Rock the Vote

Lucky Shot · 08-22-2006, 11:03 PM

OpinionJournal - Featured Article

Interesting analysis on current youth vote and why Democrats may not receive the bang for their buck on the youth vote...

Quote:

But the data on young Americans tell a different story. Simply put, liberals have a big baby problem: They're not having enough of them, they haven't for a long time, and their pool of potential new voters is suffering as a result. According to the 2004 General Social Survey, if you picked 100 unrelated politically liberal adults at random, you would find that they had, between them, 147 children. If you picked 100 conservatives, you would find 208 kids. That's a "fertility gap" of 41%. Given that about 80% of people with an identifiable party preference grow up to vote the same way as their parents, this gap translates into lots more little Republicans than little Democrats to vote in future elections. Over the past 30 years this gap has not been below 20%--explaining, to a large extent, the current ineffectiveness of liberal youth voter campaigns today.

Lucky Shot

JMJ · 08-23-2006, 10:43 AM

I fail to see the problem with this

**RandomGuy** · 08-23-2006, 10:51 AM

Don't get too smug. You should know that right-wing parents breed rebellious left-wing voters (by the time they are old enough to vote) and vice-versa.

Steeler · 08-23-2006, 11:42 AM

What's with the right-wing obsession with babies? Europe is never having enough babies, thus making them a failed continent. White people aren't having enough babies, thus making America a brown country. Liberals aren't having enough babies, thus ensuring the victory of the almighty conservative cultural revolution. Sounds like someone is trying to find a light at the end of the 'Rebuplicans are going to tank hard in the next few elections' tunnel.

**CingularDuality** · 08-23-2006, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steeler

What's with the right-wing obsession with babies?

Well, with the exception of the Log Cabin Republicans...

icky · 08-23-2006, 03:48 PM

Man, what a sad state of affairs when people are born into a political party. Is this crap for real?

**Rincewind** · 08-24-2006, 08:58 AM

They seem to think so....

xTYBALTx · 08-24-2006, 09:54 AM

Anyone remember, from their H.S. history courses perhaps, the anti-slavery guy who had as many kids as possible in slave states so that they could grow up and vote against it?

**CingularDuality** · 08-24-2006, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icky

Man, what a sad state of affairs when people are born into a political party. Is this crap for real?

It's only partly for real...

Politicians live and die by demographic statistics. Some of them will do anything to shift certain demographics in their favor. It was only a matter of time before they analyzed statistics to determine demographics of the unborn...

Personally, I get sick of hearing about the "black vote" or the "latino vote". I wish people would just get over skin color and start doing what's right.

Steeler · 08-24-2006, 01:29 PM

What you think is right is not necessarily what others think is right. There are very few objective right or wrongs in politics. We disagree frequently but we both believe that what we're saying is right.

**CingularDuality** · 08-24-2006, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steeler

What you think is right is not necessarily what others think is right. There are very few objective right or wrongs in politics. We disagree frequently but we both believe that what we're saying is right.

I hear what you're saying, but there's a reason why all religions and even atheists have a similar concept of right and wrong. Politicians aren't exempt from this universal moral code.

I understand that the devil is in the details, but I was commenting on racism when I made that comment.

icky · 08-24-2006, 01:46 PM

Ok, here's a little test quiz for my curiousity.

1. Do you vote for a political party because that's the one you've always supported in your family?

2. Have you always voted for the same political party?

3. Are there circumstances which would cause you to vote for the other major (or any other) political party?

(my answers, though I'm not in the US, 1. no, 2. no, 3. yes, I flip flop depending on my view of the leader's ability to do good things)

Steeler · 08-24-2006, 01:53 PM

1. Do you vote for a political party because that's the one you've always supported in your family?
- No, although I do track fairly closely with my parents, simply because we agree on most political issues. None of us are party-line voters, however. My extended family is more diverse.

2. Have you always voted for the same political party?
- No.

3. Are there circumstances which would cause you to vote for the other major (or any other) political party?
- Yes. Unfortunately, the hardening conservative orthodoxy of the Republican party has basically eliminated them from my consideration. If there were someone I agreed with in the party, I'd vote for that person, but that seems increasingly unlikely to happen.

**marstein** · 08-24-2006, 01:57 PM

Now I am confused: why do the republicans insist on abstinence when that gains them an advantage?

