Young Voters Elect Obama

Wow... I'm amazed and grinning from ear to ear. Young voters put Obama over the top in Florida, Ohio, Virginia, and Colorado. Colorado - specifically, took out an incumbent Republican US Senator, and a conservative Representative as well as electing a very young Congressman in Boulder.



This will be the beginning of some amazing youth power in this country.

From the very very early traditionally unreliable exit polls we show young voters favor Obama 68 - 30% and make up 18% Share of the Electorate. By contrast - and this is in no way a competition or anything 65+ voters were 16% of the share.

Share numbers, however, are bad bad numbers to go by because they belittle the actual numbers and don't look at increases or decreases. So, while these are good numbers to look at early on, examining a share isn't where we should focus.

CIRCLE released data showing young voters are chose Obama by 38 percentage points - towards the upper end of all the polling we saw this year.

" Young voters preferred Obama

Young voters diverged sharply from the population as a whole, preferring Obama/Biden over McCain/Palin by 68% to 30% in the NEP. This is by far the highest share of the youth vote obtained by any candidate since exit polls began reporting results by age categories in 1976. In past elections from 1976 through 2004, young voters diverged by an average of only 1.8 percentage points from the popular vote as a whole. 2004 had set the previous record for an age gap."

This election was hands down won because of young voters who pushed major swing states over the top. Without them Obama would not have won Iowa and he wouldn't have won last night.

Young People In Full Force- Minnesota Represent!!!!

November 4, 2008

Photos by B FRESH Photography

7 a.m. At the University Avenue bus stop in St. Paul, Minnesota, Robina Rai continued her Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts from the night before. She is not a citizen, but has been active in the 2004, and now, the 2008 elections with the League of Young Voters, or as they say in the Twin Cities, the League of Pissed Off Voters. She took the number 16 from St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis, getting off at the University of Minnesota campus and Nicollet Mall, making sure people are getting out to vote, and are informed about the candidates. The League put together voter guides for cities across the country, which can be found online at www.theballot.org.

8 a.m. Nellie Brau, on her way to class to take a test, chose to represent her excitement about this year’s election with her American flag scarf. Zubair Saiyed was campaigning on a busy corner of campus for Obama, letting people know he thinks MN needs change. All over town, people on their way to class and work were greeted with the morning dew, and political flyers from the previous night’s “Midnight Madness” flyering efforts.

9 a.m. On Nicollett Mall, Malissa Mallory, a special education teacher who was recently laid off, was on her way to get health insurance, vote and then go volunteer and make sure people are getting out to vote today.

9:30 a.m. Deangelo Jacox was on his way to school at Studio 4/High School for Recording Arts. He is not old enough to vote yet, but can’t wait until the next election.

10:00 a.m. Franklin Delano- Nothing is an anarchist who believes people can organize and make change, even without a leader. He might vote today for the State Referenda on Clean Water, Wildlife, Cultural Heritage & natural Areas (AKA Vote Yes Minnesota), but he will not be voting for any individual person.

10:30 a.m. Robina makes her way back to University Avenue and gets off the bus at the Plasma Services building, where a line has formed to donate plasma for money. She makes her way up the line, making sure people know where to vote and that they can register at the polls today, because MN has same day registration. Today, she will also be poll watching with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Minneapolis. The ACLU is part of a coalition of organizations that are making sure everything runs smoothly across the country today.

11:00 a.m. I finally make it to my voting location to cast my ballot. This is what I have been working towards for months and months. I can’t wait until this day is over, so I don’t have to see another nasty political advertisement on TV. I got my sticker, and checked out the ballot where kids can vote, too!

More Than the Presidency

The sad fact of every election is drop off. No, it's not that disease that happens when your arm falls off. Drop off is when people only vote in the presidential race, ignoring everything else on the ballot. Many people each election either don't know who the other candidates and propositions are, or don't feel they are educated enough to make a decision.

This has to stop. What good is it to only focus on the presidency and ignore the local issues and politicians who have a day-to-day impact on your life?

So some folks at the ACLU Foundation in California have started a non-partisan campaign to connect with young voters and ask them to pledge that they will "go all the way" (no pun intended) on November 4.

This week the ACLU Foundation launched a Facebook Application that I am a big fan of, as well as a website and SMS campaign where people can text their pledges to friends.

The best part is the chance to win a free Nintendo Wii if you recruit tons of people to the application.

Onward Oregon, in conjunction with the Bus Project, is also encouraging folks to Fill Out Your Whole Ballot by asking for a pledge:

"As excited as we all are by the Presidential and Senate races, here in Oregon we have some very important local races, the outcomes of which are likely to have a profound impact on the direction our state takes. Each of your votes is important, and participation becomes critical the further “down” the ballot you look."

At their website Whole Ballot, anyone from any state can sign up to pledge to vote the whole ballot online.

The same is true for the League of Conservation Voters in Oregon who published this recent video assuming success for Obama and reminding voters that the new president will need "a team behind him":


Also, in a poem to young voters, vlogger Jay Smooth recently admonished folks against getting overwhelmed by the pre-election excitement, only to drop the ball on election day:



I assume that ya'll know what you're doing because you read Wiretap. Therefore, you should pledge today! Friends don't let friends drop off.

Kansas Senate Candidate Does Youth tour

Jim Slattery, candidate for the U.S. Senate in Kansas, unveiled a new $5,000 college tuition tax cut last week.

"Few investments are more important than ensuring every young person who aspires to attend college has the opportunity," Slattery said.

Slattery said the cost of attending college has skyrocketed.

"Tuition at Pittsburg State has increased 75 percent in the last five years," Slattery said.

In order to pay the increased tuition rates, more students are taking out student loans that are difficult to pay back in the current economy.

"Students are becoming increasingly burdened by student loan debt," Slattery said. "On average, a student owes nearly $20,000 when they graduate."

I was honored to receive unvetted access to follow Slattery along on his tour talking with him as well as other students interested in his plan as well as other important issues this election. Slattery spent time answering questions in townhall style meetings as well as a special candidate forum hosted by the popular site 18 in 08.

