.@FrankLuntz firing off a lot of jokes. He says he has a “run Hillary run” sticker on his bumper. His front bumper. pic.twitter.com/cJvBOwRk86
— Ben Garbarek (@BenWSYX6) July 19, 2016
Pollster Frank Luntz has had a lot of news for Republicans about the youth vote at the convention this week, and it has not been good if the party hopes to win the demographic in this election cycle and for years to come.
Luntz told Florida Republicans that if the election were held that day, Hillary Clinton would win. He also emphasized the importance of Florida in the election, a swing state with 29 electoral votes at stake. “Your state is going to determine who wins and who loses this campaign,” he said during his first convention stop. “You in this room are going to determine and you have the power to make a difference in the future of the country.”
When it comes to re-building the party after Obama’s 2012 win, which was thanks to Florida, Luntz told those gathered they need to focus on young voters and Latinos.
The Sun Sentinel spoke to State Party Chairman Blaise Ingoglia who says they are working to register those key young and Latino voters, as well as projecting their messages into the communities. Specifically, they’re working on their technology and social media efforts.
Polling has shown a lead for Hillary Clinton among youth voters in swing states like Florida. Her lead is shrinking, however, while many don’t view her favorably and Donald Trump, who enjoys enthusiastic support, is rising.
If young people stay home in these key states, there could be concern for Hillary’s chances.
Colleges and universities are another factor when it comes to young voters, Luntz told South Carolina delegates on Tuesday. “We have lost. It’s not like we are losing, we have lost that generation. And I don’t care if you are a Democrat, Republican, independent, none of the above. The fact that 58 percent [of millennials] say socialism is the better form of economics, that is the damage of academia,” Luntz said at the breakfast event.
He said the “number one priority to me is what happens at universities” and referenced professors voting for Bernie Sanders.
Universities in New England, home to Ivy Leagues including Cornell, which is especially lacking in Republican professors and campaign contributions, are particularly liberal. Around the country conservative professors are in a difficult spot, while those who make anti-Republican remarks end up getting raises.