Kerostasis · 08-24-2006, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marstein

Now I am confused: why do the republicans insist on abstinence when that gains them an advantage?

Abstinence isn't about "not having sex", its about "not having sex with people you aren't married to". Totally different concept.

Children conceived out of wedlock are far more likely to wind up as Abortions, and I actually suspect the difference in liberal birth rates has more to do with the increased prevalence of Abortion than anything else.

08-23-2006, 10:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
JMJ Join Date: Jun 2005 Age: 37 Posts: 4,077	Re: Rock the Vote I fail to see the problem with this

08-23-2006, 10:51 AM	#3 (permalink)
RandomGuy Join Date: May 2003 Location: K-W, Ont. Age: 27 Posts: 1,727	Re: Rock the Vote Don't get too smug. You should know that right-wing parents breed rebellious left-wing voters (by the time they are old enough to vote) and vice-versa.

08-23-2006, 11:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
Steeler Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Taxachusetts Age: 30 Posts: 2,952	Re: Rock the Vote What's with the right-wing obsession with babies? Europe is never having enough babies, thus making them a failed continent. White people aren't having enough babies, thus making America a brown country. Liberals aren't having enough babies, thus ensuring the victory of the almighty conservative cultural revolution. Sounds like someone is trying to find a light at the end of the 'Rebuplicans are going to tank hard in the next few elections' tunnel. __________________

08-23-2006, 03:48 PM	#6 (permalink)
icky Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ottawa Valley Posts: 6,154	Re: Rock the Vote Man, what a sad state of affairs when people are born into a political party. Is this crap for real? __________________ Peace through fear... since 1947!

08-24-2006, 08:58 AM	#7 (permalink)
Rincewind Join Date: May 2005 Location: Casting useless spells in Oklahoma. Age: 27 Posts: 2,815	Re: Rock the Vote They seem to think so.... __________________ ~~ Veritas simplex oratio est ~~ No matter how far a wizard goes, he will always come back for his hat. --T. Pratchett <---- You know you're getting old when you rely on your forum meta-data to remind you how old you are. Required Reading for all TG sandboxers

08-24-2006, 09:54 AM	#8 (permalink)
xTYBALTx Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,851	Re: Rock the Vote Anyone remember, from their H.S. history courses perhaps, the anti-slavery guy who had as many kids as possible in slave states so that they could grow up and vote against it? __________________ Current good song: Justice - Stress "$250,000 a year won't get me to Central Park West."

08-24-2006, 01:29 PM	#10 (permalink)
Steeler Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Taxachusetts Age: 30 Posts: 2,952	Re: Rock the Vote What you think is right is not necessarily what others think is right. There are very few objective right or wrongs in politics. We disagree frequently but we both believe that what we're saying is right. __________________

08-24-2006, 01:46 PM	#12 (permalink)
icky Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ottawa Valley Posts: 6,154	Re: Rock the Vote Ok, here's a little test quiz for my curiousity. 1. Do you vote for a political party because that's the one you've always supported in your family? 2. Have you always voted for the same political party? 3. Are there circumstances which would cause you to vote for the other major (or any other) political party? (my answers, though I'm not in the US, 1. no, 2. no, 3. yes, I flip flop depending on my view of the leader's ability to do good things) __________________ Peace through fear... since 1947!

08-24-2006, 01:53 PM	#13 (permalink)
Steeler Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Taxachusetts Age: 30 Posts: 2,952	Re: Rock the Vote 1. Do you vote for a political party because that's the one you've always supported in your family? - No, although I do track fairly closely with my parents, simply because we agree on most political issues. None of us are party-line voters, however. My extended family is more diverse. 2. Have you always voted for the same political party? - No. 3. Are there circumstances which would cause you to vote for the other major (or any other) political party? - Yes. Unfortunately, the hardening conservative orthodoxy of the Republican party has basically eliminated them from my consideration. If there were someone I agreed with in the party, I'd vote for that person, but that seems increasingly unlikely to happen. __________________

08-24-2006, 01:57 PM	#14 (permalink)
marstein Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Half Moon Bay, CA, USA Age: 42 Posts: 828	Re: Rock the Vote Now I am confused: why do the republicans insist on abstinence when that gains them an advantage? __________________ Gigabyte P35-DS3R, 2GB, 8800GTS 640MB, Core2Duo E8400

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