By most accounts, this presidential election has engaged and excited young voters.
Wayne Firestone, president and CEO of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, predicts in a JTA opinion article that 18-24 year olds “will emerge from this election as one of the most influential demographic groups in the United States.”
The Chronicle asked several first-time voters from the local Jewish community about their thoughts. Following are some of their responses:
Torah Academy of Milwaukee student
I just turned 18 back in September and I can’t wait to vote in the upcoming election!
It is funny how when you actually have a choice in any given matter, you are much more likely to take a serious interest in it. When I was in my younger teens, the elections honestly were really boring to me, and I couldn’t care less who won. I didn’t know what half of it meant back then anyway.
Now with the most recent presidential election coming around the bend, I knew I would have the chance to vote. That piqued my interest and got me really pondering the election.
On top of it, I am the only one in my school who can vote, so I feel it only makes sense to exercise my rights. It is a great feeling to be able to participate in something larger than the small bubble of my everyday existence.
As for who I want to vote for, well that has been a real challenge indeed. Many people around me are saying I should vote for so and so because of this or that, and honestly unless I do the research on my own it’s very hard to sift through all the gossip.
The trouble with it all is that in today’s day and age it is hard to know who is telling the truth and who is just doing it for the power play. The way I look at it is that in the end it is all up to God. No matter what I chose or who I think might be a better president, God knows what’s best and that is my greatest comfort. God only knows….
Homestead High School student
I think that this election has been an interesting one. Each side has made strategic and precise moves in order to get further ahead. No one side has been better than the other.
The economy, the war in Iraq and further education of America’s youth are things that I look into about each candidate.
I am excited to be able to vote in this election. Now I can put to use my civil liberty that is guaranteed by the Constitution. It is a privilege that only a few young people are granted with and I am making sure I put it to good use.
Every vote matters. One vote could make a difference in any election. It’s silly to think that your vote doesn’t matter. If everyone said that, no one would vote.
As the day of the presidential election draws near, and many people decide their own vote, I find myself becoming more and more politically aware. Although I was involved in the last presidential election, working at my local headquarters, I was unable to vote, and less concerned about the major issues, such as the economy, moral issues, and social issues. I found myself much more swept up in the movement itself, than the cause.
Now that I am registered, I find myself watching the debates, reading up on the candidates’ positions, and ranting to my friends, and family about whatever issues I see fit to rant about.
With the ability to vote, I no longer feel compelled to follow the party that I was brought up to believe in. I am choosing my candidate because of my own take on this election. I find myself looking into things more, and not voting simply for a political position, but voting for the future of this country.
I feel as though my vote is far more valuable than a simple political decision, as though I am deciding not only my own future, but the future of those unable to vote yet, and the conditions that will sway their vote. No longer do I trail a candidate for my own gratification, but because I am able to make a difference, and voice change.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student, majoring in Jewish Studies with minors in history and linguistics.
As a 20-year-old, I’m just starting to deal with many issues with which my parents have been dealing since before I was born. I’ve learned so much about politics in the last four years, and I feel privileged to be able to vote for president in such a historic election.
No matter what the outcome — whether it is Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin — each ticket has something we’ve never seen in the White House.
At the start of the primary season, I was actually a John Edwards supporter. I felt he was the average Joe who wanted to make a difference.
Unfortunately, he pulled out of the race, and I made the decision to back Barack Obama. I am impressed with Barack Obama in that he has made his campaign optimistic but realistic.
He has not insulted his opponent the way his opponent has negatively viewed him. He reaches out to working-class Americans, who account for the majority of the American population. Obama is much more current than McCain.
He knows the struggles we face today in terms of healthcare and the economy. He will get us out of this recession in time.
I hope that America makes the right choice. People may think that my choice is not right, and that’s fine, but I’m afraid of suffering a depression they way my grandparents did as children. I feel like Sen. John McCain will be to President George W. Bush the way FDR was to Hoover.
UWM student, majoring in music education
This being my first opportunity to vote in a major election, I find myself more bewildered by the political process than ever before.
This agonizingly long campaign season seems worse to me than elections past, though that could be attributed to the fact that now I need to pay attention.
Whether or not it’s true, I still contend that my vote counts, and as such I am trying to stay as educated as possible, but I find it challenging with how little I truly understand on matters such as the economy, health care, international relations, and American infrastructure.
I consider myself a liberal Democrat, and as such I am an Obama supporter. But if anyone were to ask why specifically I support Obama as opposed to McCain, I would be hard-pressed to give a detailed response based on their platforms.
What I do know, however, is this: When Obama speaks, I feel he has an honest rapport with the general public. He seems to have a better understanding of who and where we are — the not-so-elite American citizens.
What’s more, the positive atmosphere created by his political youth and idealism seems nowhere to be found in McCain’s candidacy. (Also, it doesn’t help that McCain’s running mate terrifies me.)
It is my hope that if Obama is elected, his optimism and idealism will be as contagious in Congress as it has been with his supporters.
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