20/20 Says Young Voters too Stupid to Vote

 

Last Friday evening, the long running television news show 20/20, headed by Barbara Walters, aired a show titled Maybe It's Your Civic Duty Not to Vote, reported by John Stossel. The piece focuses on a group of young voters who appear to be ill-informed about the going-ons of government and politics and Stossel believes that because they don't know the number of senators in a given state that they should not be allowed to vote. You can see a preview of the video posted here on Yahoo Videos (or to the right).

Thoughts like this are similar to the literacy tests that were requirements in the late 1800's to vote as a means of disenfranchising millions of African American voters. When the Voting Rights Act was passed it made practices like literacy tests, poll taxes, and "good character" were finally declared illegal. It seems Mr. Stossel might like to return to those days.

Featured in the report is the band the Disco Biscuts and the organization HeadCount, which has worked hard to register hundreds of young voters at live music events officially registered. Concert goers were the young people featured as "too stupid to vote." There is now a vibrant discussion on their site where one of the young people featured expresses his displeasure of being quoted out of context:

"Yeah, I got fucked. I'm the second incorrect answer to rowe vs. wade or whatever. I mean let's get serious. I'm a graduating college student who answered all of the question correctly except that one and what state is John McCain from. That shit was slandered as fuck. It was kinda funny seein myself on that shit though. The funnier part is that right after I watched it I asked the like ten people sitting around me if they new what that case was and only one person knew it. Fuck the editor of that clip."

While the piece runs "stupid answers" by voters their focus is all about young people and that they should do their "civic" duty and not vote. The problem with the segment is that it also included older voters who were just as ill-informed. Oops! Seems they lost their thesis.

There are also allegations by a young women in the piece (appearing at 1:20 mins) who answers that there are "12 US Senators." The same woman later says that she she was responding to a question about how many US Supreme Court Justices there are.

According to an interview with Marc Brownstein at HeadCount the reporters went through many people who were giving correct answers. Some were educated on some things and not educated on others, and volunteers, activists, and teachers in the crowd were also those most educated about issues. They didn't make the report. Brownstein also says that his important plug for the non-partisan voter guides HeadCount distributes was cut out of the piece.

John Stossel, by contrast, is a frequent contributor to the conservative blog Townhall.com and a self proclaimed Libertarian. Here is another link, to his own Wikipedia page that has further accounts of other reports he has done where he takes people out of context.

20/20 continues to support the piece and has yet to refute any of these claims. There has also yet to be any statement from Barbara Walters or producer Andrew Sullivan.

However, young folks have responded. The Bus Federation, which organizes groups hosting Trick or Vote this Halloween, has done their own mock voter report:


To express your displeasure to Andrew Sullivan you can contact him at Andrew.G.Sullivan [at] abc [dot] com, and you can also contact Barbara Walters through The View's site here.

Generation We

Writer Eric Greenberg pulled together the results of over eighteen months of research, polls and focus groups to prove one thing: the Millennial Generation is a force to be reckoned with. Through his new book, and a website, Greenberg is harnessing the thoughts and energy of a younger generation.

GenWe was Greenberg's project to help the Millennial Generation empower itself against much scrutiny. Speaking with US News, he said:

"They are not a 'me' generation; they are the 'we' generation," he says. "They are about the greater good," he adds, noting that they're really jazzed up about the environment and the energy crisis. Armed with his huge study, he's urging both presidential campaigns to focus on one mega-idea the kids endorsed; an Apollo-style approach to the energy crisis."

According to the extensive data in GenWe there are between 95 and 100 million people born between 1978 and 2000, and now more than ever those over 95 million young people are united around the same political issues and visions.

The book also makes the case that Millennials are:

• Dedicated to improving the common good over individual gain, a sentiment that crosses all racial, ideological and partisan lines.
• Reject fundamental principles of modern conservatism –primary focus on individual rights and trickle down economics.
• Welcome innovation and are eager to establish a new. paradigm

Greenberg describes many of the issues our world faces today, such as the climate crisis, are of importance for younger folks. These issues span across parties, races, genders, and location. According to the book, Republicans and democrats agree on these issues 85 percent of the time.

"Youth don't realize they have more in common with each other than anything else," Greenberg said in a phone interview. "They have a balance of power in the world more than anyone else, and collectively have a lot of power globally."

He urges Millennials not to put off these problems until tomorrow.

The presidential election is only the first step. The second step is encapsulated on the website that gives young voters and organizations practical organizing tools, from fifteen minute activism to weekend projects and legislation.

I haven't made my way all the way through the book, but had to write about it because what I have read is exactly the thing we needed to prove to ourselves, major donors, and mainstream media that we are doing important political work.

Crossposted from Wiretap

Should We Reduce the Voting Age?

This week the National Youth Rights Association released this ad via YouTube and began spreading it across the internet.



I've written about the reduction of the voting age before, yet I still remain fascinated by this topic that still garners so much criticism among the youth movement.

They present a strong argument on DailyKos, but it's quickly met with harsh criticism in the comments section.

"

Most 16 year olds work and pay taxes, but with no say at all in how their tax money is spent.

Teens will be most effected by issues like education and environment, but have no voice that counts.

16 is a BETTER age to start voting than 18. 16 year olds are more tied to their communities (they are more likely to live at home with their parents). Many 18 year olds are moving to brand new communities to which they have no ties and feel less of a vested interest.

16 year olds can put the government and politics courses they are learning into action, making such coursework more effective and increasing their interest in voting.

Even the government agrees that 16 year olds are presumed to have enough knowledge to vote. In fact the voting rights act of 1965 that anyone with a 6th grade education is presumed to have the "literacy, comprehension, and intelligence to vote in any election." 42 U.S.C. 1971 (c). If a sixth grade education is enough, which shouldn't high schoolers who have completed 9th or 10th grade be able to cast a ballot?

"

Another solid argument is that there have been tens of thousands of young people under the age of 18 who our judicial system has decided are adult enough to stand trial as adults.

When I posed this as evidence that our government already considers these youth as adults to some in the youth movement it was met with urgency to reform the judicial system instead, and spend more time on issues that matter more.

Another argument not included is the high school drop out age. Some states like New Hampshire have raised the age to 18, but in many states in the south it remains at 16.

The age to get married in the US is usually 18, but most states allow it if there is parental consent for those 16 or over. If you're pregnant parental consent is waved in many states.

Recently, republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin announced her 17 year old daughter was both pregnant and getting married, but Bristol does not get to vote for her mother this year.

