Guest AuthorA recent story about politics and elections caught my eye and it was, frankly, depressing.
Not depressing from the “I am glad people from Obama’s campaign are not seeking public office because I am way more conservative” point of view.
Although that pleases someone like me who wants a reduction in the size of the federal government and hopes that my children and my grandchildren are not saddled their entire lives paying off government debt.
A recent New York Times article focused on how relatively few “young people” are called to enter into electoral politics, which is apparently surprising.
The expectation seems to have been that with the Obama election, young people would have their political souls set on fire and decide to chase elected public service or some form of altruistic work.
As an example, the reporter chose one veteran of the Obama administration who in 2008 was in charge of all the baggage handling for the daily campaign. He soon was an assistant to David Axelrod and by the time he left fewer than three years later, he had “the grandiose title of director of strategic planning for the White House Council of Economic Advisers.”
Sounds like a talented young baggage handler can rise through the ranks quickly. His choice, after taking leave from Harvard Law School, was to run for the state Senate in Massachusetts. One only hopes that he has not accumulated too much student debt because being a state senator is not nearly as lucrative as other jobs a Harvard Law graduate could get.
The reporter, Jason Horowitz, compared young people from the Kennedy and Reagan eras to the young Obama supporters.
“The more notable movement of Obama supporters has been away from politics. It appears that few of the young people who voted for him, and even fewer Obama campaign and administration operatives, have decided to run for office,” Horowitz wrote.
Many of the Obama youngsters are becoming consultants, jobs that will make it easier for them to pay their student loans.
I was inclined to believe that Millenials were more distracted and less focused. I was wrong. Apparently it is better to provide advice to community activists than to be one.
The article cites a study by John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, who says the young Obama voters have lost interest in electoral politics. His surveys show that 18- to 29-year-olds have a 70 percent positive view of community service, yet only a 35 percent positive view about running for office.
My guess is that the respondents who think community service is positive also think it is more positive for someone else to do.
Of course, if the economy improves it’s possible that many young people will enter politics or public service. This has been a rough few years for young graduates. Jobs have been tight and opportunities not very available. Many graduates since 2008 have been forced to take jobs out of field just to make ends meet.
Dr. Ed H. Moore remains in search of a rebirth of wonder – and jobs for Florida’s graduates. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
