Youths, Values and Obama

Greg Mankiw suggested that Obama’s landslide with the youth has to do with the Republican’s association with social conservatism. Bullocks. For one, Mankiw’s sample (Harvard students) is hardly representative of youth voters in general, but more importantly, values weren’t a huge part of campaign rhetoric.

On abortion, while Palin talked about Trig – it wasn’t as if Obama brandished his 100% record on abortion rights (quite the contrary…). On gay rights, Obama was as much for gay marriage as McCain. And I don’t think youths are necessarily against all “values” issues. Instead I offer to you the biggest reason why youths voted for Obama: he’s a rockstar compared to McCain.

Had Obama been a old, pudgy old man with white hair who, because of injuries, can’t lift his hands above the chest line – and didn’t have celebrities come to campaign stops that happen to be near or in university towns and campuses, even with the identical same issues, I don’t think many of the youth would even care. Obama is the most good looking president so far, and somewhat charismatic to boot.