Had Bristol chosen a different alternative to having her child, she could have had an abortion without her mother's consent, since Alaska laws do not require parental consent you seventeen or older. But she still would not be allowed to vote for laws allowing or banning such procedures within her state.

In the end, there is a lot of hypocrisy around these laws, many of which go back and forth on what states consider an age to be old enough. I think this presents an interesting double standard and I certainly wish their movement luck. The most disheartening statement from youth movement advocates against this is when they say that we should push for laws that increase turnout rather than decreasing voting age.

I don't see this as a "youth movement" issue or an issue that is designed to get more young voters. I see this as more of a rights issue that is more about the individuals themselves and a basic right being denied to them while they are affected by laws that shouldn't take effect until they are 18. At this point we have such an overwhelming number of laws and statues in many different states that I don't think we can undo them to abide by the "18 rule". Thus, the only real equality is to reduce the voting age.

Huge Day for Voters from Congress

"Today was a huge victory for us," Matt Segal the Executive Director of the Student Association of Student Empowerment (SAVE) said Thursday evening in an interview after testifying before the House Administration Committee on voting rights for young people.

This was the culmination of 5 months of SAVE members and volunteers working on the Hill in efforts to educate Congress on the difficulties young voters face each election year.

These stories are not unique to us. Recently, even, we've heard about voter disenfranchisement affecting students. In Colorado and New Mexico as well as Virgina Tech students who are "being told that they risk losing their scholarship and tax dependency status if they register to vote in their college, as opposed to home, state."

At a time when CNN is talking about the League of First Time Voters and the issues that matter most to them, few are stopping to ask whether or not these young people, or first time voters, will ultimately be disenfranchised on Election Day and turned away from the polls. Despite the lack of cameras and fanfair for the SAVE volunteers, members of Congress were pleased with the young people who took the stand.

The day leading up to the hearing, SAVE even had a press conference with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and 9 other members of Congress, all who stood up for the rights of young voters.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, one of members of the 30 Something Caucus, congratulated SAVE on their work saying she was surprised with the progress that has been made in just a little over a year.

SAVE has also launched their campaign to SAVE VOTING RIGHTS along with Campus Advantage that works to help students with problems around housing issues, and Headcount, a voter registration group that signs young people up at live music events.

Thursday's success wasn't easy. Segal and his friends began testifying on the Hill 4 years ago when along with the rest of Kenyon College, he was forced to stand in line for 10 hours just to vote. The question to the committee :

"What standards or safeguards are in place to ensure that Kenyon College 2004 can never happen again?"

The answer, sadly, is there is no guarantee, merely "recommendations." This is the first time students and young people have had an opportunity to air the issues that face them in Washington. There have been hearings on disenfranchisement for African Americans, Spanish speaking Americans, overseas troops, many different communities... but never one focusing on students. The first step in guaranteeing this occurs, happened today thanks to SAVE's hard work.

"This democracy isn’t going to save itself" Segal said, "young people are stepping up, and that’s an inspiring story. Its time they are able to do so without fear."

SAVE lacks the glamor and non-stop excitment many young voter organizations provide. Instead, they work in the sometimes ugly world of Washington to write laws behind the scenes. They've championed Capitol Hill advocacy and formed careful and key relationships to garner results. From 10 hour lines to standing with the Majority Leader, the hope is to move even further toward more hearings and further investigation after the election to guarantee students' votes are counted.

They have earned the reputation of a group that gets things done.

"We are damn persistent" Segal laughs, "But we’re polite about it."

Festival the Debate

Nothing says Debate like a good old fashion catfish fry and festival. Rock the Vote, today, organized a two stage hodown in Oxford, Mississippi on the Ole Miss campus in preparation for the debate extravaganza to unfold.

Word on the street was the free t-shirts and swag was the best. Who doesn't love a free shirt?

The other most common comment was about John McCain and the recet revelation that he was going to be attending. Lauren Hempkey is a strong supporter of Sen. McCain. She thought it was awesome they were having the debate because she was hoping it would bring some attention to Ole Miss, but said she would be really disappointed if Sen. McCain didn't show up.

The students have worked hard preparing the campus indeed the whole town for the media, campaigns, and eager and interested citizens that have ascended upon Oxford.

One such distinguished student is Nick Luckett. When I met Nick at the Republican Convention earlier this month he told me he went to Ole Miss and I eagerly wanted to hear about the work they'd been doing to prepare for the debate. At the time Nick was livid because students were only going to recieve a total of 50 tickets to the debate itself. Only 50!

But when I caught up with Nick today he said that number grew quickly to 150. They had many different activities to decide who got them. Different forms of quizes and bowls, and two lotteries - one for campus leaders and another for students.

Nick said the steering committee put in a lot of hard work to make sure everything ran smoothly. Having Sen. McCain say he was pulling out was not something those students wanted to hear.

"(They) were really upset to hear that John McCain might not come. A lot of us worked really hard, and we've been working for months and months. And our university has been working for a year to bring this debate here, and now for him to say he's not coming is like a slap in the face."

Ole Miss students Danelle and Chelsea were both supporting Obama in tonight's debate. That was the major reason that they thought Sen. McCain shouldn't even attend. They had heard by lunchtime that Sen. McCain was scheduled to attend but weren't sure if that was confirmed. Danelle felt like it was a sketchy thing to say. Chelsea agreed,

"Why say you're not going to come and then show up?"

"I think its pretty cool that Obama said he was going to be here even if there wasn't a decision," Danelle said.

Later in the afternoon, Josie and I met up downtown in Oxford for some awesome southern food at Ajax a diner on the square. From there it was to a coffee shop to upload our pictures and begin working with the videos we'd shot from the morning. It was there that we ran into a local reporter for the Daily Journal. He told us that tickets were so hard to come by that even the Chancellor of the College didn't get one. The governor did... but the Chancellor was still looking for ways to get in.

Securing the Bottom Line

A new bit of research from EMILY's List was released today that shows some details about new registrants and down ballot candidates.

According to their research

"Of the 326,823 newly registered (this year) voters in North Carolina, 176,806 are registered Democrats, just 21,672 are registered Republicans."

But when it comes down to ballot races, there is a bit of a disconnect

"65 percent of younger people believe whoever is elected President will make 'a lot of difference' in their lives; this number drops to 32 percent when asked about Governor and 26 percent when asked about Congress."

