Have You Watched Your Daily Dose of YouTube Yet?

A new Pew Internet and American Life Project survey reports that 19% of all internet users watch video clips online daily, while 57% watch video online at least occasionally. Not surprisingly, those aged 18-29 are "among the most voracious video viewers," with approximately 31% of them viewing online video daily. Additionally, on any given day, young adult internet users "are equally as likely to view news and comedy" videos, though the popular clips from the Daily Show or the Colbert Report blur the lines between the two. It appears that the Baltimore Sun, which re-christened the Millennials "the YouTube Generation," wasn't too off base. Given this new research which validates the popularity of user-generated online video as well as the success of the YouTube/CNN debates, it'll be very interesting to see how online video blends with politics in the future.

Say Yes! to Michigan

For many years, Michigan has been home to many great American traditions: Mackinac Island fudge, our auto industry, and musical greats Eminem & Sufjan Stevens, just to name a few. But, as of July 25th, it was also home to a State House of Representatives that passed legislation that would allow Michigan residents to have a voter registration address separate from their permanent address. This change would give transient students in particular the opportunity to register to vote in a city where they attend school without having to change their Michigan place of residence or their driver's license address. If the legislation is passed by the Michigan State Senate, it would repeal Public Act 118, known as Rogers's Law, which was passed in 1999 and requires voters to register to vote with their permanent addresses. State Rep. Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) states that "it's so important to engage young voters as soon as we can," and, if the bill makes it out alive, it will do just that.

Was the YouTube Debate the Debate for Young Voters?

Did you catch the CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debates Monday night? We sure hope you did, because a good portion of the media coverage has been emphasizing that this was the debate where young voters finally were heard. This debate, held in Charleston, South Carolina was a bit more nontraditional, for the questions were asked not by a famous news personality, but rather by average Americans who submitted their queries over the popular video website YouTube (though the debate was moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper). Though many newspapers and blogs posted varied opinions about the candidates' performances or the technology used in the debate are undoubtedly varied, many of the articles agreed that young voters had a disproportionate role in the debates:

• The Associated Press reported that the submitted questions "were blunt and earnest, yet sometimes bizarre...[with] most of them coming from young people."
• The Boston Globe commented that "the unusual forum allowed many Americans access to the political process, since questioners did not need to travel to the debate site to ask questions. Further, the Internet-age nature of the debate was appealing to young voters, a growing political force which has been active in online political activity but less likely than older voters to watch formal debates."
• The American Prospect hypothesized what makes this debate seem so different. Answer: "the people asking the questions. Maybe because only people under 30 can operate a webcam, the men and women addressing the candidates here have a very different set of priorities. A lesbian couple from Brooklyn asks if they should be allowed to get married. A young black man demands that the candidates reveal if they support reparations for slavery. A student wonders if 18-year old women should be required to register for the draft."
• The Baltimore Sun goes as far to call those aged 18-28 "the YouTube generation," and jabs that it is them "who spend hours in front of their computers every day - and are less likely to vote than older Americans."
• The Bayou Buzz claims the popularity of the debates to be evidence "that the youth are plugged into the presidential election like never before."
• And Rush Limbaugh speculates that the Democratic Party was eager to work with YouTube since it will encourage young voter turnout on Election Day.
  

In case you didn't catch the debate, watch the questions again on YouTube, and then log on to the New York Times or CNN to view the candidates' answers. In either case, do you think that this debate (along with the upcoming CNN/YouTube Republican Presidential Debate in September) adequately addresses youth issues?

We couldn't agree more

Kudos to the Tarheels.

Stop Reading Polls

It seems everyone and every agency is trying to pinpoint who the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates will be some five months before the primary season begins. Though this is normal behavior, a New Hampshire news article suggests that polls may not be indicative of any certain outcome. Building on previously mentioned issues with polling, the latest UNH Survey Center presidential primary poll suggests that most New Hampshire voters--both Republicans and Democrats--have not made a final decision on which candidate they will support in the 2008 primaries. However, they DO still respond to their currently-favored candidate when pollsters call their homes rather than claim themselves as undecided, meaning that the poll results may be skewed. This is good news for the campaigns of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Fmr. Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), who have both slipped from frontrunners among their party to fourth place in the most recent polls.

