The Young and the Relevant
Powerline once again proves its readers are some of the best, but just as important Powerline understands it and listens to them, as in this case. It shows how young voters are not only some of Bush's strongest supporters, but is where he has huge leads in age demographics.
Hindrocket theorizes (very modestly) that it is similar to the way young people were drawn to Reagan's optimism and confidence. That has much to do with it, but I am almost near shock Hindrocket is leaving out one of the most crucial elements to this change of tide - information.
For young people today, information is like breathing, anymore. The importance of the Internet should not be underestimated in this election and those most skilled at extracting information from the world wide web is this 18-30 group. We don't even remember a time when there were NO computers in school. And this is why the outting of the CBS scandal is not only devistating for CBS but for the entire "legacy" media. Our generation is plugged in like none other before us - conversing with others on the opposite side of the world in real time and very inexpensively. THERE ARE IRANIAN BLOGGERS!!!! We crave information - almost lust after it. I'll admit it. It might even be dangerous for some of us, but it's true. What is even more true is that Dan Rather cannot stop it even though he would like to. On the contrary, he just put the media revolution into warp speed. There is no turning back, now. Our generation is not going to be buying newspapers or watching network nightly news. Whoever is vying for Dan's job is like the one fighting hard to become the newest department head of IBM's typewriter division in 1992. I've never bought a typewriter - I don't imagine my children will ever watch network news broadcasts. But here is the kicker about this media revolution - now that we are becoming ever increasingly aware of it we're sharing it with our parents and the message is being embraced like a child who found himself lost in a crowd and has been reunited with his mother. Don't think this isn't huge - it's beyond the "legacy" media's wildest nightmares, and it shows.
But lets refocus on the election. Now that we have determined the 18-30 age demographic is the one with the most access to information there is only one question to ask: Who has won the battle of the internet (or you could say, lose)? Win = Bush; loss = Kerry. It should not be pooh-poohed the effect that Swiftboat Vets and the blogosphere has played. Of course, maybe I'm preaching to the choir.
Another element Hindrocket appears to glance over is Vietnam. The 18-30 agers DON'T care about Vietnam, EXCEPT for one aspect - the effect the John Kerries had on their fathers as they returned home to a place they did not recognize. Don't think the children of these soldiers don't understand the unwarranted shame their parents went through and don't hesitate to think for a moment they do not take it personally, as well. Even so, the percentage of elligible males who served in Vietnam would not account for such a swing in young voters.
The truth of the matter is WE DON'T CARE about Vietnam - it's in the past and the only ones who want to rehash it are those who want to continue opening a wound to exploit it for their own sadistic agendas. There is only one reason my generation is willing to accpet the opening of the wound and that is to restore what was taken from those soldiers. John Kerry opened it again this year - he's not interested in healing it, only exploiting it. Because of his complete and utter lack of interest in repenting for the injustices he perpetrated against the patriots who served their country valiantly WE despise him for it. We are angry with him for bringing the subject up, again and doing nothing to put it to rest, instead going through it like a dirt devil, throwing the settled dust up and into our eyes, noses, lungs and hearts, suffocating and blinding our outlook on the future. That is why the Swiftboat Vets were a hit. Because we despised Kerry for "highlighting" his four months in Vietnam and conveniently leaving out his activities after returning. He treated us like morons, like we'd never find out what he did in the Senate, how phony he was with his activities and how selfserving they were, but the Swiftboat Vets came to the rescue and put him in his place. John Kerry will never recover from that - NOT in this election, not EVER! There is something the Swiftboat Vets (and all vets who served in Vietnam and are countering Kerry's phoniness) might not realize - they may not have been hailed as heros by their generation, but they are HEROS to this generation for coming along and saving us from making a big mistake by electing Kerry. Granted, I was always convinced Bush had this re-election bagged, but for some there were doubts, even on who they might vote for. Not now, not after the Swiftboat Vets - they have won the last battle of Vietnam, even though there are skirmishes taking place. I am proud of them for their resolve and standing firm, even in the face of contempt by the "legacy" media. They showed the way. They showed us how to enter the heat of battle against a seeminly giant opponent and take the advantage away with dignity, integrity and class. Even though many of the bloggers who pushed the CBS story through to the forefront are not in the 18-30 demographic their readers are and if they did not have enough readers their message would have fallen on deaf ears. Blogs' effectiveness lives and dies on the volume of their readership.
The last aspect that effects the 18-30 dem. is of course 9/11. The only thing I have to say about that is we see it as OUR time in history to protect and defend the constitution, our way of life, our values and standard of living against enemies foreign and domestic. We see President Bush as the one forwarding that agenda and view John Kerry and the Democrats as the road blocks to accomplishing it in a timely, efficient and effective manner.
Message to dissenting Democrats - remove yourselves from the way to victory or be demolished in November.
My guess is that message will fall on deaf ears.
