Washblog

Aug. 7 (Bloomberg)

-- President George W. Bush's hopes of attracting a new generation of voters to the Republican Party may be fading, as younger Americans are far more critical of his job performance than the broader population.

A Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll of Americans age 18 to 24 found Bush's approval rating was 20 percent, with 53 percent disapproving and 28 percent with no opinion. That compares to a 40 percent approval rating among Americans of all ages in a separate Bloomberg/Times poll.

Much like Franklin Roosevelt attracted a new generation of voters with the New Deal, Bush and his administration have had high hopes of drawing younger voters to his party. He has sought to do that through policy initiatives aimed at creating an ``ownership society,'' and public relations tactics like a Youth Convention at the party's 2004 national convention, in which his twin daughters took the stage.

Among the initiatives aimed at drawing a new generation into the Republican fold are health-care savings accounts, elimination of the so-called marriage penalty in the U.S. tax code, and Bush's proposal to create private investment accounts from a portion of Social Security payroll taxes. `Younger Americans really want to see some leadership,'' Bush said last year as he launched his Social Security plan.

Instead, the Social Security initiative flopped in Congress after attracting criticism from the public and lawmakers of both parties, and health-care savings accounts haven't done much to expand coverage, with only about 1 percent of the U.S. population currently participating in them.

Social Issues

Bush's 2004 re-election strategy also may have damaged his party's standing with younger voters by stressing things intended to drive religious voters concerned about social issues to the ballot box, such as opposition to gay marriage.

``The very cultural issues the president wants to use to rally his party's base are exactly the issues that are alienating younger voters,'' said Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. ``Across a broad swath of social issues, younger Americans see the administration as being out of line with what they believe.''

The war in Iraq is also a major factor driving down public opinion among young voters, said Hans Riemer, political director at Rock the Vote, a group that works to get young people involved in civic life.

"Young people take it very personally,'' he said. "They feel like it's their generation that's been asked to sacrifice."

It's their generation and someone is asking them to sacrifice with nothing to show or value that sacrifice.

My wife let the Mormon missionaries in the house Thursday night and then went upstairs to her computer, abandoning me to my fate.

I used to be one of those when I was a member ... so we talked religion ... spiritually liberal me versus anti-gay Utah-Bush-Supporting them ... politically liberal me versus politically conservative Republican them.

"What do you think of Hilary Clinton?" one of them asked me.

"I'm not ready to support her, I responded."

"Me neither!" He said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"She'll put in a draft." he said.

"So? Nothing like a good draft to equalize the risk and sacrifice in this country." I said.

"I don't want to go over there and fight." he said.

I rest my case.

Go preach to the young. They are aware ... very aware of Iraq.

McGavick, Reichart, McMorris, Hastings, none of them have got an answer for that. The Republican talking points do not include dealing with the war in any coherent or logical manner.

And won't have until Rove declares a miracle turn-about revelation from the God of Robertson Falwell, and Dobson and has Bush withdraw lots of troops right before the November vote.