The Unripe Youth Vote

By and large, America’s youth have historically remained an untapped resource in politics—to the detriment of the country as a whole. The youngest section of the electorate has been the least engaged in our nation’s great business of political warfare; however, it is imperative that the youngest voters—those voters who will soon be our doctors, lawyers, teachers and laborers—be intimately acquainted with the ins and outs of the great ideological issues of our times. Therefore, it is deeply encouraging that one of the nation’s most eloquent politicians (who just so happens to be campaigning for president) has turned the full force of his flowery orations toward the promotion of a patriotic esprit in young people. When Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., the presumptive Democratic nominee for the presidency, embarked on a college tour this month, we were especially pleased that he decided to take on the demons of cynicism and apathy in the hearts of America’s youth, and intends to bring young voters into the circle of democratic activism. Although Kerry’s tour concludes on Friday, it is rather just the beginning of the fight—in more ways than one.

In this pursuit, Kerry continues the work begun by Gov. Howard Dean’s campaign. Regardless of the Dean campaign’s intrinsic merits, or even of Dean’s own personal appeal, his campaign resonated with what his advisers optimistically termed “Generation Dean.” If Kerry can capture that energy and enthusiasm, stoke it, and harness it, he will surely benefit in November while doing an invaluable service for the country that transcends his own political fortunes. In fact, we strongly encourage all politicians, from across the political spectrum, to genuinely reach out to youth voters. President George W. Bush himself can likely benefit from attempts to enliven young voters. Although the Republicans have had a tradition of less-than-hip candidates who seemed out of sync with youth culture—from the vivacious Bob Dole to the studious Alan Keyes—Bush should follow Kerry’s lead and attempt to energize young voters.

But even more important than talking to college students is listening to them and demonstrating that the issues college students care about also matter in the broader political arena. Riding motorcycles is all very well, but actually addressing issues that directly affect the youth is a far more effective campaign strategy. Issues such as the rising cost of higher education and the cutthroat job market affect students on a day-to-day basis; the burgeoning national debt and the increasingly clouded conflict in Iraq have broad implications for America’s future—and America’s youth will be the ones responsible for sorting out the consequences.

Yet as much as national leaders have a duty to bring college students into the political fray, college students have an equal duty to actively engage elected officials. In other words, young voters should continue making their voices heard, and above all they must utilize that power that all Americans are granted: the right to vote. Students cannot afford to wait for candidates to come to them. They must use their numbers—and their activism—to force candidates to address the issues that they want addressed, in the way that they want them addressed. The country will be better off for it.