ABC News on the Youth Vote; YVS's New Handbook; "FredHeads"
- ABC News is running a long piece about the youth vote - what the major candidates are doing to reach out, and what recent studies suggest are solid tactics for reaching young voters. The piece also has some rather unfortunate headlines that repeat a lot of tired ideas about the youthvote - most egregiously the article repeats the just plain wrong idea that young people didn't show up in 2004. Despite that, it's a really good piece. If you read nothing else today, read this. If you've got time, write a letter to the author about the bad stuff.
- Yesterday Young Voter Strategies released a new manual on tactics for reaching young voters - including case studies on what worked in 2006. I'm working on a big post about this, and it should be ready on Friday.
- You know all that crap about how more young people participate in American Idol than in their democracy? Well a new study by Tufts University says it's just that: crap. (Hat tip Rock the Vote Blog).
- Finally, while listening to a podcast of Meet the Press this morning, I heard conservative strategist Mary Matalin shill for Fred Thompson about how the youth vote was hot for his candidacy. She said something to the effect of there being legions of "FredHeads" waiting to volunteer. Add this to the collection of nicknames thrown at youth supporers - BarackStars, DoddPods . . . I'm sure there's one for each candidate. What's up with that?
2008 Youth Vote in Context
The following charts and graphs are meant to contextualize the unique role that young voters played in the 2008 election, and their increasingly important role in a winning electoral coalition:
2008 Youth Electoral Map

2004 Youth Electoral Map

Youth Vote Partisan Advantage: 2000 - 2008

Youth Vote Historical Support: 1976 - 2008

Breaking News
Political Wire:
An Affair with KennedyThe a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/books/once-upon-a-secret-mimi-alford-on-her-affair-with-kennedy.html?ref=books"New York Times/a reviews Mimi Alford's account of her affair with ...Political Wire:
Huckabee Begins Radio ShowMike Huckabee will be hosting a radio show weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. for Cumulus Media Networks starting April 2, the a ...Political Wire:
Banks Near Deal to Settle Foreclosure Probe"Government officials are on the verge of an agreement worth as much as $25 billion with five major banks, capping a yearlong push to settle federal and state probes of alleged foreclosure abuses by ...Think Progress:
CBO: Boehner’s Mass Transit Funding Plan Would Cover Just 5 Percent of Transit CostsCongress is currently working to re-authorize a big transportation funding bill, but Republicans have imperiled the process by proposing to stop using revenue from the fuel tax to pay for mass ...Think Progress:
Bombshell Study: High Methane Emissions Measured Over Gas Field “May Offset Climate Benefits of Natural Gas”Air sampling by NOAA over Colorado Finds 4% Methane Leakage, More Than Double Industry Claims Natural-gas operations could release far more methane into the atmosphere than previously thought. ...
Featured Video
Recent Blog Posts
-
Herman Cain gave his own response to the State of the Union at the National Press Club where he talked about how grateful he is with the endorsement from Stephen Colbert because he wants to keep the ...by: Sarah Burris | 0 comments
-
Just a few highlights of things that reference the Millennial Generation. Read the whole thing here "most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition ...by: Sarah Burris | 0 comments
-
A great new video that the Illinois Caucus on Adolescent Health youth activists created about how young people need accurate access to information about sex and health to protect ...by: Sarah Burris | 0 comments
-
On last night's Colbert Report columnist David Frum called for an economically inclusive, environmentally responsible and socially modern Republican party. He called out Tea Party activists saying ...by: Sarah Burris | 0 comments
-
If I knew how to navigate pulling FM for the day in solidarity I would... but instead all I can do is post a blog. SOPA's Scary Facts Stand up to support the internet, pledge your support, contact ...by: Sarah Burris | 0 comments
Blogroll
- Ablogistan
- Apophenia
- Bad Subjects
- Burnt Orange Report
- Campus Progress
- Campus Vote
- College Democrats
- Culture Blog
- The Daily Background
- The Daily Taylor
- Ezra Klein
- Everyday Citizen
- For Which It Stands
- Generation Next
- Got Democracy
- It’s Getting Hot in Here
- Kevin Bondelli
- Kid Oakland
- Kossacks Under 35
- Left in the West
- Liberal College Kid
- The Low Post
- Matt Ortega
- Michigan Liberal
- Michigan Youth Political Alliance
- Millennials Changing America
- Open Left
- Penn Progress
- Planting Liberally
- Policy Farm Team
- Political Teen Tidbits
- Prose Before Hos
- Pullman Progressive
- Pushback Network
- The Raw Story
- Rethinking Youth
- Rock the Vote
- Scoop 44
- Tapped
- Think Youth
- Young Democrats
- Young MO Politico
- Young People For
- Young Philly Politics
- Young-Politics
- Youth and Politics
- YouthinkLeft
- WireTap
- Wonkette
If you have a blog written by or for young progressives, and you would like to be listed, contact Mike.
Young Progressives
- 21st Century Dems
- Black Youth Vote
- The Bus Federation
- Campus Climate Challenge
- Campus Progress
- Campus Wellstone
- Center for Progressive Leadership
- College Democrats
- DNC Youth Council
- DMI Scholars
- Forward Montana
- Future 5000
- Generation Change
- Generational Alliance
- The League
- Kossacks Under 35
- Lose the Label
- Minnesota Youth Caucus
- New Era Colorado
- Oregon Bus Project
- Progressive U
- Roosevelt Institution
- Run For Office
- Students for a New American Politics
- Swing Semester
- USSA
- Washington Bus
- Young Democrats of America
- Young Elected Officials Network
- Young People For
- Young Voter PAC
Cultural Capitalizers
- All Ages Movement Project
- Billionaires for Bush
- Drinking Liberally
- Free Culture
- Head Count
- Hip Hop Summit Action Network
- Ironweed Films
- Justice Through Music
- Laughing Liberally
- Lokahi Outreach
- National Hip Hop Political Convention
- ONE Campaign
- Progressive Book Club
- Rock the Vote
- Screening Liberally
- Vera Project
- Youth Movement Records




















Responded to ABC Story
I pushed some CIRCLE Data their way, so hopefully they get the clue.
People can’t understand that Millennials shouldn’t be judged simply because other generations increased their vote as well.
Response
That is great! Let us know if you get a response.
the nicknames
I wonder who’s coming up with them, the supporters or the consultants?
[[http://www.losethelabel.org/user/3|-6.00, -4.15]]
You're damn right the FredHeads are coming!
But it’s nothing to be afraid of.
We’re just coming to bring you an awesome president on our backs!
Go Fred!!!
[[http://fredheadsusa.org|FredHeads USA]]
Yeah Right
Good luck with all that…
Go (jump of a bridge) Fred!