biting on that bait than prior generations. eom

[valerief]

3. I'm hoping that's the case! nt

[starroute]

4. Millennials are definitely less religious

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/11/03/454063182/poll-finds-americans-especially-millennials-moving-away-from-religion

Skepticism about religion is especially evident among young people. The Pew study found that barely a quarter of "millennials" (born between 1981 and 1996) attend church services on a weekly basis, compared with more than half of U.S. adults born before 1946. Only about 4 in 10 millennials say religion is important in their lives, compared with more than half of those who are older, including two-thirds of those born before 1946.

The Pew researchers acknowledge that some young people may become more religious as they grow older, but their data suggest that the generational differences in religiosity could well endure. "The oldest Millennials, now in their late 20s and early 30s, are generally less observant than they were seven years ago," the authors write. "If these trends continue American society is likely to grow less religious even if those who are adults today maintain their current levels of religious commitment."

The weakening of religious beliefs and practices has clear political overtones. The growth in the number of religiously unaffiliated people is largely benefiting Democrats, for whom "nones" are now the single largest religious constituency.

[Initech]

10. I think even Jesus is phoning it in at this point.

[Tsiyu]

5. I am so awed by Millennials

Unlike my Boomer generation of cowards and suckups and materialistic fucks who turn away at any mention of the downtrodden - because most Boomers still fancy themselves a cut above the poors - younger people know that the entire system is bullshit, and they're having lively, inquisitive and HONEST conversations about how to change things.

The whole voting thing is beginning to really take hold, as they realize there are more of them than there are of us ( I think it's 80 million of them vs. 77 million boomers)

I hope that GOTV efforts really resonate with the kids, because they are the only chance we have. And they see who the parasites are. They know that the for-profit prison system, the banks, the insurance industry, the health care industry, the retail industry and even corporations like Comcast are just blood-sucking leeches, who pay their workers substandard wages while charging exorbitant prices. WE are being eaten alive by the money hoarders, but Boomers just hope if they paint "GOP" or "DNC" over their doors with blood, their lives will be spared.

I see many young women becoming increasingly livid over the Planned Parenthood demonization and attacks, and they are ready to tear Congress a new one.

My generation is mostly a pathetic disgrace, a useless bunch of pantywaists who couldn't care less about anything but themselves and their goddamned images. IMAGE is everything to Boomers, even if it's based off BULLSHIT. Half of them live off that GOP bullshit and have done NOTHING to improve this nation.

[Populist_Prole]

6. +1

This:

"Unlike my Boomer generation of cowards and suckups and materialistic fucks who turn away at any mention of the downtrodden - because most Boomers still fancy themselves a cut above the poors - younger people know that the entire system is bullshit, and they're having lively, inquisitive and HONEST conversations about how to change things."

So dead-on. I was born in '62, which puts me in either late Baby Boom or early Generation X territory, depending on the metrics. I can say from both my observations of my peers, and the younger people in my life, that that quote is so very true. It sickens me and heartens me at the same time. I'm so glad I am an atypical member of my generation....and boy do I catch hell for it from some of my latent curmudgeonly ( who used to be open minded ) friends.

[Tsiyu]

9. Nearly all of my current companions are millennials

I can't take most of the abject BS spewed by those of my generation.

I agree with your bittersweet assessment. Sickening that Boomers are such losers they threw their own nation to the wolves. With all of their social climbing and materialism, they just didn't have time to worry about the War on Drugs, a living wage, health care, retirement or our draconian and exorbitant prison system.

Now so many of them are poors, but goddamn they hate to admit it! They still try to maintain that facade because its too disgraceful to admit you were suckered by your own avaricious "thing" collecting. It's funny as fuck to me to watch their eyes glass over if you skirt the edges of the status quo. They will never admit the damage they've done with their apathy and shallow pursuits.

Millennials are forthcoming and brutally honest, and full of ideas. They give me so much hope that all is not lost for humanity.

Sounds like you and I would be great pals. YOU get it.

[Vinca]

7. I'm hopping around the "news" channels this morning and it seems all the Republicans

want to do is get us into another Iraqi-style war and send the same younger people they're courting to fight it. The entire GOP deserves that one-finger salute.

[HughBeaumont]

8. Likely because their Supply/Demand crap when it comes to college . . .

. . . combined with the fact that you can't shuffle papers without an MBA nowadays . . .

. . . and they have to compete with cheaper overseas counterparts (thanks to Republican economic policy) . . .

. . . and their older counterparts cannot retire to make way for them (thanks to Republican economic policy) . . .

All of these factors have pretty much gang-bankrupted that generation (just like it tried to do to mine); shackled before they can even get a start.

And it's all because of Republican economic policy.