As such, the research says we risk serious drop off from these new voters for a complete lack of connectivity between them. I don't see any surprises. Thursday, I walked around the Hill in DC and asked members of Congress about young voters. The video is to come, but Rep. Tim Ryan, one of the youngest members of Congress said it best when he told me that before he ran, young voters didn't really turn out much. But when he ran, he made a point to talk to young voters and make a concerted effort to do outreach for young voters. The result? SURPRISE! Youth turnout increased.

If you build it... they will come...

EMILY's List commissioned two pairs of focus groups among young voters in NC. The release says they:

"...measured the potential impact of various approaches to encourage down ballot voting including (1) linking other candidates to Obama, selling them on the notion that every leader needs a “team” behind him, (2) probing their support for straight party ticket voting, and (3) exploring more comparative approaches where we attack Bush and his downballot allies and remind these voters that Bush may be gone, but his ideas and policies could outlive his administration."

No word on if they thought about doing more outreach to young voters directly from the local candidates.

The results show, among other things, that "people resist the idea of casting an uninformed vote." This is consistent with our research that shows that the voters paying the most attention also tend to be the most involved.

Further, "straight party ticket voting is not attractive for many in the groups." This is consistent with our research that showed that young people don't find the party system an attractive option in general, which is why new registrants tend to like to be independent or decline to state if given those option. I don't know if these are ok in North Carolina.

"Young people do understand that the other offices are important and have a greater direct impact on their lives. However, this is not a top-of-mind perception among many participants in our groups. As noted above, they know almost nothing about other candidates running for statewide office. . . further, young people understand implicitly that Barack Obama needs a “team” and needs allies down ballot to change the country."

There's more, but it goes on for several pages. One of my favorite tid bits was this, "Almost everyone in the groups belongs to a social networking site, mostly Facebook and MySpace, but they tend to ignore ads on the sites."

I reiterate that the #1 way for candidates to garner youth support this election is to do active outreach on social network sites, with youth targeted field outreach, and candidate outreach. If you or a candidate you know would like to learn how, don't hesitate to contact us.

Exclusive Interview with Youthy Congressman

One of the youngest Congressman serving is Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio. His office has been one leading the pack in youth and technology outreach for the past few years, but his urgency to listen to young voters has given a unique perspective many members lack. With a connectivity to the future and an eagerness to bring more young people to policy and government, it isn't difficult to understand why he is one of the most outspoken members of the 30-something Caucus.

Rep. Ryan sat down with me last week to discuss his outreach to young constituents and his hopes for post-election youth engagement.

Interview with Education Chairman

On a recent trip to Washington DC, I decided to see if I could talk to a few of our notable Representatives in Congress. Rep. George Miller was not only available, but eager to talk with me about the outreach the Committee had done in the first 100 days of the New Congress in 2007 to work with students on how we can make higher education easier and more manageable for students.

Some friends who work on the Hill told me that he was a great guy, and very forward thinking when it comes to technology and outreach. But I had no idea he would be as engaging and eager to talk about the needs of students and ways in which we can continue our work after Election Day. It was a true honor, and I certainly look forward to seeing what possibilities exist in the 2009 Legislative Session.

Economy Hits Back to School Hard

In a recent article, Associated Press's Education Reporter, Libby Quaid stated that the higher cost of major components to our schools are causing out of step funding to miss its mark.

The article mentions that high fuel costs are causing districts to cut back on busing students from home to class, and delivery of materials such as pencils and paper.

"Field trips? Forget about it."

At a time when the economy is struggling and gas prices were over $4 a gallon this summer, many schools are finding it difficult to pay for the everyday tools their students need to learn, study, and simply be comfortable.  Heating and cooling costs have also increased.  Even keeping an entire building at a comfortable temperature might be compromised.  

"In rural Minnesota, one district is skipping classes every Monday to save fuel. On the other days, classes will be about 10 minutes longer.

"I think it's a great opportunity," said Candice Jaenisch, whose two sons and daughter will be making the switch. "You're cutting expenses that really don't affect school."

The article goes on to say that teachers asked students to bring tissue for the classrooms, but now they ask for things like copy paper instead.

The national site, Donors Choose, allows teachers to talk about a specific project they wish to do but cannot fund. They then ask donors for materials or dollars to help fund the project. But how do you fund the costs of gasoline to get kids to school, or enough to pay for high gas bills in the winter?

No longer are utensils like crayons, art supplies, drama books, or playground equipment suffering from budget cuts. Now they're dealing with school districts and whole days of class.

"In Jacksonville, school lunch prices will rise from $1.45 to $2 for secondary schools. "It's a huge jump," said LaTasha Green-Cobb, whose sons are in the seventh and eighth grade.

As fuel prices have rocketed, the cost of food has followed suit, especially for lunch-tray staples like milk. As a result, most schools will charge more for lunch, the School Nutrition Association said.

Schools will still not break even. More than half of all school children in this country get free and reduced-price lunches, and the government reimbursement is often not enough to cover the cost."

It goes on to say that costs of more nutrient rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and the like are often twice as expensive.

In the end, its young people who are being asked to compromise.... again....

Young Republicans Tackle Age and Race

Today I met with many of the Young Republicans in the party who can't help but notice that the stereotypes of old, white, men are more valid than they would like. Leaders from the popular youth blog HipHopRepublican.com sat down with me to talk about opportunities that their party could harness if they were only willing to do the kind of outreach that Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's campaign does.

The young people all have ambitions to achieve goals or run for office, but they are fighting an uphill battle in a tough establishment world. Their optimism reigns supreme, however, and the push mountains in efforts to move their party to something a little more mainstream.

I sat down with Princella Smith, a young woman who works for former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's new organization American Solutions. Ms. Smith got her start from a competition offered by MTV several years ago that allowed her to play a major roll in forums during the previous presidential election. She now serves as a major policy adviser and spokesperson for American Solutions - all before the age of 30. She is connected and personable. In passing I mentioned that I was hoping to get an interview with Michael Steele candidate for Lt. Governor in Maryland. I had seen his commercials years ago when he ran and enjoyed the ad which became known as the Puppy Kicker ad that I still find to be so outside the box and original.

