Obama Abandoned by Young Voters

[Dokusuke]

Before you read this, I ask you that you maintain a calm disposition and remain open-minded to the end.

Looking back at the election of 2008, the Obama Campaign mobilized youth voters to vote. Meaning that more 18 to 25 year olds were out at the ballots, electing either John McCain or Barack Obama for president. The message was clear: America wanted change, and they saw it in Obama. Foremost, youths displayed their voice as American voters by creating the second highest youth voter turnout since the 1972 elections (Morgenstern).

The youth voter turnouts have been the lowest, in both presidential and congressional elections, compared to older aged demographics. Young voters made up 13 percent of the citizens eligible to vote in 1998. Out of these eligible, 44 percent were registered to vote, but only 18.3 percent actually voted (McDougal)

Youth voters have a voice, but why do we not use it? Having gone through struggles of ratifying the 26th Amendment (it lowered the voting age from 21 to 18), why are there no youth voters out at the ballots eagerly electing this Democrat or that Republican for office? (Eisher Taking Back the Vote)

This creates a major problem for America. America experiences the ‘un-becoming’ of democracy by losing the voices and opinions of its youth voters, representing the older, probably conservative idealists, of the population. President Obama faces then the big problem of Congress, as seen from the results of the recent midterms.

Republicans won the House, and the Democrats won the Senate. In my opinion, it is the lack of youth voters that has caused this catastrophe. America faces another Clinton situation, and we all know how that had turned out. And why is Congress like this? It is because youth voters failed to put some time to simply bubble a scantron-like ballot and put it into a box.

Back in 2008, American youths wanted change from Bush and his government. 2010, the situation has not changed, but now Americans feel the same animosity they had felt toward Bush now on Obama. The one underlying reason is change has not happened in the past two years.

By goodness, what can you ask of a single man? The problems of America— the failing economy, the rising unemployment, the increasing poverty, the diminishing good of the nation—have been forming for the past ten plus odd years. How can we expect one man—like Obama, Bush, Clinton, any man— or woman to fix all that in four years, let alone in two years?

As Americans, we tend to neglect the obstacles that the President faces. As Americans, we tend to neglect the process in which politics functions. He has to go through multiple persons/groups/steps in order to enact something. Unlike what Nixon had believed, the President does have limits when it comes to legislation. Congress controls legislation, and guess what, President Obama will now have a harder time to pass anything through because Republicans have gained control of the House (Edwards III Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy).

With the House in the hands of the Republicans, there will always clashing in legislation. President Obama v. Congress. Granted it has been always be that, but nothing will be done. Political parties are too concerned with accomplishing their own political agendas that they will neglect the problems/issues of the people and America.

And all this trouble from what? All because young American voters decided not to vote during the midterm elections or, in general, any elections. I will say now, a few months shy of voting age that I will vote for the rest of my life. The election of 2012 will be the year the young voters have to make a come back—for the better health of America, for the underlying values of democracy.

This is my opinion. If you do not like it, you do not and please tell your side/opinion. If you do, then thank you. But please do state whatever is on your mind. American youths can no longer neglect their civic duties as voters.