young latinos

According to a US News and World Report Wednesday young voters are one of the five voting groups to watch this election cycle.

"The only problem is that voting—or failing to vote—has always been the issue when it comes to youth. Since 1972, the first election in which 18-to-20-year-olds were eligible to vote, turnout among the under-30 crowd has steadily declined. In 2004, this trend seemed to turn around as the number of young voters increased. Get-out-the-vote organizations touted the fact that there were 4.2 million more voters under 30 than there were in 2000.

This year, there's perhaps even more hype surrounding the youth vote, and it could actually be warranted. Primary turnout among young people doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled in many states, compared with primaries in 2000 and 2004, according to Rock the Vote, a youth-oriented voter registration group that often partners with entertainment companies. In some communities, more young voters are registering, and anecdotal reports suggest more young people are volunteering for the campaigns as well. "You don't write off anyone," says Matt Segal, the executive director of SAVE, who encourages both of the candidates to ramp up their efforts to attract the youth vote. "Young voters are susceptible to the politicians who reach out to them." A swing state like Wisconsin might go to Obama if young people turn out in large numbers, as some suggest they will. If they're right, that really would be a change."

Other groups, not surprisingly include women, African Americans, Hispanics, and Evangelicals. All groups we like to talk about here on FM because all of them can also fall within the group of young people.

Women are always targets, call them soccer moms, security moms, or the recent revelation about single women, women are more than half of the population. A good friend said it best, "Piss off a man, he just ain't gonna vote for you. But you piss off a women not only is she not gonna vote for ya, her husband ain't, her kids ain't, her friends ain't, and everyone at the beauty shop sure as hell ain't. Women are powerful."

Ok, antidotes aside, African Americans are energized by issues and certainly by the fact that the first African American in the general election is on the ballot. AA's also more inclined to be younger.

Average age of Latinos is also younger and there is a pretty good broadband penetration rate for their demographic.

Evangelicals, tend to be older, of course, but young evangelicals are a voting bloc as we've seen that tend to be more interested in Obama's message. His campaign is ready to go after them, and while the whole of the demographic might not go for him, young evangelicals might.

So, of these 5 demographics I think its fair to say that 4 of the 5 include young people or include youth elements to them. And with young evangelicals I'd say that makes up 4.5 of the top 5 voting groups to watch that have a youth component to them.

There are several truly interesting things that happened this week that I think really show the effects and the power of Millennials have on this wild and crazy world. Some obscure in nature there are several little things that I’m just dying to comment on.

• MySpace has been sending out mass emails to its user list where it included info about the Spin and Helio Project dedicated to the reunion of the Smashing Pumpkins where MySpace has

  “gathered up 10 different artists to exclusively record tracks for a MySpace Tribute CD. Not only is this CD being premiered on MySpace exclusively, you can also get a free copy of the July issue of SPIN being released 6/26….” Extravaganza

  One of the things I first posted about in relation to Gen M was their purchase power and power of the purse - specifically in relation to the piece about the new perfume CK’s IN2U. Millennials are one of the strongest and most powerful consumer groups and marketing specifically to them is generally seen as a sure investment in success and cult like followings. But making that leap from a virtual world to the real world is a whole different thing and marketing a traditional CD and magazine via MySpace is curious to me. If the CD was downloadable via iTunes and the Mag was online (it is but I mean more features or something for free sign-ups) then I see it being more successful.

  But I’m curious about what FM readers think the drop off might be for Gen M’s online vs. IRL purchases for thinks like the SP CD. There seems, to me at least, to be a huge jump from these two worlds and web engagement doesn’t necessarily equate actual participation from behind the computer and I’m curious if anyone knows to what degree this is true for purchase power.

• Yesterday,Massachusetts lawmakers killed the anti-gay marriage bill in their state that was aimed at babysteps to reduce the old law making it legal for all people to get hitched.

  “The bill would have placed a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage on the ballot for voter consideration in November of 2008. The defeat keeps intact the 2003 ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Court that mandated the institution of gay marriages. Daniel reports

  Notably the bill sunk by a vote of 45 to 151 which is rather nicely done in my neck of the woods that’d be flipped.

  “The vote came after House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, Senate President Therese Murray, and Governor Deval Patrick conferred this morning and concluded that they have the votes to kill the proposal.” the article said

  Deval Patrick had enormous support from young people (clearly all people) in the last election. His website is considerably well organized into issue based participation which I’m sure only increases the Gen M folks who participate - but Daniel says it best:

  “the longer residents of Massachusetts live with gay marriage…and realize that it has no real impact on their relationships and their families…the more difficult it will be to overturn. Adding to that rationale is evidence that young voters are overwhelmingly in favor of gay marriage…a factor that will increasingly impact the debate as it will behoove politicians to be mindful of public sentiment.”

• A new documentary is slated for release that introduces

  “a new generation of voters who don’t remember the old Clinton wars”

  by the tireless attempts by conservatives who have nothing better to do.

  “He points out that someone who is 18 today was “4 years old when the travel-office scandal broke.” These young voters, he predicts, will be hungry for Hillary dirt, new and old. “There’s an enormous market for Hillary Clinton information,” he tells NEWSWEEK.” MSNBC

  Clinton Derangement Syndrome (as mentioned by Mr. Strannix) I don’t see as being something young people are really going to connect with. Why? Well instinct for one. Actual thought is that Gen M seems to be remarkably hip to most things that are BS. I’d be interested to see the response by unaffiliated Gen M voters on this documentary.
• And finally - the CAP is having a shindig this weekend for young Latinos in the progressive communitiy. There will be food - just fyi - but the interest I have is in the continuing efforts being made to look at GOTV and engagement tactics for the Latino community.

  My boss reminded me this week and as we’ve mentioned here before the Hispanic/Latino population in America is a young group of people. Average age is like 24. And

  “Every year since the 2000 elections an average of 425,000 native-born Latinos has turned 18 years old and become eligible to vote. While Latinos make up 8% of eligible voters, they represent 12% of the electorate that is between 18 and 24 years old.”

  I think with more states passing EDR (because who really wants to stop someone’s right to vote anyway?) and smarter better mobilization among progressive GOTV and registration groups in target states we actually stand a chance of seriously increasing GOTV for this specific group of young people.

Hope ya’ll have a fantastic Friday!