Youth Voting Trends in Republican Presidential Primaries

With three different winners in three different primaries, it appears that the Republican presidential nominee is still anyone’s guess.  However, there is one interesting trend in the Republican primaries. Compared to 2008, overall voter turnout has remained low, but whom young voters are supporting says more about the voters than the party.

In Iowa, 18,000 people under the age of 30 participated in the caucus. They represented only 4 percent of their entire eligible electorate. Hardly an impressive showing, but almost half of those voters chose Ron Paul.

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Ife

Bachmann Throws the Deuces

If you can’t win a caucus in your birthplace, it is definitely time to throw in the red, white, and blue towel. Today, Michele Bachmann announced that she was dropping out of the 2012 election after reports circulated about her sixth place position in her home state of Iowa. It’s apparent that if a candidate does not have the support of their local community, most likely they will not be viewed as a favorable candidate in other states as well.

Last night, Bachmann only received 6,073 votes, which was only 5 percent of the total votes cast. Let’s examine some potential reasons why her candidacy was so unpopular.

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Lashunda

Election 2012 Begins: Romney Wins Iowa Caucus by Just 8 Votes

#2012 has begun in spectacular fashion with Mitt Romney winning the Iowa Caucus by eight votes over Rick Santorum, it is the closest presidential GOP contest in history. The total amount was 30,015 to 30,007 votes, and was so close that the winner wasn’t announced until 2:30 a.m. Ron Paul came in third with 21 percent, Newt Gingrich had 13 percent, Rick Perry had 10 percent then announced he was returning to Texas to “reassess” his campaign. Michelle Bachmann had 5 percent of the vote and John Huntsman had 1 percent.

Hit the jump for the biggest surprise of the night…

Posted by:

Justin Burkhardt

77-Year-Old Congressman Fights Off Armed Intruder, Saves Daughter Held at Gunpoint

This is one incredible story. Rep. Leonard Boswell of Iowa intervened when an intruder broke into his home and took held his daughter hostage.

According to the Des Moines Register:

“‘There was an assailant, with my daughter on the floor, hand on her throat and a gun to her face,’ Boswell said Monday. ‘So I did what probably other fathers or parents would do, or any of you: I went after him.’

Boswell, 77, said he broke a rib when he tackled the intruder who had entered the unlocked front door, brandished a weapon and demanded money. The intruder fled when Boswell’s 22-year-old grandson pointed a shotgun at him, the congressman said.”

[VIDEO] after the jump:

Posted by:

The Editor

Winning the Fickle Vote

According to social scientists and political practitioners, people are less loyal to products and political parties than they were in the past…a trend that is likely to affect the next election.

Think about it…Everyone knows people who have abandoned their religion, been divorced, or changed their political affiliation. Americans today are more likely to make such important changes than ever before.

Peter Hart, Democratic pollster, found that college students are more willing to transfer schools and that 40% of Americans will change their religion at least once. Linda Lea Viken, divorce attorney, has found a clear increase in the number of divorces among the elderly, even after being married for fifty years.

So how does this affect elections? When running Howard Dean’s campaign in 2004, Joe Trippi witnessed the fickleness of Americans. After coming in third place in the Iowa caucuses, Dean lost his supporters as quickly as he gained them. According to Morris Fiorina, political science professor at Stanford University, “Obama benefited from the looser ties people have today…” (Not a surprise considering the distrust of the Bush administration.) However, “…the flip side is that he cannot count on the depth of support that a winning candidate might have had a generation ago…And, of course, if ties are looser, then change can occur faster than if the ties bind more tightly.”

After all, didn’t we learn not to trust politicians? It may not be fair to say that it’s bad to be fickle and good to be loyal. Of course, fickle isn’t exactly a positive adjective but blind allegiance isn’t something we want either. What do you think? Is it good that Americans aren’t bound to a specific politician or should we be more loyal?

Posted by:

Kiera Aaron