seanselby.com - Personal Website of Sean Selby of Indiana, USA

Younger voters test political waters

By DAVE HOSICK
Courier & Press staff writer
464-7449 or hosickd@evansville.net

March 24, 2002

"We cannot always build our future for the youth, but we can build our youth for the future." Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1940.

Roosevelt was considered by many to be a visionary, one who looked ahead with a sense of optimism and hope. Even during a time when the country was rising from a depression, he saw America's youth as an impressionable group destined for greatness - with the right coaxing.

Generations later, Roosevelt's hope rings true in many areas of society. Young adults are becoming entrepreneurs. Twenty-somethings now have representatives in America's millionaire club. Even in politics - once considered a cesspool by disgruntled youths - the younger generation is beginning to empower itself and become recognized.

Look no further than Southwestern Indiana to see that "politics" is no longer a dirty word for some young adults. Eric Davis, a 21-year-old student at the University of Southern Indiana, is campaigning for state representative in his home district in Gibson County.

Nineteen-year-old Charles Gibson, a student at Vincennes University, is vying for sheriff in Knox County.

Kurt Jourdan, a 19-year-old USI student, is campaigning for Vanderburgh County Council.

When most people their age are enjoying the frolicking lifestyle of the typical college experience, these young men are doing their own experimentation. And win or lose, they expect to learn a lot and question why more people their age don't take their democratic privileges seriously.

"I think it's going to be a wonderful experience," Davis said. "I think I'll get a chance to fight for something I believe in." Gibson echoed those sentiments, saying he expects his campaign will be a life experience, if nothing else. He chose to enter the campaign, although he would not even have arrest powers if elected. A person must be 21 to be accepted at the police academy.

"If anyone my age goes out and runs for office, it's good for them," he said. "Even if they don't win, you're always going to learn a lot."

Jourdan said he always has had an interest in politics and has volunteered on local campaigns for the last few years. It's hard to understand why more people his age don't follow suit, he said. "I think they think sometimes that this is a government for some of the people and others just really don't care. That's really a misfortune," he said.

"If we can get more people my age involved, it will help us find a place to fit into the political system," Jourdan added.

The lack of an identity for the youthful bloc of voters has been a long-standing problem in politics. Candidates don't pay much attention to young voters because they don't vote often, and young adults don't vote that often because they feel the candidates don't pay enough attention to them.

Carolyn Darrow, director of the Youth Vote coalition in Washington D.C., refers to this problem as a "cycle of neglect." Youth Vote is a coalition of more than 80 organizations, all geared toward increasing youth involvement in the political process.

"Because voters under 30 make up only 10 percent of the vote in national elections, (candidates feel) there is no real reason for candidates to address them," Darrow said.

Turnout among voters age 18-34 peaked in 1992, considered a turning point for national elections. Former President Bill Clinton appealed to young voters by appearing on programs like "Rock the Vote" on MTV.

In 2000, a study titled, "Neglection 2000: They Pretend to Talk to Us. We Pretend to Vote," described the alienation among young voters when compared to other age groups. The study was completed by Third Millennium, a national organization designed to offer young adults solutions to problems facing the country.

The study indicated that people ages 18-34 make up 25 percent of the registered voters in the country, but only 39 percent of those registered turned out to vote in the presidential election in 2000. Another portion of the study gave an indication why.

The study revealed that only 20 percent of voters ages 18-34 thought the campaigns in 2000 paid "a lot" of attention to them, compared with 37 percent of the voters older than 65.

"In many ways, young adults are the victims of their own prosperity and good times - a strong economy, no wars and a general focus on quality of life issues have never forced Generation X into the political realm," Third Millennium President Richard Thau wrote in the study synopsis.

"People my age feel like they're left out, that they don't have anyone they can relate to," confirmed Jourdan, a Democratic candidate in the May primary for county council.

Davis added: "A lot of my generation thinks that their vote doesn't matter. I hear that from all around, that one vote doesn't matter."

A sizable group of USI students is doing what it can to turn that sentiment around, however. The USI College of Republicans was revitalized last fall and the College of Democrats began gathering members about a month ago. Both are geared toward increasing political activity among college-aged voters.

"There is a problem with general apathy, with people not caring and thinking that the politics ... (doesn't) affect them," said Amy Stockholm, 26, president of the USI College of Democrats. "It helps if they realize how the issues affect them now and how they can affect (the process)."

Sean Selby, president of the counterpart College of Republicans, agreed that apathy is a problem, but he said the recent interest shown at the college of politics is promising.

"I thought that people were not as interested as myself in politics, and that was the wrong conclusion," said Selby, 20. "Maybe it's because of Sept. 11 ... but more people want to be involved and make a difference."

Both groups have members working on campaigns for their party. "We went to them and said, 'We have this young spirit and energy that we're offering to you,'" Stockholm said. Darrow, of Youth Vote, said, "We're seeing a lot more positive stories about young people getting involved in the process." But can youthful energy and fresh faces be enough to win an election, especially considering their age?

"If I lose, it's not something that is going to haunt me for years. I'm not going to be (just) that guy who lost the election," Davis said.

"My chances are just as good as anybody else's," said Jacobs, who is trying to become a third-generation police officer. He has several challengers in the primary. Jourdan simply said, "I want to win or I wouldn't be in it."

visitors since June 2000