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Will youths vote…or play Super Mario?

November 4, 2008

On “The Daily Show” Monday, Jon Stewart did his traditional 20 minutes of poking fun at political buffoonery. However, near the end of the broadcast, sharing a split-screen with Comedy Central colleague Stephen Colbert of “The Colbert Report” made a declaration to all young voters watching.

“By the way, voters out there: Do not blow this for us!,” Stewart said. “Every four years we hear about your vote-rocking powers, and every four years you stay home and play Super Mario. Not this time!

Did youth voters listen? They seemed to at the University of Nevada, Reno, at least based on campus activity, Sidewalk chalk and large lawn signs told passersby to vote. But was that enough to convince students? Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, who was Stewart’s guest Monday night, seemed convinced they would.

“I think they’re gonna come out this time,” Goodwin said. “I really do.”

There is evidence supporting Goodwin’s claim based on this year’s presidential primaries.

According to the Pew Research Center, young people made up an average of 14 percent of Democratic primary voters, up from the average of 9 percent in 2004. And this rise in primary voting by the youth demographic is a definite representation of their involvement now.

Donald Green, director of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University,,told USA Today, “Voting is a habit-forming activity. The fact that so many young people have now voted…is a sign that we should expect higher-than-average voter turnout among young people in the fall.”
We’ll know by late tonight if he’s right.

Story by Ian Sorensen

Written by admin · Filed Under National 

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