Millennials Hate Boomer Partisans: Nick Gillespie in Daily Beast
I've got a new piece up at The Daily Beast that talks about the Reason-Rupe Poll about Millennials.
There is virtually no good news for the GOP in the Reason-Rupe Poll. Just 22 percent of Millennials self-identify as Republican or lean that way while 43 percent of youth voters consider themselves Democrats or lean in that direction. A sizable 34 percent of Millennials are true independents (that is, they don't lean in either direction).
But forget about the seemingly massive Democratic advantage. After growing up under the Bush and Obama administrations, the Millennials are overwhelmingly skeptical of government's ability to do anything well.
Two-thirds agree that "government is usually inefficient and wasteful." In 2009, that number was just 42 percent. Across a range of 15 issues (including privacy, drug policy, taxes, spending, health care, and more), neither party wins a majority of Millennials. About six in 10 believe that government regulators are the tools of the special interests they are supposed to police and that federal agencies routinely abuse their power. A solid majority (55 percent) says businesses are paying their fair share of taxes.
To put the partisanship numbers in perspective, chew on this: While 22 percent of millennials see them as Republican or GOP-leaning, 40 percent of voters 30 or older do. While 43 percent of millennials are Dems or lean that way, 49 percent of older voters do. And while 34 percent of young voters are independents, just 11 percent of older voters are.
