The war against terrorism might be ongoing but the war for votes has reached a feverous pitch.
As politicians scrabble to target different voting bocks, pollsters, spinsters, and political commentators alike have targeted a whole new batch of demographic groups that are perceived to make a difference in 2004. Soccer moms and security moms are being touted as the key to success. Bush and Kerry no longer fight about offering seniors prescription drugs but merely how much.
Through all of this our generation seems to have been forgotten. Sure, Clinton came on MTV and assured us he was wearing boxers and not briefs; however, policy is not driven towards those under 35. Yet there are sign things might be about to change.
The Seattle Times this week reported that Dino Rossi is trailing by nearly double digits to Christine Gregoire --however the same poll also shows Rossi leading the 18-to-34 age group by eight points. The "Age-gap" nation wide is as striking as the much touted "gender gap" with Bush finding his strongest support from those under 35.
Even around my water cooler, the Republicans on my floor are 19, 25, and 27, whereas, our liberal colleagues remember Woodstock and Watergate. The question to my fellow bloggers is why? Where has gone our stereotypes of old conservatives and young liberals? Are we about to see a paradigm shift in traditional notions of political demographics? One thing is for sure, the parties are bound to begin to take notice.
"Show me a young Conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show
me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains."
- Winston Churchill
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