Plenty of people will mock the headline of The New York Times' polling piece: "New Poll Finds That Young Americans Are Leaning Left." They shouldn't. What's laid out in the piece isn't all that obvious.
The results of the poll are interesting and confirm one thing I've learned from visiting lots of college campuses (other than that I didn't have nearly enough fun when I was actually in college): young adults are energetic, discerning, healthily skeptical, sometimes pessimistic - but not cynical. They don't skulk around with permanent sneers on their faces. They don't lack faith in anything higher than themselves. They don't automatically suspect that authority figures are motivated by the worst in human nature.
The poll jibes with much of conventional wisdom: On a host of issues, including immigration and universal health care, younger Americans are to the left of the country at large. They're already more favorable to gay marriage than the rest of America and moving steadily more so in that direction. (This makes sense since opponents of gay marriage have yet to offer any sensible objection beyond fear of cooties.)On Abortion - and this is often overlooked - their feelings are consistent with the rest of the country - i.e., the battle line is not about to shift or blur any time soon. That's probably why both parties will downplay their positions or at least soften their language on the issue, like Hillary Clinton did when she described abortion as a "sad, even tragic choice" for some.
As far as the direction the country is headed, younger Americans are concerned. Okay, that's putting it lightly. They're pessimistic: 70% say we're headed in the wrong direction; 48% believe that they'll be worse off than their parents. And yet...they're following the presidential race in a big way and believe their votes will make an important difference. (Whether or not they make it to the polls is another question.) Can someone be pessimistically optimistic?
But here's the big surprise for me: 51% of young Americans believe we're very or somewhat likely to succeed in Iraq. That's higher than the 45% of all Americans who believe the same. It simply could be that young Americans have more confidence in our military might.
But I think that's only part of it. I think that younger Americans have more faith than the rest of the country in the motives and intentions of the military and political leadership that sent our troops over there. They don't possess the knee-jerk institutional distrust often ascribed to them. Are they wise? Only time will tell. But right now one thing's clear: They're not cynical.
Mo Rocca has appeared on a bunch of shows, including 'The Daily Show,' 'I Love the 80s,'...
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Young Americans: Optimistic On ... Iraq?!
Posted Jun 27th 2007 12:09AM by Mo Rocca
Filed under: Iraq, Politics, Hillary Clinton, Military, Abortion, gay marriage, Illegal Immigration, Mo Rocca, New York Times
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Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 4)
46. I think EVERYBODY should have a FAKE BUDDY!
Jackie at 3:37PM on Jun 27th 2007
47. http://www.fakebuddy.com/
Jackie at 4:04PM on Jun 27th 2007
48. It seems that this piece regarding the non-cynical youth has drawn the cynics out of the proverbial crown molding! Did anyone read the New York Times article? No matter. It didn’t impart anything important like there should be something startling about youth’s leanings to the left.
Youth leans inherently and traditionally to the liberal (left) elements of our society. Let’s see, I believe Aristotle commented on this. Perhaps it stems from a sense of rebellion in their adolescence. It should be observed the greatest percentage of the free-thinking life of one who is perhaps under twenty-five is their adolescence. But those that have more to gain, or perhaps less to lose benefit by a more liberal society and government. This often changes with age and greater gains.
It should be noted that those crusty dinosaur conservative boomers weren’t so conservative in the ‘60s and ‘70s should anyone over 40 care to remember. I further remember a little skirmish at that time called Vietnam where youth was served up as cannon fodder for a war that did not militarily or politically contribute to the democratization of that society even 35 years hence. Iraq seems déjà vu all over again. The contrast between generations could reflect the fear for our youth that we once held for ourselves. I wonder should the draft be re-instituted to resolve the present pressure on our volunteer army, would youth have less confidence in a military solution. Protected from this possibility may only make them appear to be more conservative in this regard.
Questions regarding gays and abortion I believe are null, and don’t really determine youth’s liberality, but reflect more overall changes in society that ultimately become the middle if not the standard by which we live. Youth may be more sympathetic toward Gays out of exposure. Older generations didn’t know who was or wasn’t gay. And it is our youth that are having the abortions. This has been so since Roe v. Wade. By recent accounts, older generations are still trying to conceive.
