Millenials -- people born between 1980 and 2000 -- have become a hot topic for politicos, economists, marketers, the "mainstream" media (read: Leftist Democrat Propaganda Machine) and a host of others in recent months. It's estimated that there are about 80 million of these Millies in the U.S., a pretty hefty demographic comprising about a third of our population. Though the 2016 elections are nearly a year-and-a-half away, this significant bloc of potential voters is being looked at with increasing interest -- more like with drooling jowls - by politicians of all stripes. And what, you might ask, have they found out?Millies
Half of the Millies are out of work and up to their eyebrows in student loan debt,
Millenials -- people born between 1980 and 2000 -- have become a hot topic for politicos, economists, marketers, the "mainstream" media (read: Leftist Democrat Propaganda Machine) and a host of others in recent months. It's estimated that there are about 80 million of these Millies in the U.S., a pretty hefty demographic comprising about a third of our population. Though the 2016 elections are nearly a year-and-a-half away, this significant bloc of potential voters is being looked at with increasing interest -- more like with drooling jowls - by politicians of all stripes. And what, you might ask, have they found out?Studies -- and as we all know, studies must be taken with large grains of salt -- have painted a picture of a generation that is characterized as being confident and tolerant, but also narcissistic, detached from institutions, networked with friends, and with a sense of entitlement. They appear to be more concerned with gaining personal wealth than Gens X and Y, but less interested in "developing a meaningful philosophy of life", and civic and environmental involvement (Millennials). And there are indications that these characteristics mostly apply to white Millies who grew up in the suburbs, were indoctrinated in government schools, and learned about life from leftist Hollywood movies and TeeVee sitcoms.
So, how does all this spin out in the political attitudes of this group? A new study by the online survey company Toluna.com has come up with the following:
Voting Behaviors / Plans:
- 30% typically vote in presidential elections, but not local elections
- 38% typically vote in both presidential and local elections
- 28% don't typically vote in presidential or local elections
- 91% plan to vote in the 2016 presidential election (Plans and reality are often two entirely different things-MO)
Right or Left?
- 41% Democratic Party
- 21% Republican Party
- 16% Independent party
- 22% don't associate with a political party
- 31% say it's somewhat or very likely that the voting choice of one or both of your parents will influence your voting choice
- 32% say not at all likely that the voting choice of one or both of your parents will influence your voting choice
- 40% say financial issues (perhaps not surprising that the generation with the most debt is focused most on financial issues!)
- 25% say social issues
- 35% say they're both equally important
- TV 72% (The Boob Tube Still Reigns Supreme!)
- Facebook 56%
- Online news outlets 47%
- Newspapers 37% (Print is not dead!)
- Twitter 29%
- Instagram 20%
- 17% have signage from a previous presidential election displayed somewhere that's visible to the public
- 10% have signage for the 2016 presidential election displayed somewhere that's visible to the public
- 76% have none
- 53% are very familiar with Clinton's stance
- 41% are very familiar with Romney's stance
- 59% have never heard of Martin O'Malley
- 59% have never heard of Jim Webb
- 67% have never heard of Lincoln Chafee
- 51% have never heard of Scott Walker
- 55% have never heard of Bernard Sanders
- 58% have never heard of Bobby Jindal
- 57% have never heard of Carly Fiorina
- 49% have never heard of Ben Carson
- 70% of women say it's very important to them that the candidate they vote for is a woman; 30% of men think the same
- 36% of respondents of Hispanic/Latino descent say it's somewhat important to them that the candidate they vote for is a minority
- An arrogant attitude: 50%
- Attacking their opponents too aggressively: 28%
- Cheesy advertisements: 14%
- Too harsh to interviewers: 8%
- I don't follow politics: 43%
- I haven't felt strongly about a particular candidate to vote for them: 25%
- I don't think my vote will make much of a difference in the scheme of things: 14%
- It's a hassle to register: 6%
- Other: 12%
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Michael Oberndorf, RPA——Bio and Archives
Michael Oberndorf, M.A. RPA, has finally succumbed to retirement after a couple of careers, the last being in Archaeology. Not working is way more challenging than most people assume, but I will NEVER give in and take up golf. I am instead, immersing myself in the Third World of Southeast Asian tropical isles. A rough task, but I will do my utmost to handle it! If you have comments, feel free to email me - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