A Matter of Decimal Points

College students, rejoice! The senate voted this morning to approve The Higher Education Access Act, a extensive bill that will increase the size of current Pell Grants to $4,310, and up them again to $5,400 in 2011. The bill will also take stress off of college graduates trying to pay off their student loans by creating a system of "income based repayment" which sets loan payments at a "manageable" percentage of a recent grad's income. It will also increase the amount of federal aid that working students can receive, and raise the income level under which a student is automatically qualified for a Pell Grant.

Of course, student aid money doesn't appear out of thin air. The Senate bill paid for the increases in aid by cutting subsidies to lending firms that provide federally guaranteed loans to students by a whopping, massive... 0.5%. To some, this cut seemed excessive, so an amendment was attached to the bill cutting that cut to 0.35%. The rationale apparently being that the 0.5% cut would do "irreparable, significant harm to the public-private FFEL program which 8 out of 10 institutions of higher education rely on," and a 0.35% cut wouldn't. Now, I'm neither a mathematician or an accountant, but I feel like a change in 0.15 percentage points isn't worth threatening the life of such an important bill.

The bill transcended this parliamentarian snare and went on to win by a vote of 78-18, with the aforementioned amendment going down 36-61.

In this author's humble opinion, the bill is a success in the effort to make college affordable for everyone, if a relatively modest one, and I'm encouraged to see that the Senate sided with American students over big banks and loan lenders. For now.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlepeople

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's actually a bunch of geriatric politicians and dignitaries! According to the New York Times, former South African president and patriot Nelson Mandela, retired Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the human rights activist and former Irish president Mary Robinson, and other notables have joined forces to "launch diplomatic assaults on the globe’s most intractable problems." The group calls themselves the Elders, named to model the hierarchical elders in African village societies, and are funded by the British business mogul Richard Branson and musician Peter Gabriel (formerly of Genesis). Mandela commented that "together we will work to support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict, and inspire hope where there is despair."

Though it's too early to see the results of this elite diplomatic force, some of the issues they may tackle include climate change, the genocide in Darfur, and the elimination of global poverty. One thing's for sure--their help will certainly be well used.

Meet the Newest Social Class: Green-Collar America

It's an understatement to say that the American politics is beginning to address the implications of global warming and energy security--in fact, they are the cornerstones of many a debate these days, coming from all sides of the ideological spectrum. However, Republicans and Democrats alike balk at the prohibitive costs of curbing climate change--almost all scenarios of drastically reduced emissions are accompanied by a fall in economic productivity and gross domestic product (GDP). However, many new studies, as well as some congressional representatives, are saying that a shift to a reduced-emission, renewable-energy-intensive world would actually create jobs.

The Apollo Alliance, a pro-renewable energy yet pro-growth think tank and action group, released a study that offers details about the skill sets needed to obtain a "green-collar job," which are jobs that are associated with green industries. The Alliance speculates that a green economy will produce almost 3.5 million new jobs in the United States, many of which will be clean and relatively safe jobs for low-skilled workers in rural areas--a demographic and region where job growth is often most difficult to stimulate. Additionally, a report released by the Worldwatch Institute states that increasing the share of our nation's electricity from renewable sources to 20 percent of the total would create more than 355,000 new U.S. jobs, and that the consumer savings on cheaper electricity would ripple through the U.S. economy, spawning even more jobs.

Most importantly, green jobs aren't only a product of policy wonks. On June 27, 2007, a bipartisan vote of 26-18 sent the Green Jobs Act out of committee to the floor of the U.S. House. The Act will help create some 35,000 jobs in green industries like solar panel installation, building weatherization, and wind farm construction by authorizing up to $125 million in funding for national and state job training programs. Presidential candidate Fmr. Sen. John Edwards has released a renewable energy plan which will create 150,000 green-collar jobs, while presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton introduced an amendment similar to Congresswoman Solis's which allots $100 million to train workers in green collar jobs.

The political dichotomy used to be to grow the economy or protect the environment. However, with these new ideas and legislation, it looks like the economy can grow by protecting the environment. This realization will shift the energy security and global warming debate--both presently in Congress and among presidential candidates--from one grounded in economic infeasibility to one of economic possibilities.

