GOP says it too can draw youth vote

ST. PAUL, Minn.

Advertisers target them.

Companies with products to pitch covet their discretionary dollars.

And every four years, presidential campaigns woo young people to vote, only to be disappointed by low turnout among the group.

While much has been made of the strong showing Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama had with that voting bloc during the presidential primaries, Virginia's Republicans say they, too, have made major strides attracting young voters.

As the GOP faithful gather for their four-day national convention beginning Monday in the Xcel Energy Center, they see younger voters as an important part of their coalition.

"Republicans are doing a lot to reach out to young voters and we have quite a lot of young voters," said Virginia GOP Chairman Jeff Frederick, 32, who identifies himself as the youngest state party chief in the nation.

Republicans contend that some young voters' loyalty to Democratic ideals shifts quickly after college, which Frederick called bastions of "liberal indoctrination."

"There's no personal experience that makes you want to be a Republican more than looking at your paycheck and seeing how much comes out in taxes," said Ben Marchi, 30, an alternate delegate from Albemarle County who is a lobbyist for a government spending reform group.

While the GOP might still be their fathers' party, younger Republicans maintain it also belongs to them.

"There is kind of this notion that the Republican Party is for your very traditional, middle-age, senior-age, citizens. And that's not true," said Jonathan Krive, a 22-year-old delegate from Falls Church.

A staunchly pro-life veteran of several political campaigns who chairs the city's GOP committee, Krive said, "Republican principles are ones young people care about."

As proof of the youth energy, party elders point to growing activity in GOP clubs on college campuses and among young professionals.

They also cite active voter registration drives, grass-roots efforts ranging from traditional shoe-leather politics to the new reach that technology provides.

"Don't let the press fool you," proclaims the latest e-mail newsletter from the Young Republican Federation of Virginia. "Republican young professionals ages 21-41 are fired up about the upcoming 2008 election year!"

Despite the expressions of confidence, statistical data indicate that the GOP has an uphill climb, however.

Between 2004 and 2008, voters ages 18-29 who identified themselves as Democrats grew from 50 to 58 percent, according to a recent Pew Research Center analysis.

Conversely, the study found GOP identification dropped from 40 to 33 percent among that age group during the same period.

When a sked to explain that widening gap, several Republicans offered a similar answer: The Democrats' message appeals to youthful idealism, while the GOP's is tempered with pragmatism that plays better with older adults.

"Change is always exciting, and young people want to be part of that change," said Kate Maxwell, political director for the state College Republican Federation.

"I can relate to that," continued Maxwell, 20, the youngest Virginia delegate to the Republican National Convention, though she rejects the notion that Democrats have a monopoly on youth voters.

Nevertheless, turnout in Virginia's Feb. 12 primary election illustrates the rift between Republicans and some younger voters.

State voters, age 18-29, cast nearly 135,000 ballots in the Democratic presidential primary, more than double the roughly 53,000 tallied for Republican candidates, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University in Massachusetts.

Some of the difference in those totals can be linked to the contentious Democratic primary race between Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, by then Sen. John McCain was the only viable candidate still on the GOP ballot.

The weaker Republican turnout might also evidence the excitement Obama's campaign has sparked among younger voters; however, those same voters have been historically less reliable come Election Day.

One reason, said Christopher Newport University political science professor Quentin Kidd, is "when you're 21 years old, it's hard to see what you have invested in the system."

In 2004, for example, fewer than half of citizens ages 18-24 voted in the presidential election, compared to two-thirds of those older than 25.

This year, University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato predicts "overwhelming" support for Obama among youth voters whose participation, he believes, will be as high as it's been in decades.

However, he added, McCain is "disproportionately" ahead with seniors - a more reliable, and powerful bloc.

"Which segment would you rather have? The answer is voters over 60," Sabato said.

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com