Quick Hits - June 23rd: George Carlin, Public Financing, FISA, GOP Youth and Old, White Boomers
I’m at the Personal Democracy Forum conference today and tomorrow. I’ll be live blogging from some sessions later in the day. In the meantime, I want to remind you to please spread the word about our new user-blogs, and post up a few links that you might have missed this weekend:
- George Carlin, champion of free speech, is dead.. That sucks.
- The always interesting Colin Delaney (who I’m sure is here in the room somewhere) injects a little realism into the discussion in these 7 Lessons from the Obama Campaign.
- Screw the Millennials. Charlie Cook thinks this election is all about white, male, Baby Boomers. (I of course disagree).
- Most voters believe McCain is too old to be President, but younger voters are more accepting of his age than older voters.
- GOP youth are trying to put together their own convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul this summer.
- Obama made the news twice this week. First for withdrawing from the campaign finance system. Act Blue weighs-in on that decision (in favor of Obama’s decision). Second, Obama came out in support of the FISA “compromise.” Greg Sargent and Glenn Greenwald weigh-in on why this was extremely disappointing.
2008 Youth Vote in Context
The following charts and graphs are meant to contextualize the unique role that young voters played in the 2008 election, and their increasingly important role in a winning electoral coalition:
2008 Youth Electoral Map

2004 Youth Electoral Map

Youth Vote Partisan Advantage: 2000 - 2008

Youth Vote Historical Support: 1976 - 2008

Breaking News
Political Wire:
Happy 4th of July!Political Wire wishes everyone a great holiday!If you're on the go, be sure to follow @pwire on Twitter... you never know when interesting political news will break.Think Progress:
Obama: America was not built by ‘naysayers.’President Obama devotes his address this week to remembering the “indomitable spirit of the first American citizens” who built this country and the lessons we can apply to the current ...Political Wire:
Why Palin is No NixonRichard Nixon bounced back from losing a race for the California governorship -- when he said "You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore" -- by barnstorming around the country for Republican ...Think Progress:
A greener 4th of July.Scientists are increasingly worried that the beautiful fireworks millions of Americans will be watching this Independence Day contain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to the environment. A ...Political Wire:
Quitters Rarely WinBruce Reed looks at "the fallacy that successful presidential candidates are too busy to govern" and notes that in the last 20 years, "perseverers have prospered while quitters withered. Bill Clinton ...
Featured Video
Recent Blog Posts
-
Last week Sarah wrote about the lasting negative impacts recessions can have on society, decimating a generation's collective trust placed in important financial institutions and processes. There's ...by: Craig Berger | 0 comments
-
President Barack Obama delivered a speech yesterday citing depressing numbers about employment in the US but promising hope through innovation, green technologies, and assuring Americans that each ...by: Sarah Burris | 1 comment
-
What is it with Thomas Friedman and his insults? First, he wrote that Millennials were too quiet, too wrapped up in the internet to care about the country's direction. He then came back last ...by: Craig Berger | 1 comment
-
The Politics Of Social Networks And Keeping The Youth Vote Plugged In. In the UK, Gordon Brown pledges £1bn on jobs for young. Neda, Obama and the Power of Pictures. Thomas Friedman (again) smacks ...by: Rachel Krause | 0 comments
-
Passing along an invitation... Two things. I've collaborated with the National Conference on Citizenship through my work with CIRCLE. Also, I totally know David Smith and am grateful for his ...by: karlomarcelo | 0 comments
Advertising

A stirring tale of how progressives built America and lessons on creating the next Big Change Moment, from OpenLeft's Mike Lux.
"As inspiring as it is informative." -Arianna Huffington
"Mike is that rarest breed: a populist insider." -Wes Boyd
"Better than an OpenLeft flame war." -Chris Bowers
Blogroll
- Ablogistan
- Apophenia
- Bad Subjects
- Burnt Orange Report
- Campus Progress
- Campus Vote
- College Democrats
- Culture Blog
- The Daily Background
- The Daily Taylor
- Ezra Klein
- Everyday Citizen
- For Which It Stands
- Generation Next
- Got Democracy
- It’s Getting Hot in Here
- Kevin Bondelli
- Kid Oakland
- Kossacks Under 35
- Left in the West
- Liberal College Kid
- The Low Post
- Matt Ortega
- Michigan Liberal
- Michigan Youth Political Alliance
- Millennials Changing America
- Open Left
- Penn Progress
- Planting Liberally
- Policy Farm Team
- Political Teen Tidbits
- Prose Before Hos
- Pullman Progressive
- Pushback Network
- The Raw Story
- Rethinking Youth
- Rock the Vote
- Scoop 44
- Tapped
- Think Youth
- Young Democrats
- Young MO Politico
- Young People For
- Young Philly Politics
- Young-Politics
- Youth and Politics
- YouthinkLeft
- WireTap
- Wonkette
If you have a blog written by or for young progressives, and you would like to be listed, contact Mike.
Young Progressives
- 21st Century Dems
- Black Youth Vote
- The Bus Federation
- Campus Climate Challenge
- Campus Progress
- Campus Wellstone
- Center for Progressive Leadership
- College Democrats
- DNC Youth Council
- DMI Scholars
- Forward Montana
- Future 5000
- Generation Change
- Generational Alliance
- The League
- Kossacks Under 35
- Lose the Label
- Minnesota Youth Caucus
- New Era Colorado
- Oregon Bus Project
- Progressive U
- Roosevelt Institution
- Run For Office
- Students for a New American Politics
- Swing Semester
- USSA
- Washington Bus
- Young Democrats of America
- Young Elected Officials Network
- Young People For
- Young Voter PAC
Cultural Capitalizers
- All Ages Movement Project
- Billionaires for Bush
- Drinking Liberally
- Free Culture
- Head Count
- Hip Hop Summit Action Network
- Ironweed Films
- Justice Through Music
- Laughing Liberally
- Lokahi Outreach
- National Hip Hop Political Convention
- ONE Campaign
- Progressive Book Club
- Rock the Vote
- Screening Liberally
- Vera Project
- Youth Movement Records























