Obama leads among younger voters, study says
May 2, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks to more than 20,000 supporters at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. on Feb. 2. A recent Harvard University study concluded that seven out of 10 young Democratic voters prefer Obama to Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.
Young voters today are looking for change — and they are looking at Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., to find it, a new study reveals.
Harvard University’s Institute of Politics conducted the survey of 18- to 24-year-old U.S. citizens online between March 11 and April 1.
The study stated, among 18- to 24-year-olds who plan to vote Democratic, Obama was favored by more than two to one over Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. and that seven out of 10 young Democratic voters prefer Obama over Clinton.
According to the study, that age group preferred either Democratic candidate if they were to run against Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in the general election.
When voters were asked to choose between Obama and McCain, 53 percent said they would probably or definitely vote for Obama, while 32 percent would probably or definitely vote for McCain.
Asked to choose between Clinton and McCain, 44 percent of those surveyed said they would probably or definitely chose Clinton, while 39 percent said the same about McCain.
Leaders of student political groups said the survey reveals the increasing interest of young voters in the upcoming presidential election — an interest fostered in part by discontent with current affairs.
“Youth are increasingly becoming more involved because they understand they have a stake in what’s going on,” Mizzou College Republicans vice president Marcus Bowen said.
Nate Kennedy, chairman of the Young College Democrats of Missouri Federation, said America’s problems are “urgent.”
“Youth understand the importance and the urgency that the main issues of today need to be dealt with,” Kennedy said. “Students are not sitting on the sidelines anymore and are realizing they can make a change and are getting active to do so.”
MU communications professor William Benoit, who studies campaign communication, said political awareness is a logical response to societal problems.
“The more important those concerns are for people, the more likely they’ll pay attention to the political process,” Benoit said. “That’s the only avenue. That’s the only reasonable way we have to change the direction our society is going, the only realistic way.”
The study also identifies a shift in voters’ religious priorities in the survey.
The study stated 43 percent of those surveyed identify as traditional liberals or conservatives, while the majority of those surveyed said they are religious or secular centrists. The study also said religious centrists prefer Democratic candidates because these voters have “deep concern” for universal health care, environmental protection, support of free trade and the country’s moral direction.
Bowen said the anti-abortion-rights movement is one major concern of conservative Christians and religious centrists and has grown to encompass faith-based social justice programs in addition to abortion.
“Pro-life doesn’t just mean that I am for all fetuses,” Bowen said. “It means I am for all people. Wherever you are, it’s about honoring the life of all humanity.”
Moral issues such as famine relief and ending genocide ultimately translate into life issues as well, he said.
Because the Republican Party does not emphasize social justice programs, some conservative voters are now identifying with Democratic candidates, Bowen said.
“As the pro-life movement grows larger and larger, people are now recognizing that social justice issues, traditionally linked with the Democratic Party, are now important,” he said. “Social justice is a very important issue for conservative voters as well, and the Republican Party hasn’t done a particularly good job of recognizing that.”
Kennedy called shift in priorities the “red-letter Christian movement.”
“It’s the words of Jesus Christ,” he said. “They take what he said first, so caring for the environment is high priority, protecting God’s earth, as well as looking out for one’s neighbor, making sure that we can better our society and make education more affordable.”
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