OK's Redstate Youth Problems

At a time when young people are exceeding participation in elections, issue discussion, and politics, progressives and democratic candidates have capitalized on the opportunities of a lifetime to juice up state parties and progressive leaning organizations across the country.

Most that had turnout numbers for the February Super Fat Tuesday elections showed an increase in youth participation and most of them voted for democratic candidates.

Except Oklahoma. As Mike told us Oklahoma had 10,000 more young people voted for Republican candidates - not Democrats.

This is curious to me. I'm familiar somewhat with Oklahoma - I have a few friends who work there and I looked into the kind of organizing the GOP is doing there and I gotta tell you, its not that much. Its in par with normal organizations and normal states. There is a Young Dems chapter in the main universities, and a College Republicans chapter there too. The Oklahoma GOP doesn't seem that active, that involved, or honestly that competent. The Dems don't seem like they have a 100% solid organization but they are more organized, have more staff, and are more open to "outside of the box" thinking - so I feel like they are better poised.

One operative I talked to said it might be a result of the closed vs. open primary. In Kansas we have an open Dem caucus vs. the GOP that has a closed caucus. We've seen in the past that young voters are more likely to register as independents.

Young Voter Strategies shows here

"Young voters' high rate of independence has been true throughout modern American political history. The America Voter noted in 1964 that "young people, just entering the electorate, are more likely than any of the older age groups to call themselves independents." Today about one-third of young adults identify as independent."

My friend in OK agrees with this. With a closed primary you don't get the independent voters or republican voters that want to vote more progressively but are just not registered that way.

Another reason GOP youth numbers were up, might be because this new blood may not have been excited by Bush but were excited by this race.

Another friend says that in Oklahoma they are having problems with an aging and passing democratic electorate. Oklahoma is an old school democratic state. Good old farmers and ranchers who have grown up and lived with staples in the party like Robert S. Kerr. Those folks are quickly dying off - and their children are not following suit in the same family business.

The data hasn't gone unnoticed by operatives there and many progressive leaning organizations have been developing their outreach to young voters. These new numbers are a good indication for the necessity for their organization and enthusiasm to continue. Perhaps, shift more into high gear.

As the data from YVS shows us - if you vote the same way in your first few elections, then you've got them hooked for life.