Kucinich supports lower voting age

[alexwcovington]

Children's PressLine caught several candidates on their way out of a debate on Monday. Said Kucinich: "Sure, I think young people, age 16, today have the kind of education, which would make it possible for them to make solid decisions."

Dean apparently was not at the debate. Sharpton and Lieberman were either not asked or didn't respond, the article is not too clear.

http://www.wiretapmag.org/story.html?StoryID=17326

[JohnKleeb]

1. wow

[alexwcovington]

2. Cool, ain't it JK?

Unless Dean comes out in favour of it too I'm voting for Kucinich at the caucuses.

[JohnKleeb]

3. yeah

because I am kinda pissed that I cant vote. I doubt this will gain traction in the press but its good stuff. Maybe this will change minds :).

[redqueen]

4. woohooo!

Welcome to the Movement, alexwcovington!

:toast:

And if it turns out that Dean supports it too, then thanks for your support, anyhow. :D

[alexwcovington]

5. I still might vote Kucinich for the helluvit

If Dean keeps on so strong...

[sasquatch]

6. Might as well

Hell we charge kids younger than that with adult crimes.

[JohnKleeb]

7. yeah

then we excute them to look tough on crimes for the benefit of our political careers. sigh I hate when politicans, dem or republican do that. Another reason to support DK, opposed to the savage death penalty.

[gristy]

8. pay attention to unintended consequences

Like the influence of teachers on voting. I was 16 and 17 once. I would have had no business voting.

[JohnKleeb]

9. one could argue the same about 18 year olds

After all many wanna try us as adults, why not vote. I think 16 or 17 would be ok. I am an upperclassman you know.

[gristy]

11. John, you are a 1%'er

You don't get to use you as a valid example. Sorry. :)

[JohnKleeb]

13. The point is

18 year olds can be influenced by people too, same with anyone of any age. I think 16 or 17 is a fair idea. They do it this way in a country where I am from on my mom's side, universal sufferage at 18 but if employed 16, thats interesting, no opinion on it really. Why not :), I am just like the others my age in more ways than not.

[MuseRider]

21. My kids

and all the younger ones here on DU are smarter and more informed than most of the adult population. I would have no problem with it, in fact it seems to be a good idea.

[goobergunch]

10. Good for him!

If I could vote in the 2004 primaries, I'd be tempted to vote for Kucinich even though I'm a Dean supporter...the nomination is locked up by the time Pennsylvania votes anyway, and I think it would send a good message to those whom it may concern.

[JohnKleeb]

12. was wondering what you'd say about this

Maybe by 2004 you'll be a Kucinich supporter anyhow :). I hope this will make friends of mine take another look at DK. This is great. I wanna be able to vote.

[DemBones DemBones]

23. I knew you'd be here, John! Another reason to love DK, huh?

A lot of 16 year-olds might be irresponsible voters, but I'm convinced that's true of voters of ANY age, so what the hell? It would be nice if there were a fair way to require that voters be well-informed. Maybe a test, with TV programs and newspaper articles to educate voters so they can pass the test. Newspapers do a pretty good job of this for local elections but many people are auditory learners who learn better by hearing something. Maybe not a test, exactly, just a way to prove that voters actually watched programs or read articles to help them understand the issues and candidate's positions on same. Maybe there should be a national holiday to give voters a day to study up on the election through a one or two hour workshop at their polling place. And a national holiday on election day, too.

In the past, voter tests, like poll taxes, were used to keep people from voting. I'm talking about educating people so that all voters will be reasonably well-informed.

In states with lotteries, most people would really like getting a lottery ticket free for attending the workshop, another ticket for passing the test, another ticket for actually voting. Employers give away tickets, usually the scratch-off and win ones, as little rewards for employees, and people seem to like it.

OK, end of daydream. . . Any comments?

[JohnKleeb]

25. ehh yeah

I'd still support him though. I think if we want to educate the voters, we need civics like classes in school, we do, I took one as an 8th grader, and it was teh year Bush got selected, and I think the way it was presented turned people off, make government interesting.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. I absolutely had enough opinion to vote at age 16...

But I am not typical of my age. Gotta figure that 16 year olds who don't have much of an opinion would not vote anyways. But I agree with that point about teachers having too much influence. Then again, one made the point that you can be tried as an adult at 17 so why not let them vote as well? However, Kucinich would have no control over this if he were elected president. The constitution says that the MAXIMUM voting age is 18, states get to decide if they want it the age to be younger than that.

[grannylib]

15. My 16 year old came with me to the polls last year on our way to work/

school, and she was asked if she were registered. She said 'no' and the kind woman offered to get her all set up to vote; she replied that she wasn't old enough, but was sufficiently informed and motivated to want to!

