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asking the million dollar question are you? 18-24 year old voters are the largest untapped demographic around. If you can persuade them to vote then you can change the entire election.
Now all of this is my personal opinion.
I believe that young voters feel distanced from the actual election. They do not feel old enough for it to truly matter to them. The issues being talked about on a national scale are ones that often times seem out of their grasp time wise. Why worry about RX drugs when most are not old enough to worry abou meds. Why worry about the economy when they are in their own sheltered world of college and post highschool education?
There are issues that matter to these kids (myself included) and the best way is to address them in/on a forum that they will sit up and pay attention to. Honestly, decriminalization of Marijuana is an issue but not one worth taking a stance on. Taking a strong stance on the decriminalization of Pot would not gain enough votes to counter the loss of votes from other demographics. This is because the other demographics (like 55+ that was mentioned) have the history of voting in droves while the young (1st time voter) demographic does not.
Despite this you can take stances on issues such as college tuition (which has been raised by incredible percentages in the last few years), job creation (for graduating students) just for starters.
I was at a Kerry rally yesterday on a college campus in St. Paul (Macalaster). Denis Kucinich, Betty McCullom, and Garrison Kellior (sorry about the spelling) all spoke to motivating the youth demographic. Denis spoke on the importance of not only the election but on youth activism gaining momentum through peers. Both Denis and Betty spoke on making college education affordable. Garrison spoke about the importance of the election and the danger of keeping the current administration in office for another four years.
Speak intelligently and clearly to the young voters about issues they care about in places they pay attention to, and you will be heard.
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Patriotism means being loyal to your country all the time and to its government when it deserves it.
--Mark Twain
Do What makes you happy
--Me
BUT!
"Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness" - Chuang-Tzu
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