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It’s too soon to say for sure, but it looks like the lost generation has not abandoned all hope, yet.
It has, however, abandoned Barack Obama. At least, it retains some primal optimism.
Yesterday I was posting about the horrifically high levels of joblessness and underemployment among recent college graduates.
Today, a new poll revealed that 83% of this group voted for Obama in 2008. Social justice, anyone? If there was ever a testimony to the effectiveness of academic brainwashing, this is it. Link here.
By now, the lost generation has been bitten by reality. Out of school and out of work, no longer forced to toe the party line, they seem to have retaken possession of their rational faculties. Only a scant 27% are committed to voting for Obama again.
I find it heartening that this generation has seen through the hype and spin and has understood what the job market is telling them.
As the pollsters point out, this is not unalloyed good news for Republicans. The GOP should not take these voters for granted. Many of them may easily stay home on election day.
Wise old sensible souls will tell you that Republicans should now go out and connect with these voters by addressing the issues that matter to them.
They fail to tell you that Republican candidates must take the fight to Obama, directly and vigorously. If Obama and the Democrats are in full campaign mode, the Republicans cannot fall back into conciliatory and compliant.
To connect with a group that has had its hopes dashed and its trust betrayed, Republicans will need to express the smoldering anger that is out there, awaiting expression.
As of today, sad to say, none of the announced Republican presidential candidates seems to have the requisite strength, fortitude, and stature.
Take an easy example. Yesterday President Obama delivered an important speech on the Middle East. After expressing his support for democracy and economic reform in the region, he managed to undermine the only nation in the region that is both capitalistic and democratic.
Declaring his support for the 1967 borders between Israel and its neighbors was a disgraceful sellout to a terrorist entity. The Palestinians have understood well that, with Barack Obama in the White House, they do not need to negotiate. Obama will do his best to force Israel to yield to their demands.
As one expected, the presumptive Republican front-runner Mitt Romney issued an immediate statement. He announced that Obama had thrown Israel under the bus.
The phrase was repeated over and over on the nightly news. It was quoted in news stories far and wide. Romney must have known that it would.
Yet, however correct his sentiment, Romney's rhetoric was weak, lazy, and flaccid. Did he and his band of technocrats really believe that it was the right time to resurrect a shopworn political cliche?
If your words feel completely unoriginal, your listeners will assume, correctly, that you have no real feeling for the subject, that you are unwilling to take the fight to Obama, and that you have no real understanding of the power and importance of rhetoric.
If you can't take the time to formulate a statement that would be clear, concise, and original, people are going to think that you are offering an echo, not a choice.
It has, however, abandoned Barack Obama. At least, it retains some primal optimism.
Yesterday I was posting about the horrifically high levels of joblessness and underemployment among recent college graduates.
Today, a new poll revealed that 83% of this group voted for Obama in 2008. Social justice, anyone? If there was ever a testimony to the effectiveness of academic brainwashing, this is it. Link here.
By now, the lost generation has been bitten by reality. Out of school and out of work, no longer forced to toe the party line, they seem to have retaken possession of their rational faculties. Only a scant 27% are committed to voting for Obama again.
I find it heartening that this generation has seen through the hype and spin and has understood what the job market is telling them.
As the pollsters point out, this is not unalloyed good news for Republicans. The GOP should not take these voters for granted. Many of them may easily stay home on election day.
Wise old sensible souls will tell you that Republicans should now go out and connect with these voters by addressing the issues that matter to them.
They fail to tell you that Republican candidates must take the fight to Obama, directly and vigorously. If Obama and the Democrats are in full campaign mode, the Republicans cannot fall back into conciliatory and compliant.
To connect with a group that has had its hopes dashed and its trust betrayed, Republicans will need to express the smoldering anger that is out there, awaiting expression.
As of today, sad to say, none of the announced Republican presidential candidates seems to have the requisite strength, fortitude, and stature.
Take an easy example. Yesterday President Obama delivered an important speech on the Middle East. After expressing his support for democracy and economic reform in the region, he managed to undermine the only nation in the region that is both capitalistic and democratic.