Princella quickly dragged me over to what became known as Radio Row where all the talk news stations were poised to do interviews as politicians and prominent party people passed through the halls. Against the wall was Michael Steele doing a quick interview. Princella introduced us and quickly snapped a picture. I can safely say that it is the only picture of me with a Republican politician - luckily its one of the decent ones. See the full video of the interview here.

Morgan Thomas is still in collage but already works on three campaigns this year all while serving her duties on the national board of Young Republicans. She is clearly a bright and eager young woman who hopes to win a mayoral seat before she is 30 and eventually run for governor. This was her first convention and the nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin had excited and encouraged as a young female republican. See the full video of my interview with her here.

Claudio Simpkins told me that he frequently gets confused for Barack Obama, and with a beaming smile it isn't hard to understand why. From a broken home that had drugs and hardship bearing down on him it would have been easy for him to fall between the cracks of the system. Instead, Claudio rose to the challenge and is now at Harvard Law School. He has a deep passion to give back to his community with no real immediate enthusiasm about running for office. It doesn't stop him from having a little fun when people ask his friends "Wait... Is that? Is that him!?" See the full interview of him here.

Richard Ivory came up to my cafe table asking if we could share it because there weren't any others around. We introduced ourselves and I knew instantly that we were allies in the youth movement. Richard started HipHopRepublican in attempts to bring more youth to politics on his side of the partisan divide. Republicans aren't popular in New York City and Richard describes himself as a moderate who is heavily influenced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg whose campaign he worked on. After talking issues with Richard, I couldn't help think that in the Bible-Belt he would be a Democrat... but decided not to alienate him.

It was Richard that guided me to some of these most remarkable people that I met while at the RNC. A majority of the time I spent with Richard was with him shouting and running after passers by who he thought would be good for me to talk to.

Richard is up to his chin in hope for the youth movement to gain traction in the GOP. His connectivity and tenacity are honorable and unbelievable, but his friendliness and hope for his party's future is what brings people to him. Along with his friends and colleagues he hopes to bring the GOP into the new century where the party is more reflective of our country in race, in gender, and in age. It is with this kind of community Richard thinks they can sustain their party.

While I certainly don't agree with them on a lot of issues, if there's were the faces of the GOP it would be a lot more difficult for opposition to succeed. CE and Brett, the co-authors of the new book Why You're Wrong About the Right think, however, that the old white stereotype is not the reality. They see when looking at their friends. CE tells me she has a good time, goes out, parties, goes to ball games. She's not an old fuddy duddy like some of the delegates seen on the floor night after night. See the full interview with these two co-authors here.

She is clearly a strong, polished, and well educated young woman who remembers with clarity Bill Clinton's outreach at the MTV/Rock the Vote candidate forum in 1992 where the famous Boxer or Briefs question was asked. CE says the mere outreach by him was a huge step for a politician to make, and she's surprised that there haven't been any republicans since take on similar forms of outreach. The book presents photos and interviews with those who don't fit the traditional appearance of the GOP. Youthful and minority faces shine from the pages as the argument is presented that not everyone is old and white.

The others would say that its just most of them.

Embedded through the links above are the entire interviews of these remarkable young people, and below is my comprehensive clips and soundbites of their comments. Also see my interview with Armstrong Williams, conservative talk radio host about these topics. I'll continue to upload videos as I render them.

RNC: Ron Paul Revolution Continues

Tuesday was the day of the Ron Paul Revolution transition into the new Campaign for Liberty headed by former Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul from Texas. Over 12,000 people attended the rally some from as far away as Georgia and New York who all drove to Minneapolis, Minnesota just to take part in the finally of the campaign.

Many young people were in attendance who expressed their disenchantment with the two party system, the war in Iraq, health care, and more.

The Convention was designed as a counter convention to the Republican National Convention across the Mississippi in St. Paul, Minnesota where they say their Revolution Continues. A major component the Campaign for Liberty lists is to gain a "foothold in political life at every level of government by expanding our precinct leader program."

Below is a quick video compilation of some interviews I did and what it was like in the event on Tuesday night. It was filled with a lot of great energy and enthusiasm as you'll see.

New Obama Hip Hop Vid

A new group Eklectyk Creative Media with Napalm Clique has produced an Obama hiphop video/mashup posted on youtube this week.

The video begins with an excerpt from Obama's "A More Perfect Union" speech, and launches into a multimedia collection of the political candidate. It has strong video-editing and lots of creativity behind it. This video has truly raised the bar for independent Hip Hop artists. In this production, real Hip Hop is used as a vehicle to inspire youth to vote and become involved in national politics.

According to the release "the director of the video is at the Democratic Convention to spread the word about his project."

Changing the Conversation

Maybe I watch too much TV but it's cool how AT&T Changes the conversation about their mobile devices.

If you haven't seen the commercial, here's a piece of the transcript.

Mother:I have not had it up to here with you, young lady!
Daughter:Why do you insist on treating me like an adult?
Mother: Because you insist on acting like one! Now you're getting this new phone.
Daughter:But it's so small! I really like it! Why is it always what I want?
Mother: Well, do you have any idea how much money this is not going to cost me?
Daughter:I love you!
Mother: I know you really mean that.
Daughter: You never hated me and you never will!
Mother: You are the most grateful little....
Announcer: Cingular is changing the conversation about cellphones....

Just as AT&T is changing the conversation, so are the youth at the National Democratic Convention.

Monday night at Rock the Vote’s Ballot Bash proved that a group of young people could come together and organize an event that was successful and very meaningful. N.E.R.D., Nick Cannon, Fall Out Boy and Jakob Dylan were just a few celebrities that came through and performed. Others sat in the audience and enjoyed the event.

Every performance was on point. Even our Myspace winner, Otep, had a great crowd of enthused listeners. Otep and her band were able to register 500 people in three days, beating out 5,000 bands who also competed. She shared a touching speech about speaking up and seeing change or doing nothing and seeing no change.

The celebrities and their speeches were a great edition, but it was the youth out and about in the Opera House that had more of a telling story.

Trick or Vote was out in their elaborate Halloween Costumes. When I spoke with the Mummy, he said that Trick or Vote is the largest non-partisan organization that hit the streets….in costume. How exciting. The costumes added curiosity to their purpose and formed a lot of partnerships with their creativity.