[SEAburb]

16. Oh I get it ! This is a joke.

I almost fell for it.

[alexwcovington]

29. Nice to see you lending credence to a legitimate issue.

This is serious stuff. Millions of people are disenfranchised with little more than "You're stupid" as the reason why.

[SEAburb]

31. bullshit!!

<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>

[alexwcovington]

32. Exactly

Thanks for your input.

[SEAburb]

37. it got as much as it deserves

<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>

[alexwcovington]

39. Remind me to be curt with your pet issues, if you have any ya freeper

This is an EXPANSION in civil rights. How can you justify being opposed to it?

[SEAburb]

40. Sorry about the harshness of my posts

This will give your thread a kick.

[redqueen]

17. Age as a determining factor

I really think a lot of comments about younger people being more susceptible to the influence of others is overdone.

If you look at the ADULTS in this country, and how easily they're misled EVERY SINGLE DAY, I really don't see a case to be made that young people are one bit more naive than adults. Not a bit.

In fact, getting younger people involved in politics would be a very very good thing. You know... get them involved before they're cynical and burned out by learning how awful people can be. Get them invovled before they've given up on the goodness of humanity. Sorry... my peacenik side is showing. :)

But seriously... I've met plenty of young people who were a darn sight more insightful than many adults I know and love.

This is a good idea whose time has come. If they can be put to death for crimes, they should be able to vote!

[lewiston]

18. I don't know...

my 16 year old, if given a choice, would vote for Eminem.

[alexwcovington]

33. Did you ask him/her?

Or are you just making an assumption?

[JohnKleeb]

36. people dont understand their kids apparently alex

Hate to say it but even here on the left many dont understand us, as I saw the other day, one DUer said they know more about techno than who their reps are, and frankly alex I am a dumbass ok :), and I know no techno but I know who my congresspeople and senators are and I give a little outline of the cold war. I really am kinda a dumbass, I'll take my 2.9GPA with me :).

[eissa]

19. With all due respect

to our young DUers, who are obvisouly the exception, getting teens to vote gets people like Ah-nold into office!

[JohnKleeb]

20. ummm

I am not an exception. Teens do care, and btw a 16 year old is pratically out of teenhood. I can imagine a college student doing something just as stupid btw, and same with an older person. I am no exception, I see in philosophy class, people who care about things and I no doubt will see it in pol sci next year.

[redqueen]

22. No respect at all.

Teens can't vote now, and Arnold was elected handily.

I really think it's unfair of you to try to tie the voting public's idiocy to teens' potential votes.

[DemBones DemBones]

24. Prove it! I saw plenty of people well past their teens at the

Arnie rallies.

[kvnf]

26. no taxation without representation

I was 17 in 2000, not old enough to vote, and it felt like shit.
I worked part time, paid taxes, sat in lines at the Department of Liscencing to get my driver's liscence, and did all those other grown up things.

In a country where adults don't vote anyway, I think you want to bring as many people to the table as possible. What better way to get people into the concept of voting than giving them the right to do so when they are young?

Most high schools are voting places already, so the kids could vote right there in school.

The immaturity argument is nonesense. There's no restriction on immature peolpe voting.

[redqueen]

27. Another excellent argument in favor!

Welcome to DU, kvnf!

:hi:

[The Sushi Bandit]

28. I think 17 is better

Its the average age of High school seniors

[alexwcovington]

30. Not all of them though

There are a lot of 16-year-olds in the senior class everywhere these days...

[JohnKleeb]

34. yeah and I was proven wrong

:) 16 or 17 will do.

[alexwcovington]

35. ANY improvement is a step in the right direction

Don't get me wrong :P

[JohnKleeb]

38. yeah

16 or 17 would be good because in either case, I would get to vote. Maybe this will be what gets my friends who support other candiates to support DK, I hope so.

[wrkclskid]

41. When I was 16

I was so sure I could vote, so sure I was mature and smart enough to handle such a tough decision. I also thoguht a lot of thigns then. I am 21 now, not very old, and looking back I remember thinking like some of the younger DUer's are on this thread. Well I was wrong, I have gropwn so much in five years and so has everyone around me. You don't relaize it until something happens and it hits you, you were pretty imature then. Sorry but their is a difference between Kids and adults, and it is perfectly reasoanble for kids to have certain restrictions. Admittedly 18 is a very arbitrary number but it does signify the passage into adulthood in our country, you can go to war and die and see dirty movies. I don't know what to tell you guys, you all seem rather intelligent, but when you get older you will see. Trust me I felt just like you once, and that was only five years ago.