You know things are bad when one of your key demographics think you’re performing poorly. That’s the problem the Obama’s reelection campaign is facing right now, as a new Resurgent Republic focus group memo shows.
In four different focus groups held with swing state voters (two in Raleigh, N.C. and two others in Columbus, Ohio), one thing was obvious: young American voters are not satisfied with the president. They are disheartened with the direction of the country and disappointed with how reality clashed with expectations when Obama took the Oval Office.
Most of the young voters in the group said they thought the economy was not getting any better and are especially aware of the prevalence of real unemployment and underemployment. Underemployment is a particularly important issue with these voters as they finish school, emerge into the workforce and are often forced to take jobs below their skill level.
And it doesn’t stop there. Among those in the focus groups, the rising national debt and growing deficit were huge issues as well. Young Americans have come to terms with the fact that they will be the ones who have to pay down the debt. They recognize the need for spending reforms and see the debt as a hindrance to economic growth in the future.
That’s a lot of dimly-perceived issues for a president seeking reelection to deal with, especially on that largely got his first term thanks to the youth vote – and that’s not even including their dismay over gas prices.
So what’s Obama to do? Well, try and make young Americans all about him again, of course.
The Obama campaign recently launched “Gen44,” a program designed to allegedly cultivate a new legion of young Democratic leaders, but, as is exemplified in the name – a reference to Obama as the 44th President of the United States – it is also an attempt to draw in and rally young voters once more around Barack Obama.
“We won in 2008 because we didn’t play the same old game with the same old players. That’s how we’re gonna win in 2012,” Obama said in a campaign video introducing Gen 44. “The best advocate for this campaign isn’t me. It’s you.”
It’s another of the slick media ploys we’ve seen Obama’s reelection campaign roll out in recent months. But as Resurgent Republic’s study reminds us, Obama will have to do more than launch another targeted website if he wants to win back the support among young voters he won four years ago.
About Brandon Kiser
I am very disatisfied with not only the President’s first term, but Im not happy with the partisan debate in Washington D.C. Congress is not getting anything concrete, or major for the American People done. I blame both parties. I am very unhappy with the choice of Obama and Romney. Romney pushed an identical version of the Affordable Care Act to reform healthcare in Massachusetts and is lying to the people by saying its different. He plans on attacking the Obama Administration on taxes but he plans to do even more tax cuts for the wealthiest americans while cutting programs and services for the poorest to do it. Is that fair? No. Thats the point Obama is making and it makes sense but the bigger issues are with spending. We need to cut it in a balanced way. If Bush Tax Cuts helped economy why were the past ten years horrible for job growth… basically since the cuts were enacted middle class families have seen incomes fall fast while wealthy americans see it either grow more or grow dramatically higher into record profits. Romney has a tax plan which is almost identical to the awful and confusing code we have now. We need someone who supports a flat tax or a more fair tax structure. I am not satisfied with either choice however since Obama took office when we were in a great recession.. he has made very good and decisive moves by taking out Bin Laden and killing off Al-Qaida terrorist leaders. Pulling troops out of middle east which Romney wont do as fast. Helping Libya get rid of Ghaddafi without putting boots on the ground and using a uni-lateral approach to save money and resources. Lowered taxes since being in office. Has not raised taxes once. Auto Industry is now back on top and under Romney it would have faced bankruptcy and many thousands of workers would have lost theyre jobs. Unemployment would have been much worse without Stimulus. Before Obama was for a Stimulus Package that included 1/3 tax cuts for businesses and middle class families, and funding to keep public sector employees employed for additional year or two. (Teachers in the classrooms, firefighters, and police officers/first responders). It was supported by Romney until Obama supported it. Healthcare Reform with a mandate was supported by Romney and many Republicans til Obama adopted the idea. I rather stick with Obama. Would want Ron Paul over Romney to vote for but Ill have to vote with Obama/Biden before I vote for a fake character like Willard I mean Mitt Romney
The big decisions our country faces will be better dealt with under President Obama and a congress which works in a bi-partisan and balanced way to cut debt, reform entitlements, welfare reform, tax reform, etc. These issues need grown ups in the room. If Romney is elected, all the sacrifice will be faced by the poorest americans in the country.