Other youth had a lot to say about being at the Democratic Convention for the first time. Many who were 18 shared their enthusiasm to vote. I remember being just like that when I was their age. I connected with a lot almost immediately. We spoke about changes and promoting the vote ideas that we wanted to take back to our respective communities.

Overall, the event was a success. We talked, we danced, but most of all we changed the conversation. It was about the youth for once, and what we can do to be heard in America. Like Otep said in her speech: “If you want high gas prices, the war in Iraq to continue and higher taxes….sit around and do nothing!”

To get the Rock the Vote Ballot Bash Experience, watch the unedited and uncut clips.

Footage includes:
N.E.R.D
FALL OUT BOY
Nick Cannon
Jakob Dylan and The Gold Mountain Rebels
Interviews
And more

Networks Awaken to Young Voters

I did an interview last week with the Voice of America where I vented my frustrations about news outlets not reporting or misreporting the Youth Movement. The Sunday New York Times has a great article that talks about problems network news outlets are having in both covering the movement as well as attracting a younger viewing audience.

I try to be a polished blogger and bring you facts and info that is useful but it's moments like these when I just want to say: Duh!

"The median age for the three evening newscasts is 60.5"

Ouch! When I asked a friend who doesn't watch network news why he said that it's targeted to 75 year olds with a 7th grade education. Attracting a young audience and talking about the Youth Movement aren't the same thing nor will one lead to the other.

Interestingly enough, the same day that the NYT ran this piece they also ran a piece about Jon Stewart saying that in a 2007 poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press Stewart ranked fourth among journalists they most admired. He was tied with the likes of Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, and Brian Williams.

"At a time when Fox, MSNBC and CNN routinely mix news and entertainment, larding their 24-hour schedules with bloviation fests and marathon coverage of sexual predators and dead celebrities, it’s been "The Daily Show" that has tenaciously tracked big, "super depressing" issues like the cherry-picking of prewar intelligence, the politicization of the Department of Justice and the efforts of the Bush White House to augment its executive power."

The NYT article points out that big networks are trying to make small efforts to reach younger viewers. NBC has hired Luke Russert, son of former host of Meet the Press Tim Russert who died a few months. Fox news has the Y Factor, CNN has the League of First Time Voters.

I think talking about the Youth Movement is great. But covering young people does not automatically create a following of young viewers.

People watch the Daily Show and the Colbert Report because they deal with real issues in a way that isn't as difficult to deal with. The quote on Stewart says it well:

"In a time when major news outlets are beholden to shareholders, advertisers, and some are owned by ideologue, I think the one thing young people crave is authenticity and an honest discussion of issues. Focusing on what's actually going on in our country rather than what we want to believe is going on is a one place to begin. Doing it in an engaging way with an anchor who isn't afraid to get a little silly with some of the most powerful people in the world is another big plus."

Anchors that are engaging and a little closer to the target demographic might help. I'll take Luke Russert over Lou Dobbs any day of the week, but if the anchor isn't qualified to discuss complex issues and are only eye candy, young viewers will see through it.

I asked some friends if they watch the nightly news and all said no. Those who watch the Daily Show or the Colbert Report said it was just more entertaining. Those who work in politics saw no real need to watch the nightly news after a full day of reading the news online. One person even said of the Daily Show that it offered a different perspective to the "objective" news and it allows us to see the news from a different angle.

Talking about young people won't get young viewers. Talking about things young people care about will.

"Tiffany Wilson, 23, a graduate managing editor of the college journalist Web site Palestra.net, has appeared on the Fox News Channel more than 50 times in the past year, frequently to talk about the election. “Young people want to see their peers on television,” she said.

I encourage news outlets searching for ways to expand their programming to be more inclusive of young people, to look at their successes and failures, and think outside the box. When reporting the Youth Movement the best bet is to talk to an expert on the Youth Movement who does this day in and day out. Not necessarily to assume that because someone is 18 that they know what the Youth Movement is or is any kind of expert on trends among their generation. I love the X-Files, but it doesn't mean I am an FBI agent.

Washington State Primary Energizes Young People

Beep Beep, get on board... its the Washington Bus!

As organizations go the Washington Bus is energizing young people across the state of Washington for today's big state primary. One of the last primary elections in the country, Washington wants to get out the vote for everybody but especially young voters.

They've been working hard to remind everybody that Tuesday is an election and developed the great video you see to your left. But even after Tuesday, there is still much to be done and if you're in WA you can join up with the Bus!

The Bus has been energizing and mobilizing a political movement of young people all across Washington State for the last year. Toby Crittenden, Communication Guru for The Bus says "We're a hands-on vehicle for democratic change."

It all started in the spring of 2007, and in the just-over-a-year since, The Washington Bus has registered thousands of voters, activated hundreds of new, young volunteers, and become a statewide presence, from Spokane to Skagit Valley. They build voters, through registration and education, they build leaders, by incorporating leadership opportunities into every program, and they drive change, through our canvassing Bus trips.

Bus trips are the best! Folks jump on board and ride with their friends and buddies or new buddies to impact communities across their state. They canvas registering voters or discuss issues all to create a more educated and informed electorate.

Toby tells us

"Our Bus, yes we do have a bus, holds 47 people. On any given Bus trip, it's filled approximately 50% with high school volunteers, 30% with college age volunteers, and the remaining 20% is a mix of 25-55 year old volunteers. We use art, music and culture to engage young volunteers and voters. Some of our marquee events this year have been the Sasquatch Festival, the Capitol Hill Block Party, and - coming up - Bumbershoot and Endfest.

Bottom line? We provide a direct way for young people to assert their political voice, and dangit, we make it fun!"

It's a revival of hope and energy in politics. They provide a platform for young people to make their voices heard on issues that speak directly to our shared values: health, education, fairness, peace and prosperity.

Get on board today. And if you're in Washington State Don't Forget to VOTE!

Do Something Award honors Teen

Last week during the Teen Choice Awards, DoSomething.Org honored a young community activist (under the age of 25) that aims to change the world. The winner received $100,000 to continue the community project started prior to the award. Finalists were posted on the Teen Choice website and fans voted for their favorite.

"One amazing young person is going to be recognized for their philanthropic efforts and impact on their community and get the rock star treatment they deserve at the show," said Bob Bain, Executive Producer of TEEN CHOICE 2008.

