Campaigns reach out to youth vote

It's a pretty safe bet that most college students won't be watching the presidential debate tonight. A scary thought for many, considering that by most accounts, the youth of America could be a determining factor in this year's election. Whoever wins the White House in the showdown on November 7 -- whether it be Vice President Al Gore or Texas Gov. George W. Bush -- will need the notoriously fickle youth vote, according to many experts. Alison Byrne Fields, creative director and chief strategist for Rock the Vote, feels that those aged 18 to 24 -- a group seen by some Americans as powerless in the political process -- have a tremendous amount of influence to wield in this election, the closest in decades. "They do have the power to decide things this time around," she said, explaining that since youth already make their presence felt economically by spending money, they can do the same by voting. And with four weeks remaining until Election Day, the campaigns have begun to communicate their messages to the young. Last week, Karenna Gore Schiff, daughter of the Democratic candidate, was on campus campaigning for her father, and the Bush campaign yesterday launched National Students for Bush/Cheney. "Students for Bush/Cheney is reaching out to young Americans from coast to coast," George P. Bush, nephew of the Republican candidate, said in a statement. George P. Bush and Schiff -- the young trendy political faces -- were both paraded at their respective conventions as leaders of the party's youth. "For all of our enterprise, so many of us look at the voting box and say 'whatever,'" Schiff said to a group of student Gore supporters last week. "But 2000 is our chance to buck that trend." Voting behavior of youth, however, does not paint an optimistic picture. "They don't turn out," Political Science Professor Henry Teune said bluntly. Federal Elections Commission data show that in the last three presidential elections, less than 10 percent of young voters turned out to vote. According to Teune, 1992 saw a small rise in youth voter turnout -- which he called an anomaly. "[It] basically had to do with the excitement of a three-way race," Teune said of the strong candidacy of billionaire businessman Ross Perot. Many disagree with Teune's surmise, however. Mance Bowden, national director of Young Republicans, feels that it is politically wise for the campaigns to cater to youth. "I definitely think it will make a huge difference in terms of numbers," she said. Each campaign, in fact, feels that they are effectively reaching out to the young. They point to issues that they feel young people identify with. "[Bush] has demonstrated a vision and a commitment to promoting excellence within our higher education system that college students throughout the country support," said Bryan McKinney, Students for Bush/Cheney state director. And the Gore campaign feels that they, too, have the youth vote in their pocket. "We honestly have been running the campaign on the bread and butter issues," said Mardee Xifaras, state director for the Gore campaign. But, according to Fields, neither campaign really cares about the issues that are important to the people Rock the Vote is trying to mobilize. "There is very little effort from the candidates," she said, explaining that, when watching the presidential debate of last week, "you go away with this impression that the majority of Americans are 65 or older." Green Party candidate Ralph Nader doesn't appear to be having the problem of getting youth support. Many in his campaign are of college age. "There's a level of sophistication that remains after the demise of the Reform Party," Teune said of students' enthusiasm for the third-party candidate. "There is a Nader element."