Don't Chase Away Young Voters

All is not lost. As a former Florida voter (I now live in NY) and long time democracy activist I saw up close how young voters were treated by both parties in the 1990s and 2000. They were courted by their peers until election day. Then most of them were discarded like the dupes they felt they were. Their issues such as police brutality, education and minimum wage were way back-burnered. So they stayed away until the Iraq Debacle. Proportionately, not many returned. Indeed there were a few new young voters and many newly retired, mostly evenly divided between the two main parties.

Neither party organization knows how, nor wants to communicate to the youngest voters even using cool media. The kids think politicians are a joke. If they know anything it's that Repubs are raving radio loonies and Dems make boring as boring can be videos. They're kids so what can you expect? I'll tell you.

Case in point: There ain't no mo Deaniacs! Though flawed as are all politicians with media enemies, Dean was youth inspiring. Who among the candidates rearing their behinds this early in the race can motivate young people like Dean? Obama? Maybe. Time will tell very soon. He may be the sacrificial rabbit or the prodigall son, hopefully not Hamlet.

Florida, like California, is a cult of personality state. Political flacks can make cases for weak agendas as long as there's a media acceptable smile and front page baby kiss. No one objects to the political media publicly. Privately Floridians know things are sweet for the fast money crowd without a strong state government. Kathy Harris is a prime example of the caliber of Republican we had when I lived there. She's gone for a rest, a long rest. You can bet she'll be back as a fundraiser in 2008.

Oh yes, I know firsthand, I was a radio and television news editor, on air reader and psa creator. Not the prostate test...public service announcements! Our station tried to find non-identity based Florida organization spokespeople to feature in our required half hour daily interview show. All too often it was a Florida Power and Light utility company representative with advice on your air conditioning bill or a raving self annointed anti-Castro politician pitching a new factional not-for-profit fund raising scam to take back the island for freedom and democracy.

I've learned that America, the land of opportunity through democracy, is a confused, scared country right now without much communal direction. Except in its deep desire to be forgiven its corporate, consumer and political sins through its indulgence in religion. We used to say you could tell what the guest is going to pitch on air by his identity description. We weren't often wrong.

We need to remember that young people mature a bit, marry, have children, turn into voters with their family and identity agendas. Let's attract them now. Make progressive issues a desirable agenda through their youthful interests. If we succeed in the process, we just might overcome the hapless need to constantly disparage this aging, easily manipulated, bleeding democracy we love, want and need to survive as proud citizens.