Why are young voters between the age of 18 and 29 that previously identified themselves as Democrats and helped get President Obama elected now leaving the Democratic Party? This question is discussed in a Fox News video in which anchor Shepard Smith interviews Evan Gassman, Program Officer for the Young Americas Foundation and Sam Bennett, democratic strategist and president of The Women’s Campaign Forum.  In this discussion/debate they hash out the subject of why young people are pulling away from the Democratic Party.

The discussion starts with Sam Bennett stating that what we are probably seeing is the effect of the economy. Just because young people are not self identifying as Democrats does not mean that they will not support President Obama in the next election. What she so gingerly avoids is the current election.

Evan Gassman then points out that youth unemployment is at 19.1 percent and the only thing on the mind of young peoples is jobs. He goes on to state that the Republicans are offering a solution where the stimulus program has not worked.

Shepard Smith then reads a statement by a member of the College Democrats at Colorado State University, “People are angry -about the budget deficit, health care plan, angry about this and that. I feel like Republicans definitely, definitely have a chance of getting back on their feet.”

Sam Bennett states that there is an anger across the board of the electorate and that a politician needs to appeal to young people. Evan Gassman points out how once Obama care is part of the equation youth are really going to be disillusioned.

By the tone of this video it indicates to me that both the Young Americas Foundation and Kids Speak for America are on the right track.

Having myself been raised in a family of Democrats, I am now a Conservative as are my siblings who have since seen the light – it seem like it is very important that we do the following:

Get young people more involved in politics regardless of age. Seth W for one has demonstrated to me that you are never too young to become politically active.

Help young people understand the difference between the views of Conservatives and Liberals.

Help young people understand that decisions made by politicians today has a long term effect on their futures.

Offer suggestions as to how young people can better learn to think for themselves and not just mouth what is being told to them by their teachers, parents and other authority figures.

As Democratic strategist Sam Bennett pointed out in the video, politicians need to appeal to young people. In my humble opinion this is probably truer for Republicans and Conservatives then it is Democrats for we tend to think logically instead of emotionally. While we certainly do not want to stop thinking with our brains and start thinking with our touchy-feely emotions perhaps we need to take some lessons from the opposition in packaging ourselves.

Submitted by: Just call me an Old Fart Supporter of Kids Speak for America