If there is anything that gives us glimpse in the political and social mind of youth, it lies in the interest in two Democratic candidates for president. Not because of the substance of the candidates political platform, but rather more in personality. This could be demonstrated in their support for endeavors in Iraq where both Clinton and Obama are determined to get out. These two candidates represent a liberal change in as much as for the first time a black, and/or a woman have a realistic chance at the prize. At this time no one on the Republican side seems as interesting. I mean…Rudy? He’ll be an icon to youth when the IRS is dissolved.
I don’t believe the New York Times poll has told us anything we couldn’t have just as accurately guessed especially in the context in which some questions were asked. I have four daughters in this youthful age group, and when they were polled about the article, they responded with “Dad, couldn’t we talk about something else?” Maybe we shouldn’t be considering whether our youth is conservative, middle, or liberal, but rather engaged, cynical, or apathetic!
One of them dinosaurs at 3:46PM on Jun 27th 2007
49. Go Get One!
http://www.fakebuddy.com/
Jackie at 3:42PM on Jun 27th 2007
50. Thanks everyone for your comments. A lot to chew on:
Bob Bobson - You may be right that many younger Americans are so overwhelmed with an increasingly complicated story about a seemingly uncontrollable situation that they can only hope for the best.
NotSoInnocent - Bush is a disaster. Hell, even Ann Coulter has called him a nincompoop (though she was referring to performance domestically). But I was struck by the 51% of young people who are optimistic on Iraq. I suspect that many of them may think Bush has prosecuted the war idiotically, but that the mission itself is not a failure.
Kyle, thanks for your thoughtful post. Very eloquent.
Dewayne, I'm just not convinced that Saddam posed a threat to our interests in the region.
Maryann, your words are very comforting. Thanks for chiming in.
Seth, Seth, Seth - If you're going to do hate speech, you've got to hone your act. Right now the combination of rage, profanity, self-pity and incoherence isn't working.
Ben, please remember to capitalize "God."
lynmarie75, rest assured you are young. If 26 isn't "young", then I'm going to visit Jack Kevorkian stat.
Marta - What a fascinating comparison of studio chiefs and public policy makers. Thanks.
James - Seth can't make you look bad since you defend yourself quite thoughtfully. Though I don't agree with you on everything you've written (sex ONLY for procreation? Buzzkill!), you've offered a provocative and unlikely comparison between Vietnam and Iraq. Thanks.
Mike, I encourage you to comment on my blog postings anytime. I appreciate any strong voice, as long as it's free of profanity and slurs. You've got a bunch of great lines, seriously. You pop right off the page. (Seth, I encourage you to take a look.) I love the whole image of the condom on the cucumber - and the tam-tam playing reminds me of my last trip to Skidmore. As far as the gay cowboys and cage dancers, I don't know any. But I'd like to!
More responses later. I'm off to catch a train.
Mo Rocca at 6:08PM on Jun 27th 2007
51. I believe in todays young educated Americans. I also believe if you were to through the "DRAFT" into this poll,you would have a completely different slant on this issue. Young Americans
DO NOT want to hear"opps I am sorry",from our president,to the families of our fallen Heros. Iraq was a loser,most Vietnam Veterans could see the writing on the wall ! This war was not going to be a winnable war !! We lost over 58,000 lives in Vietnam,most of capital hill dodged the draft....when are they going to lean...we can not police the globe..with the cost being our young men and women !!
Yogi
Combat Veteran
yogi at 5:44AM on Jun 28th 2007
52. Young people are not "naturally" liberals, but they are naturally drawn to what they see as new, interesting ideas. That's why Ayn Rand is always a hot read for college students. It's also why Ronald Reagan was so popular among students in the 80s. Frankly, college-age people can't remember that last time we had an even marginally competent conservative running the country. The small government mantra has curdled into cronyism and mismanagement. Using our military might on a country bigger than a pinhead has not worked out, either. For young people, the hottest new thing is simply some ideas that have not gone bad.
ciocia at 8:10AM on Jun 28th 2007
53. It does seem that young people tend to lean left, but I am even more liberal now than I was in college. On the other hand my husband (who is a bit older than me) was very liberal when we met, but has gotten more conservative over the last few years. It seems to come with a lot of anger. It is difficult to understand.
Tasha at 10:06AM on Jun 28th 2007