Melissa Ross
The 2016 presidential candidate that wins Florida will do it by pulling off a nifty hat trick: appealing to both Baby Boomers AND Millennials.
“People don’t realize that the millennials as a group are larger in size than the boomers,” says Susan McManus, professor of political science at the University of South Florida.
In her column referencing what she calls Florida’s two “Super-Sized Generations,” McManus says to be successful in winning Florida in 2016 and beyond, campaigns will need to micro-target voters very differently across generations, sometimes even within the same party.
“It is imperative in Florida that campaigns understand the generational approach,” she writes.
“Simply put, there is no better place to observe the evolution of generational politics than in Florida. The makeup of the state’s registered voters is much more age-diverse than is commonly thought. While many still view the state as a “gray” state—one dominated by retirees—that image is very outdated. The age breakdown of current registrants is 50 and older (53%), under 50 (47%).”
So who among the presidential field can message that nimbly in the Sunshine State?
“Campaigns are hiring younger staffers to reach that demographic, but in terms of messaging, I think both sides are behind in reaching the millennials. The more traditional ads are still aimed at the boomers. People look at Florida and think old people dominate. In a presidential year that is just not so.”
One comment
Christopher M. Kennard
September 18, 2015 at 11:33 pm
I agree that both generations will have near equal sway in Florida in the 2016 Presidential election cycle. What makes this very interesting is the new Constitutional Amendment petition entitled RIGHT OF ADULTS TO CANNABIS. This petition is as simple and sweeping as it’s Ballot Title suggests. It makes the possession, use and cultivation of Cannabis legal for all adults over the age of 21. State legislation will fill in the details regarding DUI traffic infractions, public use, work place usage, and a host of others, much in the way we handle alcohol use. Most of the younger generation believe the legalization and medical use of marijuana to be long overdue. Many of my generation, now in our 60’s and older, well understand the value of medicinal marijuana, known better by it’s Latin name, cannabis. 88% of registered Floridian voters indicated support when voted upon a year ago, and the Medical Marijuana Constitutional Amendment came with a whisker of passing, with 57.7 % of the vote to pass the amendment. This time around, during the 2016 election, with both the Medical Marijuana petition and the legalize cannabis petition before the voters to pass, for medical use and recreational use, many believe new voters will register to vote, and many of those who became disillusioned with politics will come to vote on these issues, Medical Marijuana and the Right Of Adults To Cannabis. These voters may well hold the key to any aspirant running for state or national office. The numbers are there, the arguments persuasive.
The time has come, as the times, they are a’changin’. . . .
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