Young People and Conservatives: It’s a Two-Way Street

Lots of people are asking, what can conservatives do to better appeal to young voters? That is an entirely legitimate question, on which I have some thoughts. But they are for another day. At the moment, the point I want to make is that it’s a two-way street. A big part of the reason why more young people don’t vote conservative (i.e., as a practical matter, Republican) is that they have no freaking idea what is going on.

Think about it: an intelligent young person should be able to figure out that Obamanomics (zero or slow economic growth combined with a deliberate effort to make as many people as possible dependent on government) has been a disaster for young Americans; Obamacare has raised the price of individual insurance by requiring lots of coverages that young people don’t need; young people are getting shafted by the entitlement state, and so on. But it seems that most young people have not yet figured out even these basic elements of their own self-interest. They are too caught up in gay marriage. Or something.

Plus, way too many young people are lazy and ignorant when it comes to current events. The Founders envisioned a democratic, self-governing society in which citizens would take an active and informed interest in events. Watch this video, filmed at George Mason University–almost certainly above average in this regard–and judge for yourself how well students are fulfilling the Founders’ vision:

Conservatives need to do a better job of reaching out to young people. But, at the same time, young people need to pay at least a minimal amount of attention and be willing to invest a reasonable amount of time and energy in preserving their own futures.

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