UPDATE: The Mudville Gazette is being blogged from Iraq now and he's got something to say about that determination to previal in this struggle I warned the Democrats to get out of the way of.
Hindrocket theorizes (very modestly) that it is similar to the way young people were drawn to Reagan's optimism and confidence. That has much to do with it, but I am almost near shock Hindrocket is leaving out one of the most crucial elements to this change of tide - information.
For young people today, information is like breathing, anymore. The importance of the Internet should not be underestimated in this election and those most skilled at extracting information from the world wide web is this 18-30 group. We don't even remember a time when there were NO computers in school. And this is why the outting of the CBS scandal is not only devistating for CBS but for the entire "legacy" media. Our generation is plugged in like none other before us - conversing with others on the opposite side of the world in real time and very inexpensively. THERE ARE IRANIAN BLOGGERS!!!! We crave information - almost lust after it. I'll admit it. It might even be dangerous for some of us, but it's true. What is even more true is that Dan Rather cannot stop it even though he would like to. On the contrary, he just put the media revolution into warp speed. There is no turning back, now. Our generation is not going to be buying newspapers or watching network nightly news. Whoever is vying for Dan's job is like the one fighting hard to become the newest department head of IBM's typewriter division in 1992. I've never bought a typewriter - I don't imagine my children will ever watch network news broadcasts. But here is the kicker about this media revolution - now that we are becoming ever increasingly aware of it we're sharing it with our parents and the message is being embraced like a child who found himself lost in a crowd and has been reunited with his mother. Don't think this isn't huge - it's beyond the "legacy" media's wildest nightmares, and it shows.
But lets refocus on the election. Now that we have determined the 18-30 age demographic is the one with the most access to information there is only one question to ask: Who has won the battle of the internet (or you could say, lose)? Win = Bush; loss = Kerry. It should not be pooh-poohed the effect that Swiftboat Vets and the blogosphere has played. Of course, maybe I'm preaching to the choir.
Another element Hindrocket appears to glance over is Vietnam. The 18-30 agers DON'T care about Vietnam, EXCEPT for one aspect - the effect the John Kerries had on their fathers as they returned home to a place they did not recognize. Don't think the children of these soldiers don't understand the unwarranted shame their parents went through and don't hesitate to think for a moment they do not take it personally, as well. Even so, the percentage of elligible males who served in Vietnam would not account for such a swing in young voters.
The truth of the matter is WE DON'T CARE about Vietnam - it's in the past and the only ones who want to rehash it are those who want to continue opening a wound to exploit it for their own sadistic agendas. There is only one reason my generation is willing to accpet the opening of the wound and that is to restore what was taken from those soldiers. John Kerry opened it again this year - he's not interested in healing it, only exploiting it. Because of his complete and utter lack of interest in repenting for the injustices he perpetrated against the patriots who served their country valiantly WE despise him for it. We are angry with him for bringing the subject up, again and doing nothing to put it to rest, instead going through it like a dirt devil, throwing the settled dust up and into our eyes, noses, lungs and hearts, suffocating and blinding our outlook on the future. That is why the Swiftboat Vets were a hit. Because we despised Kerry for "highlighting" his four months in Vietnam and conveniently leaving out his activities after returning. He treated us like morons, like we'd never find out what he did in the Senate, how phony he was with his activities and how selfserving they were, but the Swiftboat Vets came to the rescue and put him in his place. John Kerry will never recover from that - NOT in this election, not EVER! There is something the Swiftboat Vets (and all vets who served in Vietnam and are countering Kerry's phoniness) might not realize - they may not have been hailed as heros by their generation, but they are HEROS to this generation for coming along and saving us from making a big mistake by electing Kerry. Granted, I was always convinced Bush had this re-election bagged, but for some there were doubts, even on who they might vote for. Not now, not after the Swiftboat Vets - they have won the last battle of Vietnam, even though there are skirmishes taking place. I am proud of them for their resolve and standing firm, even in the face of contempt by the "legacy" media. They showed the way. They showed us how to enter the heat of battle against a seeminly giant opponent and take the advantage away with dignity, integrity and class. Even though many of the bloggers who pushed the CBS story through to the forefront are not in the 18-30 demographic their readers are and if they did not have enough readers their message would have fallen on deaf ears. Blogs' effectiveness lives and dies on the volume of their readership.
The last aspect that effects the 18-30 dem. is of course 9/11. The only thing I have to say about that is we see it as OUR time in history to protect and defend the constitution, our way of life, our values and standard of living against enemies foreign and domestic. We see President Bush as the one forwarding that agenda and view John Kerry and the Democrats as the road blocks to accomplishing it in a timely, efficient and effective manner.
Message to dissenting Democrats - remove yourselves from the way to victory or be demolished in November.
My guess is that message will fall on deaf ears.
UPDATE: The Mudville Gazette is being blogged from Iraq now and he's got something to say about that determination to previal in this struggle I warned the Democrats to get out of the way of.
posted by Editor at 6:13 PM
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