21
Colin Kavanaugh
To a college student, 21 is a big number. Age to buy drinks. Age to put down on a fake ID. But the new Washington Post/ABC News poll numbers have Democrats yelling “Blackjack!”
That’s right. Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post is channeling a new WaPo/ABC News poll suggesting that the number of Americans who identify themselves as Republicans is at its lowest level since 1983. In comparison, 35 percent of those surveyed identify themselves as Democrats, with 38 percent saying they’re Independents.
That’s quite remarkable. In November, 18-30 year-old voters went for President Obama at a rate of 2-1. The new poll, with Obama now nearing his 100th day in office, shows his approval at a noteworthy 69 percent. Unfortunately, the poll doesn’t get specific on age breakdown.
But this is obviously discouraging to Republicans, and the way college-aged Republicans begin to redefine their party will be critical to the party’s future. If they don’t do something dramatic soon, all they can hope for is that Obama becomes a massive failure, and the GOP can create some sort of unified message. Barring that, it looks to be a long while in the wilderness.
Practically speaking, this is why candidates like Arlen Specter, up for reelection against a conservative opponent in a closed primary, have such a tough road ahead of them. With numbers like these, the Republican base has become die-hard (with a vengeance!) conservative. And this puts moderate, Northeastern Republicans in a very difficult position.
Recent Comments