Declaring his support for the 1967 borders between Israel and its neighbors was a disgraceful sellout to a terrorist entity. The Palestinians have understood well that, with Barack Obama in the White House, they do not need to negotiate. Obama will do his best to force Israel to yield to their demands.
As one expected, the presumptive Republican front-runner Mitt Romney issued an immediate statement. He announced that Obama had thrown Israel under the bus.
The phrase was repeated over and over on the nightly news. It was quoted in news stories far and wide. Romney must have known that it would.
Yet, however correct his sentiment, Romney's rhetoric was weak, lazy, and flaccid. Did he and his band of technocrats really believe that it was the right time to resurrect a shopworn political cliche?
If your words feel completely unoriginal, your listeners will assume, correctly, that you have no real feeling for the subject, that you are unwilling to take the fight to Obama, and that you have no real understanding of the power and importance of rhetoric.
If you can't take the time to formulate a statement that would be clear, concise, and original, people are going to think that you are offering an echo, not a choice.
7 comments:
Stuart,
Exactly right. The saddest thing is that repeated elections show that bold, unapologetic economic conservatism wins elections and popular support (e.g. Chris Christie). Here in the Soviet, we last electon soundly rejected a State Income Tax (on 'the rich') even in a state Obama will likely carry in 2012 because everybody knew it would eventually be extended to everyone.
The son is graduating in June in Civil Engineering...no job yet despite several interviews. I can only imagine what it's like to be an Humanities major.
Two things:
The Republican Party is steadily becoming (if not already) a Democrat-lite party. You can only go so far with a slogan that basically says "I'm for whatever they are, just not as much." Outside of just taking advantage of Democrat mistakes, I don't really see how the GOP can function in the future (which is unfortunate, because I'm conservative). They don't have a message. As much as I can't stand the Democrats, at least they're standing for something and that's partly why they've been as successful as they have for the past six years or so.
Secondly, the millenials are incredibly short-sighted and unaware of their surroundings(despite media claims to the contrary). They are probably the most liberal generation that this country has produced. No other generation has been spoon-fed liberal ideology from the cradle.
Many conservatives think that the millenials will turn on the Democrats because of Obama's failings. I'm not so sure. This is a generation that really believes that the government can and should do anything and everything. I think they will vote in even more liberal politicians in the future for necessities so they can continue to party on. Nope, this will not end well at all.
"none of the announced Republican presidential candidates" ...
that would be a total of 2 ...
guess what, the 20 somethings got suckered in 2008 ... and they aren't looking for an adult promise ... they are looking to get suckered again and Obama will pull out all the stops to do so in 2012 ...
You seem to think the GOP needs to pander to these folks ...
I disagree ...
The standard GOP platform should be perfect for most of these kids if they are looking for adult solutions ... they were not in 2008 and I doubt that most of them have matured significantly since then ...
nice troll work there Hutt ...
if you think the Dems have more ideas than the GOP then you really can't be a conservative ...
most likely a leftist in disguise ...
Good luck to your son, Soviet. The statistics suggest that he'll soon be gainfully employed, and even using the knowledge he gained from his degree.
I do agree that the young generation got suckered in the last election, though they have been brainwashed by the educational system for quite some time now, so I am feeling somewhat charitable toward them.
I would like to think that they will not be fooled again, but I could certainly be wrong about this. Let's just say that I was trying to keep hope alive.
I do think that Republicans have many great ideas, when they are willing to articulate them and to stand up for them.
The point I was trying to make in this post was that the rhetoric matters enormously in a political campaign and that a candidate who is going to rally the millennials is going to have to present a clear and forceful articulation of their anger with Obama.
He will have to appeal to emotion as well as to reason, and therefore will need to be skilled in the art of rhetoric.
As of now, the two I see who are really good at this are Chris Christie and Rick Perry.
Today, a new poll revealed that 83% of this group voted for Obama in 2008. Social justice, anyone?
Well, poetic justice, at least ...
Perfectly stated...
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