The GOP’s youth-vote disaster: Donald Trump’s nomination could hurt Republicans for years to come

[ABX]

....But there’s one polling trend in particular that should have Republicans feeling frigid stilettos of panic pricking their necks: Young voters absolutely loathe the uniquely toxic Republican nominee.

Attracting the young ‘uns has been a problem of mounting significance for Republican presidential candidates for some time now. Back in 2004, a comparatively high 45 percent of 18-29 year olds voted to reelect George W. Bush. Four years later, John McCain took home a measly 32 percent of those votes. Mitt Romney performed slightly better among younger voters in 2012, but he still got blown out by Barack Obama in that age cohort....

http://www.salon.com/2016/08/08/the-gops-youth-vote-disaster-donald-trumps-nomination-could-hurt-republicans-for-years-to-come/

[Steve_Seattle]

Young people - including young Republicans - seem to have bought into the idea that Trump is a "racist."  I'm not a Trump supporter, but the evidence for his "racism" is paper-thin:  he opposes illegal immigration, and criticized a Hispanic judge for presumed bias.  Regarding the latter, it has been a dogma on the left for decades that white people - and white judges - are intrinsically biased against people of color, yet Trump is called a "racist" for making essentially the same claim about a Hispanic judge. 

So we are left with accepting the idea that opposing illegal immigration is "racist."  Nope. 

[skeeter]

Young people - including young Republicans - seem to have bought into the idea that Trump is a "racist."  I'm not a Trump supporter, but the evidence for his "racism" is paper-thin:  he opposes illegal immigration, and criticized a Hispanic judge for presumed bias.  Regarding the latter, it has been a dogma on the left for decades that white people - and white judges - are intrinsically biased against people of color, yet Trump is called a "racist" for making essentially the same claim about a Hispanic judge. 

So we are left with accepting the idea that opposing illegal immigration is "racist."  Nope.

Yeah, thats why I don't buy the 'Trumps a racist' line either.

And its also why I think a Trump debacle will set traditional conservatism and all of its issues, including secure borders, back a lifetime - if his campaign goes up in a mushroom cloud up you just know the establishment of both parties and the media will retroactively name him the most conservative presidential candidate since Barry Goldwater. He'll make the term toxic.

[Cripplecreek]

Ted Cruz ended up doing surprisingly well among millennials.

Those that I've spoken to said they liked his talk of self determination, freedom, elimination of the tax and regulatory state. The traditional small government conservatism. They appear to be big fans of Coolidge and seem smarter than most people my age these days.

When I tweeted that millennials for Cruz was the most underreported story of the election it got almost 30,000 retweets. (Most retweets I've ever gotten)

[HonestJohn]

Young people - including young Republicans - seem to have bought into the idea that Trump is a "racist."  I'm not a Trump supporter, but the evidence for his "racism" is paper-thin:  he opposes illegal immigration, and criticized a Hispanic judge for presumed bias.  Regarding the latter, it has been a dogma on the left for decades that white people - and white judges - are intrinsically biased against people of color, yet Trump is called a "racist" for making essentially the same claim about a Hispanic judge. 

So we are left with accepting the idea that opposing illegal immigration is "racist."  Nope.

Where would they possibly get such an idea?!?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX1XSzteV94

[r9etb]

Young people - including young Republicans - seem to have bought into the idea that Trump is a "racist."  I'm not a Trump supporter, but the evidence for his "racism" is paper-thin:  he opposes illegal immigration, and criticized a Hispanic judge for presumed bias.  Regarding the latter, it has been a dogma on the left for decades that white people - and white judges - are intrinsically biased against people of color, yet Trump is called a "racist" for making essentially the same claim about a Hispanic judge. 

The young people with whom I'm acquainted basically think he's a reckless loon.  Racism may be part of the mix, but from what I'm seeing they're repelled by the whole unwholesome package.

[Polly Ticks]

The young people with whom I'm acquainted basically think he's a reckless loon.  Racism may be part of the mix, but from what I'm seeing they're repelled by the whole unwholesome package.

Spot on.  Two of the young people to whom I gave birth are eligible to vote.  Although one is more politically active than the other, they are both horrified by Trump and it has absolutely nothing to do with racism.  They view him as your basic carnival barker/used car salesman. 

[ABX]

The young people with whom I'm acquainted basically think he's a reckless loon.  Racism may be part of the mix, but from what I'm seeing they're repelled by the whole unwholesome package.

I still get the impression from most millennials that they simply don't take him seriously.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Yeah, salon.com is worried about the future of the Republican Party.   


I guess it's down to any port in a tantrum for NeverTrumps.   

[jmyrlefuller]

Perhaps so, but be warned: Hillary has just as big of a problem with the youth vote.

People about my age and younger come in two varieties: libertarians and socialists. Johnson has a surprisingly strong following among this crowd. Bernie, of course, has a huge fan base. Social conservatism is almost dead, with the exception of the pro-life cause (which still has a following); even Christians have embraced the alphabet soup lobby agenda.

The Bernie supporters I've seen do not trust Hillary. Likewise, I've seen a large number of otherwise reliable Republicans in my social circle proudly support Johnson this time around. They don't like either Hillary or Trump.

[R4 TrumPence]

Yeah, salon.com is worried about the future of the Republican Party.   


I guess it down to any port in a tantrum for NeverTrumps.   

I always look at the website link, before i waste time reading the article!

[Suppressed]

People about my age and younger come in two varieties: libertarians and socialists.

Yup. 

[Oceander]

Not "could hurt; "will" hurt.  Younger people may be naturally inclined to the left because they still believe in "free stuff" and unicorns, but many are not so stupid that they cannot respond to a well-reasoned, inspiring, positive explanation of how the values of traditional liberty and free markets are the best means of advancing humanity.  The problem is that almost no-one since Reagan has been able to, or wanted to, take that position.  Instead, we've had a generation's worth of negativity from the GOP; that will, and has, turned off a lot of older people as well as turning off younger people.  Donald Trump has simply upped the ante on the negativity, and that will further alienate people - both old as well as young - from the GOP.  Squandered political capital is hard to rebuild; it will take the GOP a very long time, perhaps another generation, to rebuild the political capital Trump has so uselessly squandered.

[Cripplecreek]

Not "could hurt; "will" hurt.  Younger people may be naturally inclined to the left because they still believe in "free stuff" and unicorns, but many are not so stupid that they cannot respond to a well-reasoned, inspiring, positive explanation of how the values of traditional liberty and free markets are the best means of advancing humanity.  The problem is that almost no-one since Reagan has been able to, or wanted to, take that position.  Instead, we've had a generation's worth of negativity from the GOP; that will, and has, turned off a lot of older people as well as turning off younger people.  Donald Trump has simply upped the ante on the negativity, and that will further alienate people - both old as well as young - from the GOP.  Squandered political capital is hard to rebuild; it will take the GOP a very long time, perhaps another generation, to rebuild the political capital Trump has so uselessly squandered.

Somebody gotta gimmie somadat Trump Money.