Young Voters Need To Vote In Large Numbers This Year

 The following is part of a post by Dan Rather:

The youth vote saved this country in 2020. And if I may be so bold … we need young people and first-time voters to step up again. . . .

In the last presidential election, 50 percent — yes, half — of Americans aged 18-29 cast ballots. That’s a huge increase from 2016, when only 39 percent voted. The youth of this country quite literally saved us from four more years of Trump. 

In the upcoming election, 41 million members of Gen Z (those born 1995-2012) will be eligible to vote, 8 million for the first time. A survey from Harvard found that the majority support President Biden, though that support isn’t as strong as it was in 2020. When you break it down by gender, Biden leads by 6 points among young men and 30 points among young women. 

Recently my friend Jon Stewart posted an illuminating discussion he had with a young voter. . . .

An audience member told Stewart she thinks a lot of people her age (she’s 22), are “not happy with the choice of candidates we have in November.” She went on to explain, “We feel like our vote, our voice doesn’t matter.”. . .

Stewart emphatically told her that her voice counts. “Oh, it so matters,” he assured her. “Advertisers look at demographics, but the largest demographic that they look at is 18-24. That’s the one that means everything to them — use that power. I’m 61, I’m not even listed anymore. Don’t discount the power that you guys have. This is the fight. No generation ever feels empowered, or seen, or any of those things.”

I think Stewart hit the proverbial nail, hard. 

It’s understandable that a group of people new to the voting rolls might not recognize their political clout. Gen Z is not a monolith — no voting bloc is — but one thing its members do have in common is a naivete about the power they can wield. They will decide one of the most important elections in our history, if they vote. And on the issues most important to them — the economy, climate change, gun control, and abortion — they are more closely aligned with President Biden than Donald Trump. But they have to be assured, convinced that their vote will make a difference. That is a tall order when they get most of their news from doom scrolling on social media. 

So Stewart met them where they are, leaning into rather than discounting the malaise that many are feeling.

“I suggest trusting your discomfort, because you clearly feel it. But discomfort is a wonderful motivator,” he advised. “Action is the antidote to anxiety. And if you feel anxiety, it will lessen as you take action. Small actions, like a little bit every day. Honestly, that discomfort will spur you on. I am sure of it and your generation.”

Great advice, and I couldn’t agree more. Small actions can yield big dividends. Encourage the young people you know to register to vote, learn where candidates stand on issues, volunteer at a local food bank … anything that will engage this new generation of voters and show them that their votes and their voices can and will make a difference. Democracy depends on it.

Rand Paul Puts Politics Over The Lives Of First Responders

I truly believe that Rand Paul is one of the biggest hypocrites to ever walk the halls of Congress. He claims to be worried about the deficit and the national debt, but only shows that when it comes time to help real Americans.

He did not worry about the national debt when he voted to significantly increase an already bloated defense allotment. He increased the military appropriation with no regard for the national debt (which it increased).

And he did not worry about the national debt when he and his Republican buddies gave corporations and the rich massive tax cuts. He knew that would massively increase the national debt (to the tune of about a trillion dollars a year), but had no problem voting for it.

But now that a bill has come to the Senate to provide for helping 9/11 first responders fight the health problems rising from their brave actions, Paul is suddenly worried about the national debt. The bill passed the House overwhelmingly, but Paul says we can't afford to help those first responders (unless we cut funding for other hurting Americans).

Paul's stand against helping 9/11 responders is worse than just hypocritical. It is mean-spirited and stupid.

Jon Stewart is a supporter of the 9/11 first responders (as we all should be) and he has fought for the funding to help them. After Paul's atrocious delay of the bill, Stewart went into the belly of the right-wing beast (Fox News), and blasted Paul in an interview with Bret Baier. He said:

“Pardon me if I’m not impressed in any way by Rand Paul’s fiscal responsibility virtue signaling.”

“Bret, this is about what kind of society we have. At some point, we have to stand up for the people who have always stood up for us, and at this moment in time maybe cannot stand up for themselves due to their illnesses and their injuries. And what Rand Paul did today on the floor of the Senate was outrageous.”

“He is a guy who put us in hundreds of billions of dollars in debt. And now he’s going to tell us that a billion dollars a year over 10 years is just too much for us to handle? You know, there are some things that they have no trouble putting on the credit card, but somehow when it comes to the 9/11 first responder community — the cops, the firefighters, the construction workers, the volunteers, the survivors — all of a sudden we’ve got to go through this.”

“It’s an abomination.”