Surprising trends and bold predictions about young voters
Also in today's edition: The Barbie snub, the truth about StockTok and Taylor's vinyl domination
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Primary season starts… but is the race already over?
The first primary election (that isn’t a caucus) kicked off this Tuesday in New Hampshire and former President Trump cemented his frontrunner status by beating fellow Republican Nikki Haley by 11 points. Haley has vowed to stay in the race, but it’s looking highly unlikely she can win any other state contests.
Is the youth vote leaning more towards Trump?
Trump’s win wasn’t surprising, but one thing from the New Hampshire exit polls did catch our eye: Trump is slightly more popular with 18-29 year olds than all older generations. (More on our Instagram) Poll respondents were Republicans and independents who voted in the New Hampshire primary.
Trump did well with youth against Nikki Haley, but can he beat Biden? The common wisdom is that President Biden would win the majority of the youth vote. But these exit polls, along with other recent polling, could be signaling that Trump is on track to win more young voters than in previous elections.
A glimpse into New Hampshire’s young voters
Zivvy teamed up in New Hampshire with students from American University’s School of Communication and School of Public Affairs. Students in AU’s Presidential Primaries course traveled to New Hampshire for the primary to talk to young voters on the ground. Here’s a roundup of what they reported:
➡️ Young voters keep options open by registering as independent
University of New Hampshire student Michael Bauer wanted to vote in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary for Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis ended his campaign over the weekend, but as a registered independent, Bauer had the option to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary. As Mina Allen writes, Bauer is part of a growing trend among Gen Z voters who are registering as independents to have the ability to choose candidates regardless of their party affiliation.
➡️ Student volunteer thinks Nikki Haley is the right candidate for Gen Z
Liam O’Connor traveled to New Hampshire from Syracuse, NY where he is a sophomore in college to volunteer for Nikki Haley in Tuesday’s primary. O’Connor tells Genesis Magpayo why he believes Haley’s optimism can inspire young voters who are worried about the economy and are looking for bi-partisanship.
➡️ Teen Trump supporter gains appreciation for Democratic candidate Dean Phillips
Isaac Copeland spoke with 16-year-old New Hampshire high school student Leam Carter. Carter likes Donald Trump but attended a rally for Democratic candidate Dean Phillips with his 76-year-old queer grandmother. Carter tells Copeland he is looking at the presidential candidates in a different light.
There’s more to unpack on the elections…
➡️ NH primary reflects nationwide young voter uncertainty
Boston University also had students on the ground in New Hampshire, and spoke to a high school teacher who said the lack of excitement among young voters is concerning. (via BU News Service)
➡️ Similarly, a Harvard Youth Poll found young voters are less likely to show up in 2024 than they did in 2020
The Fall 2023 Harvard Youth Poll also showed President Biden maintaining a solid lead among 18-to-29-year-olds in a head-to-head matchup with former President Trump, but independent candidates like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. could eat into Biden’s support. (via Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics)
➡️ The widening Gen Z gender gap
With the growth of the #MeToo movement, Gen Z women have become increasingly liberal, while Gen Z men are embracing more conservative views.(via Business Insider)
➡️ How Gen Z political trolls are taking the GOP offline
The liberal Gen Z-led group Voters for Tomorrow is buying up domain names related to the top Republican primary candidates in an effort to sway young voters in battleground states from backing Republicans. (via Wired)
➡️ Young Republicans to the GOP: Hello?
A conference of Gen Z conservatives in Iowa was full of youthful enthusiasm, but these aspiring politicians worry the GOP isn’t doing enough to reach out and engage young voters. (via Politico)
➡️ Can anything excite young voters?
Some members of Gen Z are sitting out the 2024 presidential election, while others are holding their nose and going to the polls, despite not being enthusiastic about any of the candidates. Young voters open up about how to reach the disillusioned youth vote. (via Cosmopolitan)
➡️ Exclusive poll: Gen Z is less religious, less Republican than others
What U.S. adults and teens say their party political affiliation is, by generation. (via Axios)
➡️ Jon Stewart returns to ‘The Daily Show’ for 2024 election cycle
Paramount has been seeking a new host since Trevor Noah left the show in 2022. (via Rolling Stone)
About that bread
➡️ Students discuss Social Security
Some highlights from the submissions:
- “The young will resent the old and everyone will be worse off.”
- “I don’t expect to see a dime. The population is getting too old.”
- “The biggest Ponzi scheme on Earth.”
- “We need a productivity boost.” (via WSJ)
➡️ StockTok is all the rage, but report finds most stock advice on TikTok is misleading
The vast majority of stock-related videos don't include disclaimers, and more than a third push specific stocks. (via Fast Company)
➡️ Environment or economy, which is more important?
Some experts say that climate change is the greatest threat the world has ever faced, and its made worse when countries focus too much on the economy. Others argue that without economic growth, humanity would be harmed. Where do you stand? (Zivvy collab with Ponderly)
On the radar
➡️ Why isn’t Barbie enough for an Oscar?
Barbie fans are in an uproar after director Greta Gerwig and star Margot Robbie were snubbed by the Oscars. (via Yahoo News)
➡️ How Anyone But You became a surprise box office hit
Why this romcom is turning into a word-of-mouth hit weeks after its opening. (via The Atlantic)
➡️ Is anime is bigger than the NFL?
A new study shows a shift in what constitutes ‘mega-entertainment.’ (via Polygon)
➡️ TikTok launches auto scrolling. will it replace Doomscrolling?
Using auto scroll means you don’t have to flip through videos. (via Forbes)
➡️ Is it safe to eat snow?
Reese Witherspoon's Chococinno sparks a TikTok debate. (Via PopSugar)
More on our ‘gram
➡️ Is Taylor Swift a big reason vinyl sales are surging?
One out of every 15 record albums sold in 2023 was a Taylor Swift album. Is she part of the reason vinyl is making a comeback?
And that’s a wrap on our first newsletter. So... what’d you think? If you like’d it, please share it with your friends. Please reply to this email, drop us a note here, or slide into our DMs with your thoughts. Thanks!
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Definitely an interesting trend that more younger people are considering registering as independent rather than affiliating with either party -- great summary!