The youth vote unreliable again?

[Butchie]

Adds more credit to the idea that strictly targeting youth may not be the best plan.

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/03/07/ron-paul-not-a-hit-with-youth-voters-on-super-tuesday

[alucard13mmfmj]

campaign needs to change strategies... do something different or we are in trouble. Either change the strategy with obtaining voters, change the demographics we are after, or change from passive to aggressive when dealing with opponents.

[noneedtoaggress]

It's the fault of the youth not turning up to the voting booth! :mad:


It's the fault of the old people for getting us into this stupid mess and voting for the establishment! :mad:

:P

[DerailingDaTrain]

The article just counts the people who voted for a candidate and place Romney ahead of us by 1,000. How about all the youth who support Ron but didn't vote? I still think we have more youth support but some are really apathetic about even voting for anyone.

[aaroche26]

AA

[parocks]

Adds more credit to the idea that strictly targeting youth may not be the best plan.

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/03/07/ron-paul-not-a-hit-with-youth-voters-on-super-tuesday

We do not, and have never, strictly targeted youth.

What do you think phone from home is about?

Do you think that the hours and hours and hours of calls go to young people?

NO.

Those are old people that are called.

We got 1 (one) % of the 65+ in Georgia.
And 24% of the 18-29.

[parocks]

Maybe the campaign should hand out information of what day to vote and time?

Right, the grassroots, the campaign, whoever.

Day, time, address. It's not hard to make that type of flyer.

Stop persuading people about Ron Paul.

Start telling people how to vote.

Your lit does not have to include "Ron Paul" on it.

[Liberty74]

Adds more credit to the idea that strictly targeting youth may not be the best plan.

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/03/07/ron-paul-not-a-hit-with-youth-voters-on-super-tuesday

Ugh, I have been yelling this for over 6 months now. It's not that the youth are unreliable, they just don't vote - approx. 10-15% of the vote.

It's too late now...

[WD-NY]

Right, the grassroots, the campaign, whoever.

Day, time, address. It's not hard to make that type of flyer.

Stop persuading people about Ron Paul.

Start telling people how to vote.

Your lit does not have to include "Ron Paul" on it.

For being so focused on the "youth" vote, how much of the $30million dollars did the campaign invest into their website (and/or web applications that could help GOTV, fundraise, spread the message, etc.)?? All they needed to do is hire a team and copy the feature set of obama.com. The young supporters would've taken care of the rest (re: they would've made good use of it...)

Instead, we have a website that uses "*" for bullet points!

[D.A.S.]

Adds more credit to the idea that strictly targeting youth may not be the best plan.

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/03/07/ron-paul-not-a-hit-with-youth-voters-on-super-tuesday

Great article -- I almost posted it myself. Yes, it looks like Obama was far more successful in bringing the youth on board, but Obama was far more "mainstream" and on TV all the time, and he hasn't had the issues that Ron Paul had to deal with this election. I'd say the numbers are still pretty flattering, but Ron Paul DEFINITELY needs more youth vote to sustain us in future elections.

I suspect this is why Ron targets more and more colleges for rallies, but I feel like he needs to take more questions from the audience and interact with the students more and engage them. General speeches may excite them to come to rallies but quite possibly not to the extent we need for them to come out to the polls... Going to Ron Paul rallies is now a cool fab, but going to vote for Ron Paul hasn't gained as much traction.

[JamesButabi]

Come general election more people vote and are enthusiastic. Primaries are all about traditional voters though. I imagine that was the whole purpose of PFH. If not, it probably should have been. Hopefully everyone here pitched in in that regard and we got through every list we wanted.

[D.A.S.]

For being so focused on the "youth" vote, how much of the $30million dollars did the campaign invest into their website (and/or web applications that could help GOTV, fundraise, spread the message, etc.)?? All they needed to do is hire a team and copy the feature set of obama.com. The young supporters would've taken care of the rest (re: they would've made good use of it...)

Instead, we have a website that uses "*" for bullet points!

I have to agree, the Campaign's use of social networking and social platforms has been an EPIC FAIL. lol. Their website is the same basic Drupal interface we have on RonPaulCountry.com, and it is clunky, it is not user-friendly, it is not interactive, and the information on it is very barebones.

Youth loves tech, and the tech that would have made the Campaign website cool has been totally missing. Things like a "where is Ron Paul" app, or collection of speech youtubes, collection of speech pictures, more stuff from the campaign trail, etc... If they could have enough features on the website to get the youth to use it in droves, they could register their phone numbers, etc, and then be able to send texts for GOTV and reminders to register to vote, etc...

