Dear politicos: Millennials are people, not a “target demographic”

From a panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference and her thoughts, she offered six thoughts on how campaigns could become more substantive for millennials and gain their votes. It’ll require candidates, however, to treat them as individuals rather than one bloc obsessed with Snapchat.

“Prioritize principles over party, ideas over ideology,” she writes. Independence-minded millennials don’t respect calls for loyalty to an institution or person. Hillary Clinton has fallen victim to that oversight, as millennials have ignored her outreach for the Bernie Sanders campaign.

“Be a person, not a platform,” Addington writes. Donald Trump has been successful on that front, as his attitude and ability to connect with voters has overshadowed his almost-empty repertoire of ideas on how to make America great again.

Above all, “have a positive vision,” she notes. A positive vision inspires the young for the future. Millennials are confident in the future, and candidates who tap into that confidence gain their votes. Barack Obama won the presidency on a message of hope and change, and Ron Paul in 2008 and 2012 attracted a new generation of Republicans, even if he couldn’t secure the nomination. Bernie Sanders is doing the same with his rallying banner of a political revolution. His slogan that he promotes “a future to believe in” was carefully chosen.

Millenial votes are up for grabs. They might not vote in numbers as significant as their grandparents, but the Democratic lock on young voters is a recent phenomenon. Young voters turned away from George W. Bush and John McCain Republicanism; when the GOP breaks from that for a better alternative, they could charm young voters again.

Or, if Republican candidates follow in Jeb Bush’s footsteps for millennial outreach, they’ll squander an opportunity.