Millennials: Voting Republican Will Get Us Back On The Right Track
Last fall, the media hailed the great Republican wave of 2014.
They touted the success we had in swing states and blue states.
They did in-depth analyses of the strategies employed and the sentiments of the country that led to such a decisive victory.
But, what the media didn't cover was the great triumph the GOP had with young voters last fall.
In Arkansas and Alaska, our candidates won the youth vote outright. In states like Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia and Iowa, young voters swung away from the candidates they had supported six years earlier.
Former Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) had Millennials swing away from her by an astounding 33 points compared to 2008.
Nationally, compared to the last time the 2014 Democrat Senators were on the ballot in 2008, Republicans won 13 percent more of the youth vote.
Our success wasn't by chance. Early in 2013, we put a plan in place to engage with more young voters, to listen to their concerns and to make sure our candidates were addressing their needs.
Democrats have long bragged that Millennials are a key part of their winning coalition, but we recognized there was no reason they should be uniformly committed to one party.
Among other things, we implemented a Campus Captains program that made sure in almost every college in almost every battleground state, we had young voters engaging with their peers, discussing the issues and encouraging them to vote.
The success we found in 2014 does not mean our work to earn Millennial votes is complete. We still have to show young voters our vision will increase access to the American Dream.
Democrats have taken young people for granted. They've paid lip service to Millennial needs and concerns, but after six years of the Obama presidency, one thing is clear: Voting for Democrats has not been working for Millennials.
A recent article in The Atlantic summarizes how bad the job market is for young people:
"Today's young-person problem does not seem to be about a lack of jobs or a lack of participation. It is, rather, a lack of good jobs, a dearth of raises, and a shortage of opportunities for this historically educated generation to put its historic number of degrees to work."
Facing a sluggish economy and few job prospects, Millennials are realizing Democrat policies aren't the answer.
Recent polling from Harvard shows Millennials are more receptive to Republican ideas than ever before: 52 percent of young people say they disapprove of the job President Obama's doing, 18 percent say they are looking for work, and 73 percent think it will be difficult to find job after graduation.
As Republicans, we want to increase access to the American Dream by making it easier to find that first job or start that company. We want to get government out of the way so you can chart your own path.
Ahead of the 2016 election, we will continue to build on the successes of 2014. We will refine our programs and employ new tactics to ensure that Millennials understand who Republicans are and where we stand.
We don't expect you will give us your vote, but we expect to earn your vote by fighting for policies that will get our economy moving again so you are not burdened by the “lack of good jobs, a dearth of raises and a shortage of opportunities.”
We will never stop fighting so America has a brighter future, and we will need your support. So, volunteer, talk to your friends about politics and, most importantly, go vote.
Together, we can get this country back on the right track.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of Elite Daily.
Citations: The Atlantic, Harvard IOP