Do Something is a non-partisan non-profit that believes teens have the power to make a difference. They leverage communications technologies to enable teens to convert their ideas and energy into positive action. Their site says "We inspire, empower and celebrate a generation of doers."

"We think young people aren’t just tomorrow’s leaders; many young people are doing amazing things right now," said Nancy Lublin, CEO of Do Something, Inc.

And the Winner is.....


The winner this year winner was 19 year old Chad Bullock who has become the leading youth anti-tobacco activist…and he lives right in the middle of tobacco country. He works with politicians, companies, not for profits and other teens. One of his biggest successes was making the Durham Bulls Arena a smoke-free arena.

This is a unique way for an organization as well as a nationally televised event to convey to young people the impact they can have on the world around them. Young people already volunteer in their communities in encouraging numbers according to CIRCLE.

"44% believe that "people working together" can make a great deal of difference in solving local problems" and "45% believe they can make some difference" by volunteering in their community.

Honoring them and encouraging others to also get involved can continue the civic engagement we now see from the Millennial Generation.

Secretaries of State Protect Our Votes

Not every state in the country has a Secretary of State, but the ones that do should know how important their jobs are. Secretaries of State are the chief election officers who ensure things run smoothly on the big day. Do you remember Katherine Harris right? She was the Secretary of State for Florida in 2000. She was played by Laura Dern in the Kevin Spacey movie Recount on HBO about the 2000 election if that helps.

It's not the most glamorous job. For instance, you don't enact foreign policy like the Secretary of State for the United States Condoleezza Rice.

But if you want to ensure that your vote is counted, or that you can vote on election day, your Secretary of State is key.

Video chat rooms at UstreamAt Netroots Nation, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen appeared on a panel called Educating and Empowering Voters that talked about everything from typical problems registering voters to purging voters from the voter rolls and more.

Robin Carnahan, the Secretary of State for Missouri defines her duties on her website as "defending voters rights"

"It is also my job to protect the voting rights of every eligible citizen. Not 95% of our citizens. Not just Missourians who have a drivers license or a passport. But every eligible Missouri citizen."

I caught up with Secretary Carnahan who has been the chief election officer since 2004:

Voter Protection Key to Legislation Today

At a time when organizations across the country are focused on increasing voter registration, the Student Association for Voter Empowerment (SAVE) has worked hard to make sure that when those newly registered voters go to the polls, their votes will count.

Today the movement to protect our votes will take a giant leap forward when SAVE teamed up with Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois and Congresswoman Jan Shakowsky of Illinois and Congressman Steve LaTourette of Ohio present the Student VOTER Bill of 2008.

Durbin said on the floor:

"The success of America’s experiment in democracy lies in broad participation and deep civic engagement. From the Reconstruction Amendments, to women’s suffrage, to the abolition of the poll tax, and finally the ratification of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, we have witnessed a steady but difficult march toward a more inclusive nation. To realize the full potential of these great strides, the Student VOTER Act provides a pathway to participation for America’s youth.."

SAVE has worked non-stop for 4 years as a national non-partisan, non-profit with a mission to increase youth voter participation by removing access barriers and promoting stronger civic education. They constantly lobby Congress and the Senate in efforts to ensure that the right to vote is accessible to young people and that those votes are protected.

"Voter protection is personal to me,"

said Director and Founder Matt Segal earlier this summer in an interview. He began SAVE after standing in line for more than 12 hours on election day in 2004 to help encourage his fellow students who stood in the cold and rain just to cast a ballot.

"We held umbrellas, we brought them pizza, we got them excused from class so they wouldn't lose their places in line, we did everything we could to ensure everyone who wanted to vote got to vote. Voting is our right, that should never happen again."

Segal says he applauds Senator Durbin and Representatives Schakowsky and LaTourette for their leadership and attention to student voter turnout and the barriers students face when voting.

"All the while many congressional members pay lip service to the idea of increasing civic engagement, it is refreshing to see these members act, and call on our education institutions to be more proactive in getting student signed up and aware of the laws in their various states and districts."

Young voters face some of the most difficult obstacles when it comes to going to the polls.

The Higher Education Act of 1998 was passed in efforts to increase youth participation in elections by requiring that U.S. colleges and universities make a "good faith effort" to register students to vote. This could easily be done at a student orientation or during class registration. But it isn't.

Durbin continued to say on the Senate floor

"Several obstacles stand in the way of youth voting. Because so many students are first time voters, they often are unfamiliar with how to register. In some states, first time voters must register in person in order to cast an absentee ballot. For students who attend college outside of their home state or who do not have access to transportation, these requirements can be cumbersome, confusing, and insurmountable."

Many schools forget about that civic duty. When that happens the partisan groups move in to fill the gap, fighting it out between College Republicans and Young Democrats the groups debate and register students off campus and on. But the result is that some students who remain undecided and independent can become alienated by the partisanship.

The bill would amend existing laws that say colleges would have to be like the Department of Motor Vehicles, which is supposed to ask folks if they want to register or re-register to vote when they get their driver's license or public assistance benefits. The new law would make state colleges and universities abide by that rule. So now, new students would be asked if they wanted to register when they sign up for classes, or get a new student ID for example.

The Student VOTER Bill of 2008 seeks to institutionalize the distribution of voting procedure and register more young people. SAVE's bill will apply a much more up to date standard to the existing 1994 "Motor Voter Act." This can help state colleges and universities, and ensure that all students will have their votes counted.

Forty-four million young people (ages 18-29) will be eligible to vote this November and with the help of the House and Senate, we can move forward to stop disenfranchisement this election year.

Young Voters Matter at Netroots Nation

The yearly convention of progressive bloggers known as Netroots Nation took Austin, Texas by storm this past weekend. Last Thursday, bloggers met in caucuses tailored to their interests where everything from rural bloggers to LGBT bloggers to young bloggers Latino bloggers ... all were represented.

The youth caucus combined bloggers, activists, and representatives from organizations together in a circle to discuss the youth movement, issues that matter most to young people, and best practices when doing outreach to there peers. A major conversation thread was the difference between college students vs. non college students and how we can do outreach to both communities.

Barack specifically addressed the ease of energizing his college campus and the difficulty in finding young voters when they aren't congregating on a 50,000 person campus.

