Ailing G.O.P. Risks Losing a Generation

[babylonsister]

:cry: And who will those people under 30 favor?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/weekinreview/01connelly.html?_r=1&hp

Ailing G.O.P. Risks Losing a Generation

By MARJORIE CONNELLY
Published: February 28, 2009


Americans identifying themselves as Democrats outnumber those who say they are Republicans by 10 percentage points, the largest gap in party identification in 24 years.

The gap has widened significantly since President George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004, when it was a mere 3 percentage points. But by the time Mr. Bush left office in January, less than a quarter of Americans approved of his performance.

These days, 38 percent of Americans say they are Democrats, 28 percent call themselves Republicans, and another 29 percent identify as independents, according to an average of national polls conducted last year by The New York Times and CBS News.

Whether President Obama is able expand that gap to favor his party will probably depend mostly on Americans under the age of 30 who have yet to form strong partisan ties.

Ronald Reagan’s presidency underscores the power of a popular incumbent to win over young voters. When he was elected in 1980, only 20 percent of young Americans identified as Republicans. By 1989, the number had grown to 37 percent, a significant factor in the expansion of the Republican Party during those years.

The year-by-year trends are based on party identifications from all national surveys conducted by The New York Times and CBS News and averaged by year.

[Triana]

1. GOOD! Let's see that they do.

TWO generations. No. Wait. How about THREE?

That MIGHT be enough time to undo the damage the twits have done. Maybe.

[acmavm]

2. Make it FOREVER and I'll be satisfied and happy.

[book_worm]

3. I never understood why 18-34 year olds were so taken with Reagan

but they are the voting bloc that gave him the highest percentage of votes in '84.

[babylonsister]

4. He was personable. Many people vote for

personality vs. what the pols actually say.

[LiberalFighter]

6. They thought he was like their grandfather.

[tabbycat31]

5. I'm not old enough to remember Reagan

as I was 8 when he left office. I'm just thankful that my parents never drank his kool-aid and never voted for him.

Supossively I "voted" for Mondale in 1984 (meaning I went into the booth with one of my parents and pulled the lever for them) but I have no recollection of it.

I'm just glad that the children of the Reagan administration (and beyond) are seeing the light.

[tanyev]

7. Ah, but have they factored in Yo! Michael Steele's hip-hop GOP revolution?

That's going to change everything.



:rofl: