Presidential Race Gathers Steam with Young Voters
Our Chase the Race 2016 coverage has begun in earnest. The Iowa Caucus has passed, and preparations are in full swing for the GOP Debate on February 25, Super Tuesday on March 1, and the Democratic Debate on March 9. The youth vote and perspective continues to drive undercurrents in the election, based on student reporters Charles Graham and Mikayla Kelz’s coverage of the Iowa Caucus.
Young voters have a say in their future, perhaps an even greater stake than most given the impact that the next president will have on their college and early professional experiences. Missouri State University Student Reporters Jacob Wood and Katie Brown told Charles Graham that it is incumbent on young voters to own their responsibility for the future.
The primary issues in the election range for the youth, varying from education and healthcare to job creation and national security. One Marco Rubio volunteer said he was looking for a more positive president that would address veterans’ affairs and the economy.
Chase the Race 2016 reporter Mikayla Kelz wanted to ask Marco Rubio what his position is on youth issues. Specifically, she wanted to know what Rubio’s intent was on college affordability, eliminating debt, and addressing long-term social security issues.
New York Times Political Correspondent Patrick Healy thinks the youth’s ability to make their voices heard and vote is pretty special. ‘They are the future, just like I used to be,” he said. Healy noted that when he was covering the Irag and Afghanistan wars he really came to appreciate how lucky Americans are to vote.
Healy went on to discuss Bernie Sanders views of the economy and how they are resonating against some core truths. He also noted how honest all of the candidates are, and that it was great that young voters get a chance to participate.
One aspect of the election that continues to dominate headlines are polling predictions from primary to primary. But what happens when polls don’t meet the reality of the actual votes cast by the citizens? Patrick Healy went on to discuss how this can add a lot of turmoil to the presidential race.
Chase the Race 2016 will continue next week in Houston for the final GOP debate. Afterwards, we will cover Super Tuesday from Virginia and the final Democratic Debate in Florida on March 9. There are several places for you to engage in meaningful conversations:
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If you have something to say about the elections, or want to ask our student reporters a question, just ping us using the #ChaseTheRace2016 hashtag. What do you think of the presidential election?