Fecteau: Clinton's Millennial Mess

Fecteau: Clinton's Millennial Mess

After my failed candidacy for senate, on a connecting flight back overseas, I had the fortunate luck to sit next to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s Youth Vote Director, a 32-year old woman by the name of Sarah Audelo. I explained to Miss. Audelo, I was deeply disappointed in millennial (individuals between born between 1982 and 2004) voter turnout for my Rhode Island senate election.  I found millennials were viscerally concerned about the issues, but they simply didn’t express their concerns at the ballot box. While talking to Miss. Audelo, I realized my past concerns with millennials were similar to Clinton’s current concerns.  

Mrs. Clinton needs millennials, but millennials don’t seem to want her, and many may just stay home. Clinton’s hawkish foreign policy, and her support of the numerous free trade deals have left many millennials bitter about another Clinton presidency. 

The latest polls show Clinton is losing support among likely millennial voters to other candidates with little or no shot at winning. Millennials appear to be more drawn to the third party, ideological presidential candidates such as Libertarian Party’s Gary Johnson or the Green Party’s Jill Stein. To many of the youth vote, Clinton is viewed as business as usual. 

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The youth vote has been critical in the past.  President Barak Obama was propelled to victory by capturing a substantial amount of the youth vote in 2008 and 2012.  In 2008, according to some surveys, then Democratic presidential candidate Obama captured 60% of the voters between the age of 18 and 29. In stark contrast, Mrs. Clinton is receiving support of just 31% of those likely voters under 35 according to a Quinnipiac University poll. 

Part of this is Clinton’s fault. Mr. Clinton had an opportunity to invest in a candidate who could appeal to the millennials through her Vice President selection; she did not. Instead of picking a millennial backed outsider such as US Senator Elizabeth Warren or US Senator Bernie Sanders, she picked the safe, establishment choice, US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. While a solid, credentialed pick, Mr. Kaine is as insider as they come, and does little to galvanize the youth vote. 

While the race has Clinton currently leading GOP presidential candidate Trump, history has a way of being unpredictable and polls can be deceiving. One way to pacify millennials would be to promise her former millennial backed primary opponent, US Senator Sanders, a plum cabinet level position such as the Secretary of Labor. Mrs. Clinton needs to act soon for this election is definitely volatile. If not, staying home or voting for a third party candidate would be extremely appealing to youth voters.  Regardless, this is a mess of Clinton’s own making. 

Matt Fecteau ([email protected]) of Pawtucket, Rhode Island lost to state Senator Jamie Doyle in 2016’s Democratic primary. He is a former White House national security intern and Iraq war veteran.