It's something that's been mentioned many times before, but either there wasn't money in the budget or there hasn't been enough tech talent recruited to work on that.

[NoOneButPaul]

If you're building a movement you target the youth and say screw the turnout.

If you're trying to win you target the old fogs and hope for a miracle.


I think it's clear what Ron is trying to do... i'll support him to the bitter end {and write his name in no matter what) but we really need to start re-focusing on taking out as many Neo-Cons in the house and senate as possible.

We need to look at the bigger picture and try to grow the movement with political force inside the GOP.

[Butchie]

I have to agree, the Campaign's use of social networking and social platforms has been an EPIC FAIL. lol. Their website is the same basic Drupal interface we have on RonPaulCountry.com, and it is clunky, it is not user-friendly, it is not interactive, and the information on it is very barebones.

Youth loves tech, and the tech that would have made the Campaign website cool has been totally missing. Things like a "where is Ron Paul" app, or collection of speech youtubes, collection of speech pictures, more stuff from the campaign trail, etc... If they could have enough features on the website to get the youth to use it in droves, they could register their phone numbers, etc, and then be able to send texts for GOTV and reminders to register to vote, etc...

It's something that's been mentioned many times before, but either there wasn't money in the budget or there hasn't been enough tech talent recruited to work on that.

That's some great ideas, most people just need that little reminder or whatever, it sounds silly, but it is effective psychologically, even tho it's an automated text it still seems like a personal touch.

[DerailingDaTrain]

I would say that the majority of the youth don't vote but if anyone says that none of them vote they are clearly wrong. Most of my friends (I hate to say) are just apathetic about politics and only care about living it up while their in college, sponging off their parents, and other trivial things that don't accomplish anything. Then when they're in their mid 20s to early 30s they realize the government is fucking them and they want to try and change it. I'm lucky I woke up early.

[mport1]

I don't think the youth vote will ever be reliable (and I'm 25). Counting on them coming out in numbers is a terrible strategy, though I'm sure more young people who support Ron Paul come out than young people supporting someone else.

[rpwi]

Part of the problem is that many of the youth are 'independents'...and many of these contests are either closed to just republicans or have confusing eligibility rules. I'm sure many youth have no idea that they can vote in many of these republican primaries even though they aren't republican.

[TheGrinch]

I think blaming the youth is a cop-out... No, it doesn't help that some are apathetic and jaded about politics, but it's in general elections like how Obama won that the youth vote can really matter. Most folks vote along party lines, so the swing votes are ultra important (a fact they like to ignore about Dr. Paul's general election polling)..

However, to win a primary you have to gain support within the party or you don't stand a chance... I mean, almost 60,000 votes for Dr. Paul in Georgia yesterday, it's just that so many who had a different first choice voted elsewhere (Dr. Paul is doing better than we could ever imagine as an alternative choice with 41% in Virginia, but hasn't been able to crack frontrunner status, nor will they let him).... In a primary with 4 choices rather than just 2, the game plan is exactly what they've been trying to do, to tear down the other candidates, because youth vote alone simply isn't enough when you're up against 3 other nominees and a majority of not-youth voters who have different first choices.

This is why it's an uphill battle... We've done absolutely great in making Dr. Paul an acceptable candidate for most republican voters should he be the nominee, but they have to see him as the clear first choice in order for him to win beauty contests, and that's where we always knew it wasn't going to be easy, with the media and establishment fighting us the whole way... But alas, in a 2 party dominated system, we really have no other good choice but to try, and at very least fight them the whole way to the convention, and not make it easy to silence us....

[TheGrinch]

I was just looking, and in 2002, the percentage of the US ages 18-30, was roughly 15% of the population. That's huge for a general election where 5% can sway it one way or the other, but 15% isn't winning you any caucuses or primaries, even if they turnout as good as the other age groups... In that regard, the fact that we're getting 30 to 40% in some states is indeed very impressive for a youth-dominant movement.

[Massachusetts]

The youth vote now will matter in future elections 5-10 years from now. Ron Paul is building a movement and when 2020 comes around, the current under 30 crowd will represent the largest voting block we've ever seen.

[parocks]

I don't think the youth vote will ever be reliable (and I'm 25). Counting on them coming out in numbers is a terrible strategy, though I'm sure more young people who support Ron Paul come out than young people supporting someone else.

In politicial campaigns, there's a concept called "Get Out The Vote". It's where the Campaign WORKS HARD to get the people who like the candidate to the polls.

