Reader's Digest Poll: Millennials are First Generation With Unique
Political Identity; Will Match Seniors in Turnout
Obama Beats McCain by Whopping 22 Points Among 18-29 Year-Olds
PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- An exclusive new poll
commissioned by Reader's Digest, the most widely-read magazine in the
world, finds that voters under 30, or Millennials, are changing the
landscape of American politics this year, and are likely to do so for years
to come.
"They are the first generation of young voters that could determine the
next president, and they are using technology to do it in this Facebook
Election," said Reader's Digest Washington Bureau Chief Carl M. Cannon.
Millennials in unprecedented numbers are in search of an aspirational
candidate who matches their commitment to giving back and they break
heavily toward Barack Obama, says Cannon. But while Millennials are more
liberal than their parents, they are not easy to typecast. They are more
religious than the stereotype of young liberals, with a quarter saying that
religion has become more important to them in the last few years; and when
replaced with the word "spiritual" that percentage climbs to one third.
Millennials eschew universal health coverage, agreeing with Obama's
healthcare plan and placing more emphasis on reducing the cost of health
care rather than expanding access to the uninsured.
As further defined in "The Facebook Election," the accompanying piece
by Cannon in the upcoming June issue of Reader's Digest, the Millennials,
which encompass 47 million young adults, constitute the first generation to
come of age in the 21st century. This ambitious demographic are the most
frequent users of popular social networking sites, such as Facebook and
MySpace, and are heavily engaged in volunteerism. Combined, these factors
could play a key role in finally allowing the young vote to determine the
winner in November. Not only does this generation have the potential to
shape the 2008 election, the poll findings indicate they will influence
both major political parties for years to come.
Millennials have found their political voice, not only through these
viral methods, but also by word of mouth. The Reader's Digest poll shows
that 47 percent have tried to influence the vote of a friend, and 36% have
tried to influence a parent.
According to the survey, Millennials favor Obama an eye-opening 55
percent to McCain's 33 percent in a head-to-head match-up. Clinton prevails
against McCain with 49 percent to 39 percent.
"This is historically unprecedented generational appeal for a national
candidate and shows that an aspirational campaign based on hope and a
better future hits the Millennial's sweet spot," says Cannon.
If the candidate they support does not win the nomination, 59 percent
of Millennial Democrats say they will support the nominee of the party
regardless, while 16 percent will go with McCain, and 17 percent are
unsure.
Bill Clinton is still admired by this generation, scoring higher
approval ratings than his wife. The former president rated 57 favorable
versus Sen. Clinton, who came in just under Al Gore (51) at 50. And Ralph
Nader, once the standard bearer for young, socially conscious voters, has
only a 17 favorable rating.
The survey was conducted for Reader's Digest by Massachusetts polling
firm SocialSphere Strategies, founded by John Della Volpe, director of
polling at Harvard University Institute of Politics. A total of 797 men and
women between 18 and 29 years-old were surveyed online between March 10 and
March 14.
The full article and more information about the poll can be found at
http://www.rd.com/facebookelection.
About Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest reaches nearly 40 million readers each month in the
United States and twice as many worldwide. Its U.S. website is
http://www.rd.com. The magazine is published worldwide in 51 editions and
22 languages, and reaches readers in more than 60 countries. It is the
flagship of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., a global publisher and
direct marketer of products that inform, entertain and inspire people of
all ages and cultures around the world. Global headquarters are in
Pleasantville, N.Y.
SOURCE Reader's Digest
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Related links:
http://www.rd.com
http://www.rd.com/facebookelection
CONTACT:
Adam Schiff, Cassin Donn, Ann Hinshaw, Tonya
Fleetwood, all of Dan Klores Communications, +1-212-685-4300, for
Reader's Digest
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