A New York Times/CBS News poll earlier this month showed a dramatic tightening in the presidential race for youth vote. President Obama won 18-29 year olds by 34 percent in 2008, but this recent poll shows Obama’s current lead at only 8 percent””shrinking the gap by 26 percent.
In response to this historic opportunity, American Majority Action (AMA) has launched a new project, Students Against Barack Obama (#SABO), to target young voters. Today, Students Against Barack Obama released its first web ad, “Want Jobs? Fire Obama!”, at StudentsAgainstBarackObama.org.
Investors’ Business Daily has dubbed this era the “Great Youth Depression”. A staggering 42 percent of college graduates under 30 have been forced to move in with their parents, and 53 percent of graduates under 25 are either unemployed or underemployed. Under Obama’s policies, the Youth Misery Index””which combines youth unemployment, average graduating college debt, and national debt per capita””has grown 26 percent in nearly four years. Tuition prices alone have skyrocketed 25 percent alone under Obama’s easy loan policies.
More than half of young Americans didn’t vote in 2008””including many potential right-leaning voters not energized by John McCain. In an election where youth turnout is being predicted to fall dramatically, every voter registration drive counts. SABO will help students, especially in swing states, organize effective voter registration drives, while using social media and a pledge to vote website to energize and remind them to get to the polls.
Conservatives can’t afford to write off college campuses and hope these depressed economic numbers prevent President Obama’s youth recruitment efforts. As AMA reported earlier this month, President Obama has upped his campus appearances 175 percent in 2012””including a concerted focus on Get Out The Vote (GOTV) drives registering thousands on campus. He knows he’s vulnerable. Yet, what are conservatives doing to compete? Most GOP college groups on focusing are making calls for candidates instead of trying to register and recruit their peers to vote on November 6.
If young Americans want less debt and more jobs, they should join us and register their friends to help us fire Obama this November.
Read more and see the video at: StudentsAgainstBarackObama.org.