Many candidates and politicians joined in the conference to court the endorsement and coverage of their candidacy from bloggers within their state and nationally. Candidates from California, Florida, Washington state, to Kansas held events and plugged their social networking sites in panel discussions and some broadened the discussion to better ways they can do outreach to the netroots community.

All had an enthusiasm around young voters. Particularly, Democratic National Committee Chairman Governor Howard Dean who spent a few minutes with us and talked about the ways in which he sees young voters making an impact this election. According to Dean, young voters are a key component to the DNC strategy. He plans to drive the "Register for Change" bus through many college towns across the country.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also spent some time with us talking about her faith in young people and her belief that they are not only the future but the leaders on many new communications and technologies. Pelosi said she felt young people truly cared about global warming and the war on climate change.

We ran into tons of politicians from Mayor Gavin Newsome from San Francisco to Joe Garcia running for Congress in south Florida. We talked with Secretary of State Robin Carnahan about voter ID laws and their impact on young voters, and met up with candidate John Powers running for Congress in New York in the Netroots for the Troops room where volunteers were putting together care packages to send overseas.

Even Libertarian candidate for president Rep. Bob Barr stopped by Netroots Nation to talk to folks and sit in on a few panels. Rep. Barr told us he thought young voters were about to impact this election like never before.

As a blogger it was a profound experience to finally meet people I've read for years and discuss important topics that can help me be a more informed citizen. At the same time it was great to just have fun with friends. Many of whom I'd never actually met in person but have known for a year or more. It was a wild weekend! I heard some people even rhode the mechanical bull! Anything's possible in Texas!

DemROCKracy Band Competition-- First Round Winner!

Congrats to the super awesome Jackie V who won the first round of artists who won the DemROCKracy Band Competition!

If you don't know Jackie V you are missing out. She's 18 years old this year and has gone above and beyond to register voters on her MySpace page as well as in her community. She's been playing the piano since she was a little girl and now plays some edgy pop with a jazz twist all over Austin, Texas.

We caught up with Jackie today to present her with her beautiful new Gibson Guitar and encourage her to keep up the good work to get to the big Rock the Vote Concert Extravaganza in August!


Check out Jackie as she receives her guitar:

Hello World: I'll make the youth voice heard

I have been assigned my beats for July. Yay! My job is to blog and report on key issues that would capture your attention. This will hopefully spark an interest and motivate you all to do something about them. I will provide my sincerest perspective on issues that hit close to home. These issues will include the affordability of higher education, the hardships foster children encounter, and the view of the war from a young veteran’s perspective.

I plan to bring you all angles of every story-your view, my view, and anybody else's view.

Cost of Education:

We all know the cost of education is outrageous! Student loan debt has skyrocketed, our freedom of speech has been challenged, and copyright laws have gotten tougher.

Foster Care/K-12 Education:

Many issues come to mind when thinking about these two topics. There are success stories that must be covered. There are still more stories that have not been sufficiently covered and they must be examined, too. Barriers must be broken down between the "good" schools and the "bad" schools. "Good" and "bad" are everywhere and I want to go behind the scenes to expose both sides. Other topics will include current realities and obstacles, after-school programs, and youth-led events.

War:

War is one word that we will hear again and again until all troops come home, and until then I'll have the opportunity to interview proud veterans and the not so proud veterans. My goal is to bring unedited and uncensored footage of my one-on-one interviews with young war veterans.

You can also catch me covering youth groups in my community and the work they put into their organizations and their communities.

I am excited to cover beats on young Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Young Arabs- the cultures many people often neglect. I know they have a lot to say and what better place to have their voices heard than on the Rock the Trail blog. So be sure to check in weekly. You never know when and what they may say.

Lastly, I am excited to cover music and activism. Afterall, our world revolves around music. If you don't believe me simply try to go a month without listening to the radio in your car or at work. Music seems to be the driving force of getting us through the day. I am glad to bring stories to you from influential musical icons who have very influential messages regarding issues that matter the most to our generation. You will get exclusive interviews, Q&A's and videos from entertainers, Disc Jockeys, teachers, music lovers, record companies, and any other source you can think of.

In case you haven't figured it out by now, my ultimate goal is to make the enitre youth generation pay attention to me. Ultimately I want to have the most exposure I can get so that the answer to the question of “why should young people vote?” will be heard and spread worldwide.

Sometimes we don’t realize the extent to which politics affect our lives until we have reached a time in our professional career where things become forced upon us. But the truth of the matter is that we need to grasp and understand that there are issues that are affecting us now!

I am here to represent the voice for all youth and I will try my best to make sure the youth are heard. Young people have more to lose than many would think—like our future—and that is one sacrifice I will not make.

I encourage you to view the blog weekly for my different beats. Make Comments. Suggest topics. Whatever you do, be sure to stay engaged in what affects our generation- and that means everything!

Live from Florida

My name is De Nishia Yearby. I am a 22-year-old journalist from Chicago, IL, but I currently stay in Tallahassee, FL for school.

My first time voting experience made me feel powerful to know that the fate of all running officials were in my hands—to a certain extent, literally. I felt like a leader whose opinions mattered, and I would just have to sit at home and wait with excitement to see how many other Americans agreed with my choices. The experience made me feel like I was officially an adult, but reality hit when I came home from school and my mother made me do the dishes. Some adult then, huh.

You will definitely find me from time to time giving you the scoop on our Rock the Vote artists (http://www.rockthevote.com/music). It’s hard to choose my favorite because there are sooooo many talented artists who suport Rock the Vote, but I’ll choose John Legend as my favorite artist of the month, maybe even the year. Why? Because he’s a legend. Seriously speaking, he is a very talented and creative person. John Legend creates his own swagger, which can’t be imitated or duplicated by anyone. He stands out as a leader in the music world, and even wins the hearts of many, including me, by strongly supporting what he believes. GO JOHN LEGEND!



So there you have it. My personal perspective on a couple of things. You will never know what to expect from me, but whatever comes your way I assure you it will be worth your listening and viewership. In five months you will hear and see it all from me. I look forward to caputuring you and your awesome viewpoints. As a Rock the Trail Reporter, I know you expect me to report the news with truth, pride and an edge to capture your attention. In return, I am looking for you to take advantage of this election. Make it yours and Rock the Vote with me.