The story:
Young Americans showed their collective power when they helped vote President Obama into office. Inspired by his message of “change,” they knocked on doors, spread flyers, voted for him by a 2-1 margin, and partied like rock-the-vote stars when he won.
Since the election, though, that fervor has died down — noticeably. And while young people remain the president’s most loyal supporters in opinion polls, a lot of people are wondering why that age group isn’t doing more to build upon their newfound reputation as political influencers.
“It’s one thing to get excited about a presidential candidate. It’s another thing to become a responsible citizen,” says Jennifer Donahue, political director for the New Hampshire Institute Of Politics. She and other political analysts thinks they have yet to prove themselves.
Professors and students themselves also are noticing the quiet on college campuses, which were hotbeds for “Obamamania” during the campaign.
“They’re supportive, but in a bystander kind of way,” says Laura Katz Olson, a political science professor at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
Ever since a bunch of middle aged professors tried to curry favor with 1960’s hippies by calling them the “best and brightest”, there has been this concept that young people, on the whole, are something special. Well they’re not – never have been. There’s a reason the voting age used to be 21. Young people – and especially modern, western young people – are, in their masses, shallow, ignorant, slaves to fashion and un-educated (its why we have them in school, ya know?). “Obamania” was cool, don’t you see? And that is all it was – now its just sooo 2008.
This is not to say that there aren’t exceptions – to every rule, there are. But most kids are just kids – not to be trusted much until they’ve either lived a bunch more years, or someone like a Marine drill instructor knocks some sense into their heads. Obama will still command a lot of youth support – and he’ll even be able to generate enthusiastic crowds of young supporters…but the rock star part of his youth appeal is gone and won’t ever come back. You can only do that once.
As time goes on, however, I figure that the “Obamania” of 2008 will turn to shock and anger among many young voters by 2012 – now that they see that “hope and change” has a price tag, and they’ll be stuck with the tab.
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