Election night: a 40-year flashback
I watched the election results intently last night, like most Americans. As the evening progressed, my thoughts about the outcome darted quickly and almost randomly to my life in America the past 50 years and election nights.
Last night seemed different.
Yes, I listened to reports on exit polls, watched the map of the U.S. change colors, heard pundits offer “insight” into the numbers and trends, and jumped between stations when some political “insider” irritated me.
But the images and the sounds from the television served as background.
Youth Voter Turnout Key in Iowa
The increase in the youth vote boosted the number of Iowans who caucused last night. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) reported 11 percent of eligible Iowans under 30 caucused in 2008, compared with four percent who caucused in 2004. CIRCLE’s research supports Rock the Vote’s Heather Smith’s belief that young men and women are no longer politically apathetic.
