“I need you,” Hillary Clinton told an auditorium full of students at Philadelphia’s Temple University this morning. “I need you as partners, not just for winning this election, but for driving real change.”
Hillary Clinton has a problem with young voters. And she knows it.
And with only 50 days to go before the general election, it seems Clinton and her allies are getting ready to make good use of Democratic MVPs to help her make an aggressive push to reignite a key portion of the “Obama Coalition:” millennials.
Later, he said “If I hear anybody saying their vote does not matter, that it doesn’t matter who we elect – read up on your history.” He ended with a direct call to African American Democrats who still have doubts about Clinton, saying, “I will consider it a personal insult – an insult to my legacy – if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election.”
The ad then features a Democratic National Convention clip of Bernie Sanders, who in effect says, if you won’t get out the vote for Hillary Clinton, get out the vote for me. “Our job now,” he says to his impassioned supporters, “is to see that strong Democratic platform implemented by a Democratic-controlled Senate, a Democratic House and a Hillary Clinton presidency.”
Then we see another millennial favorite, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren who has two requests: “The first one is, register to vote.” The second part: “Volunteer.” Michelle Obama picks up after Warren. “We need you to roll up your sleeves and get to work,” the First Lady asks. “Making calls, knocking on doors, thinking about those handful of votes that you could carry and get out on Election Day.”
“There can’t be any more motivation than that,” Clinton ends. “To make sure every young person, every person of color, every person with a disability, every older person turns out and votes.”
But the Clinton campaign is certainly trying to mend what has been called the “enthusiasm gap” with young voters. Clinton’s campaign and allied groups have teamed up with issue-specific super PACs, like NextGen Climate and EMILY’s List, to sponsor multimillion-dollar media outreach campaigns to young voters.
Clinton’s vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine told MSNBC’s Chuck Todd that the campaign was focusing on five key policy points to speak to millennial voters: college affordability, climate change, abortion rights, LGBT rights and immigration.
Maybe young voters will give the Clinton campaign an A for effort.
Hillary Clinton has a problem with young voters. And she knows it.
And with only 50 days to go before the general election, it seems Clinton and her allies are getting ready to make good use of Democratic MVPs to help her make an aggressive push to reignite a key portion of the “Obama Coalition:” millennials.
The Obamas, Clinton, Sanders and Warren: The Democratic GOTV Dream Team
The ad opens with quick clip of Clinton, before jumping to President Obama who delivered a searing speech at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner over the weekend where he pled, “My name may not be on the ballot, but our progress is on the ballot.”Later, he said “If I hear anybody saying their vote does not matter, that it doesn’t matter who we elect – read up on your history.” He ended with a direct call to African American Democrats who still have doubts about Clinton, saying, “I will consider it a personal insult – an insult to my legacy – if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election.”
The ad then features a Democratic National Convention clip of Bernie Sanders, who in effect says, if you won’t get out the vote for Hillary Clinton, get out the vote for me. “Our job now,” he says to his impassioned supporters, “is to see that strong Democratic platform implemented by a Democratic-controlled Senate, a Democratic House and a Hillary Clinton presidency.”
Then we see another millennial favorite, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren who has two requests: “The first one is, register to vote.” The second part: “Volunteer.” Michelle Obama picks up after Warren. “We need you to roll up your sleeves and get to work,” the First Lady asks. “Making calls, knocking on doors, thinking about those handful of votes that you could carry and get out on Election Day.”
“There can’t be any more motivation than that,” Clinton ends. “To make sure every young person, every person of color, every person with a disability, every older person turns out and votes.”
Are the Democrats Racing Towards a Turnout Problem?
In 2012, President Obama carried support of 60% of voters under 30. The same cannot be said for Clinton – a recent Quinnipiac University poll found that Clinton held the support of just 31% of voters aged 35 and younger. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson was right on her heels with 29%.But the Clinton campaign is certainly trying to mend what has been called the “enthusiasm gap” with young voters. Clinton’s campaign and allied groups have teamed up with issue-specific super PACs, like NextGen Climate and EMILY’s List, to sponsor multimillion-dollar media outreach campaigns to young voters.
Clinton’s vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine told MSNBC’s Chuck Todd that the campaign was focusing on five key policy points to speak to millennial voters: college affordability, climate change, abortion rights, LGBT rights and immigration.
Maybe young voters will give the Clinton campaign an A for effort.