A poll of first and second-time voters, age 18 to 26, has found that two-thirds prefer socialism or even communism to capitalism. A majority believe that America is no better than any other country. And only 15% favor Republicans. This may spell doom for Republicans and conservatives in general for the next three decades. So says pollster Frank Luntz.
I would say that once this cohort gains some life experience, some of their political beliefs will change. That’s usually the pattern. It certainly was for those of us in the Sixties generation. I also suspect we are seeing the fruit of today’s educational system. The founders believed that a free republic requires an educated citizenry. Not just any kind of education, but a “liberal” education, the term coming from the Latin word for free citizens. That is, the classical liberal education that expanded the mind, taught discernment, stressed the lessons of history, and studied the high points of our civilization.
When that kind of education is jettisoned in favor of relativism, revisionism, and leftist political indoctrination, what can we expect? Why wouldn’t they think that socialism and communism are “more compassionate” than capitalism, if they know nothing about economics, history, or objective reality?
From Frank Luntz, Young voters spell doom for GOP, USA Today:
If you want to understand today’s young Americans, consider this: 58% of them think “socialism” is the most compassionate political system, compared with just 33% who pick “capitalism.” Heck, 9% even voted for “communism.”
That’s right: Two-thirds in a poll I did last month say socialism or communism is more compassionate than capitalism.
While Republicans fight a war over how high to build a mythical wall on our Southern border, they ignore the war for the hearts and minds of America’s largest generation in history — even bigger than the Baby Boomers.
The Republican Party doesn’t have a problem with younger voters. Younger voters have a problem with the Republican Party, and it is rapidly becoming a long-term electoral crisis.
In our recent national survey of 1,000 first- and second-time voters ages 18 to 26, Republicans weren’t just off on the wrong track. They were barely on the radar with this Snapchat generation, as it is sometimes called.
Let’s start with the simplest question we asked: “Out of today’s major political figures, who do you like and respect the most?”
Nearly one in three (31%) chose Bernie Sanders, followed by 18% for Barack Obama and 11% for Hillary Clinton. The highest ranking Republican was … Donald Trump, at a mere 9%. In fact, Sanders — who won more than 80% of young Democrats in Tuesday’s Michigan primary — scored higher than all the Republicans combined. This isn’t just a slant toward the Democrats; it’s a chasm of disconnection that renders every prominent national Republican irrelevant with the voting bloc that could control campaigns for the next 30 years.
The problem, or “crisis” if you’re an active Republican, is in their political identification. Fully 44% identify themselves as Democrats, higher in my polling than any age cohort in America. By comparison, about 15% call themselves Republican, lower than any age cohort. The remaining 42% say they’re independent, but on issue after issue they lean toward the Democrats. It’s not that young people love the Democratic Party — they don’t. But they reject the Republican Party and the corporate interests it appears to represent. Democrats can live with this dynamic. Republicans might die by it. . . .
So while Republicans sling mud and shove their heads in the sand of whatever primary is next, America itself is changing beneath their feet. The younger generation and the Republican Party simply see the world, and America, very differently. For instance, 58% in our poll say that “America isn’t any better or worse than most other countries,”compared with a 42% minority that believes “America is exceptional. It’s better than every other country in the world.” The “America is No. 1“ philosophy and policy of the GOP isn’t resonating.
[Keep reading. . .]
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