strategy and research | May 13, 2008
The latest national youth survey conducted by Democracy Corps and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner shows that young people are poised to deliver large margins to Democrats in November, echoing the 2006 results when Democrats won the under 30 vote 60 to 38 percent. In our latest analysis of the youth vote, Stan Greenberg, Anna Greenberg, Dave Walker, and James Carville examine young people’s political preferences, and highlight ways to elevate young voter support and turnout which will position them to play a potentially transformational role.
This is the second analysis of our youth survey. The first report, “The MySpace Election,” showed the fundamental differences in how young people experience and participate in the 2008 elections.
Young voters at this point are as supportive of Democrats as they were in 2004 and 2006. Democratic identification is stable and young people’s support for a generic candidate for President stands at 59 to 32 percent, a margin which exceeds young voters’ Democratic performance in the 2006 elections. But there are problems emerging, not least of which is the tension in the Democratic primary lowering enthusiasm for Democrats and for voting more broadly. John McCain, moreover, is seen more positively than we might anticipate suggesting that Democrats cannot just count on young voters without some real work communicating with them.
March 30 - April 9, 2008; 602 Respondents age 18-29
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