We have to focus 100% - on a grassroots level - to get our base - 18-29 men - to Vote.

That what we should do, or should have done.

We get creamed by old people. They don't like R(evol)ution I guess. But young people do. Drag 18-29 males to the polls. It's not too much of an impossible intellectual challenge.

[Butchie]

I think blaming the youth is a cop-out... No, it doesn't help that some are apathetic and jaded about politics, but it's in general elections like how Obama won that the youth vote can really matter. Most folks vote along party lines, so the swing votes are ultra important (a fact they like to ignore about Dr. Paul's general election polling)..

However, to win a primary you have to gain support within the party or you don't stand a chance... I mean, almost 60,000 votes for Dr. Paul in Georgia yesterday, it's just that so many who had a different first choice voted elsewhere (Dr. Paul is doing better than we could ever imagine as an alternative choice with 41% in Virginia, but hasn't been able to crack frontrunner status, nor will they let him).... In a primary with 4 choices rather than just 2, the game plan is exactly what they've been trying to do, to tear down the other candidates, because youth vote alone simply isn't enough when you're up against 3 other nominees and a majority of not-youth voters who have different first choices.

This is why it's an uphill battle... We've done absolutely great in making Dr. Paul an acceptable candidate for most republican voters should he be the nominee, but they have to see him as the clear first choice in order for him to win beauty contests, and that's where we always knew it wasn't going to be easy, with the media and establishment fighting us the whole way... But alas, in a 2 party dominated system, we really have no other good choice but to try, and at very least fight them the whole way to the convention, and not make it easy to silence us....

I agree they can sway an election, that wasn't what I meant, I just mean they cannot be the "bread and butter" of a campaign.

[Maltheus]

I have to agree, the Campaign's use of social networking and social platforms has been an EPIC FAIL. lol. Their website is the same basic Drupal interface we have on RonPaulCountry.com, and it is clunky, it is not user-friendly, it is not interactive, and the information on it is very barebones.
Youth loves tech, and the tech that would have made the Campaign website cool has been totally missing. ... It's something that's been mentioned many times before, but either there wasn't money in the budget or there hasn't been enough tech talent recruited to work on that.

I tried to make this point to the local campaign staffers. I was trying to offer them tools to coordinate people on different levels. They wanted nothing but everyone focused on phone banking (in an age where nobody gives their numbers out to anybody). I don't think they wanted to let things out of their control (especially the information), but they kept everything so tight to their chest, that it made it hard for us to coordinate. For instance, why wasn't I given a list of alternates for my division meeting, where I could have (as a precinct leader) promoted people to state? We could have bumped our delegate count by a good 10-20% if they would have worked with us.

I tried to get them a web form so that people could report their results, and the campaign could have an instantly updated tally. Instead they posted a single phone number that was busy all night, and then finally a more limited form several days later. I still know of people who haven't reported and aren't sure who to report to.

Tried to get some video conferencing going, so that we can connect up with those people who hadn't been able to make our Saturday meetings. I was told something to the effect that if they aren't willing to make the trip, then they aren't likely to be reliable voters. But some people merely have conflicting schedules, and we need to include them in the planning too. The tools are out there, they just weren't used.

[Gravik]

I wish the youth were as enthused as they were in 2008 when Obummer ran....Gah.

[priest_of_syrinx]

As a youth, I'm here to say that there are two problems with the youth:

-If they're in college, their schedules are packed. I know people who literally couldn't attend because they had science labs from 5-8.
-Sometimes, they have a lot to remember (or are lazy/scatterbrained) and forget to go.

[TheGrinch]

I agree they can sway an election, that wasn't what I meant, I just mean they cannot be the "bread and butter" of a campaign.
I know that's that what you meant. I'm saying that the gneral election is the only time I would consider them your bread and butter, even if they turn out.... If the GOP wanted to, they could get behind Dr. Paul and sweep the election with the youth vote... It's the definition of bread and butter in a general election, I know is not what you're saying, it's what I'm saying is evident by how Obama got elected.

My point was that you can't rely on them to be your bread and butter in a primary because there aren't enough when they're voting on their own against the majority supporting someone else.... The youth vote (which as I said earlier is only about 15% of the population) are only really powerful to put a candidates numbers over the top, not to be the majority of one's voters. There simply aren't enough, even if they turn out as well or better than the other demographics. If 40-50% support someone else, then they can't come close to matching that...

You need a chunk out of the republican's base voters even more, and is what the (truthful) attack ads were meant to accomplish, and have to a small degree...