Rough and Tumblr Politics (continued)
Age |
Favorable |
Neutral |
Unfavorable |
DK |
(N) |
18 to 34 |
61% |
9% |
30% |
0% |
89 |
35 to 49 |
44% |
5% |
50% |
1% |
121 |
50 to 64 |
62% |
3% |
34% |
1% |
220 |
65 and over |
41% |
2% |
57% |
0% |
143 |
Age | Favorable |
Neutral | Unfavorable |
DK |
(N) |
18 to 34 |
25% |
9% |
62% |
5% |
89 |
35 to 49 |
53% |
6% |
40% |
0% |
120 |
50 to 64 |
39% |
6% |
53% |
2% |
220 |
65 and over |
58% |
3% |
39% |
0% |
143 |
From September 13, 2012 Granite State Poll by the UNH Survey Center
Age | Favorable |
Neutral |
Unfavorable |
DK |
(N) |
18 to 34 |
71% |
9% |
19% |
0% |
50 |
35 to 49 |
51% |
7% |
39% |
3% |
137 |
50 to 64 |
56% |
7% |
36% |
1% |
186 |
65 and over |
49% |
13% |
35% |
4% |
122 |
Age | Favorable |
Neutral |
Unfavorable |
DK |
(N) |
18 to 34 |
38% |
13% |
49% |
0% |
50 |
35 to 49 |
59% |
4% |
32% |
4% |
137 |
50 to 64 |
57% |
8% |
34% |
1% |
187 |
65 and over |
48% |
15% |
37% |
0% |
122 |
From September 22, 2008 Granite State Poll by the UNH Survey Center
The young voter vista
One reason that news organizations—and the campaigns they cover—are interested in the perspectives of college-aged students like DeSchuiteneer is because young voters were such enthusiastic participants in the 2008 elections. According to a Pew Research Center report, the 18 to 29 age group attended more campaign rallies than older voters, and nearly one in ten donated money to a presidential campaign. Young voters also supported Obama 2 to 1 over McCain.
While quick to say that he hasn’t conducted any polls and isn’t an expert on student political opinion, DeSchuiteneer nonetheless has a sense of what many young voters at UNH are most concerned about in this election: the economy. Some students are worried about student loans and how they will handle the debt upon graduation. Others are anxious about finding jobs.
“In this election generally, social issues have taken a backseat to the economic issues that we've been seeing in the country,” says DeSchuiteneer. “And that holds true for students as well. We’re coming to an age where we have to care about the state of the economy for the first time.”
Whether or not the concerns of young voters will find expression at the polls—and which candidate will benefit—is less clear in 2012 than it was in 2008. A recent Pew Research Center report indicates that youth engagement in the national elections is down. In fact, registration for young voters in the first six months of 2012 is the lowest of the last five presidential elections. The gap between support for the Democratic candidate vs. the Republican candidate has also decreased, largely through a shift of young men and young white voters towards Romney, though the support overall is still heavily in favor of Obama.
A UNH Survey Center report released last month showed that Obama’s favorability rating among likely voters in New Hampshire aged 18 to 34 is down 10 points from the same time in 2008, 71% to 61%. However, Romney’s favorability rating is also down from that of McCain in 2008, with Romney at 25% while McCain was at 38%. Some young voters in New Hampshire may be disaffected with Obama, but many more do not view Romney favorably either. The question is will these young voters choose the lesser of two evils on November 6, vote for a third-party candidate, or just stay home.
Based on DeSchuiteneer’s talks with fellow UNH students, enthusiasm for the election process this year is decidedly mixed. Some students are excited to vote, some have lost faith in the two-party system, and some just aren’t tuned into politics at all. While the mix of attitudes may not be unusual, in a swing state like New Hampshire, a high rate of enthusiasm or apathy in a voting block can make a difference. Over the coming weeks, both parties will likely try to inspire New Hampshire’s young voters to act.
The feverish fight for the youth vote is part of what makes politics in New Hampshire so exciting—every vote matters. As DeSchuiteneer points out in his blog, “With any given election, the unpredictable New Hampshire has the potential to surprise the nation.”
—Susan Dumais
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