Big Apple's Students Will Be Registering to Vote

In a massive effort prior to UltraSuperDuper Tuesday (or February 5, 2008, where over 20 states have their presidential primaries or caucuses), the City University of New York (CUNY) is partnering with several nonpartisan groups around the Big Apple to register thousands of students to vote. CUNY is also distributing colorful posters and brochures that tell students the importance of next year's primaries and general election. Neal Rosenstein, an election specialist for New York Public Interest Research Group, noted that each semester hundreds of CUNY students volunteer to register other students and encourage them to understand the important issues of the day. However, a whole force of organizations is needed for a full-fledged voter registration drive at the university, which spans 23 campuses and has almost 500,000 students.

Gettin' rich off of student loans?

Today's Washington Post leads with an investigative story about the nonprofit EduCap, an organization which provides loans to students in increasing amounts. With federal aid failing to keep up with the surging costs of college expenses, the volume of private student loans is expected to surpass government loans by 2015. However, private loans' interest rates are not regulated, and they are often much higher than government loans, which are currently capped at 6.8 percent. According to the Post, EduCap has issued college loans to more than 350,000 students, allowing some families to borrow up to $50,000 a year at rates as high as 18 percent. Along with other private student lenders, EduCap is currently under scrutiny for its annual profits. The nonprofit bought a Gulfstream jet worth about $30 million and paid its CEO Catherine Reynolds $1 million annually. However, Reynolds said she has helped students nationwide by creating competition in the student loan industry that has aided families by reducing the overall cost of private loans. "We're here to make a difference and do good," she said. "And I think we've done that." Read the whole article here.

Democrats Divide on the Economy

The New York Times published an article today that investigates the drift towards economic populism within the Democratic Party. Though Democrats often have progressive economic visions, such as higher minimum wages and the protection of American jobs, concern over current economic conditions are reinvigorating discussions over taxes, education, energy, and health care. Democratic leaders have begun discussion on government policy over globalization, outsourcing, the economic security of middle-class America, as well as raising taxes on financial firms, a bit of a departure from Bill Clinton's pro-trade and pro-Wall Street economic policies. Young people particularly will be affected by these Democrats' platforms of expanded health care, increased assistance for those in college, and help for workers who lose their jobs to cheaper labor abroad. Republicans charge that their visions will hinder economic growth in addition to being prohibitively expensive. Read the whole article here.

Shaken, Not Stirred

Ever think you were a little young for the Republican Party? Well, at least in Passaic County, New Jersey, you're not anymore! For it's there that 32-year-old Michael Ramaglia has created the Passaic County Regular Young Republican Organization, which aims to shift the perception of the county GOP. The first strategy: changing the Beefsteak Dinner to Martini Night. "I want to get Republicans elected," Ramaglia said. "The generation that's (in the party) now has been there forever. Let's get some new blood." Though Ramaglia's organization is surprisingly contentious in the communities of the county, he isn't letting that get him down: Ramaglia's plan is to attract one member from each town to serve on an executive committee that will plan fundraisers and get-togethers which will hopefully attract other young Republicans and independents.

Another State Gets It

Across the country, state legislators are amending election law to enfranchise young people and raise young voter turnout. In a bipartisan effort, Michigan State Reps. Bill Caul (R) and Mark Meadows (D) have co-sponsored a bill in the Michigan House of Representatives which would allow 17-year-olds who would be 18 by the time of a general election the chance to vote in a primary. "We found in East Lansing, before we eliminated the primary, that in the general election there were not individuals on the ballot the students had a say in choosing," Meadows said. "This would be a positive first step because it would allow people who could vote in November anyway to vote and make sure they turned out for the November election."

Election Day Voter Reg Passes in NC!

A form of Election Day voter registration passed the North Carolina General Assembly yesterday. If the bill is signed by the governor and becomes law, voters who cast ballots at "one-stop" sites during early voting periods before elections would be allowed to register the same day. Currently, state law requires voters to turn in registration forms by 25 days before the election.

In the 2004 presidential election, six states offered Election Day registration (EDR), and boasted, on average, voter turnout that was 12 percentage points higher than in non-EDR states.

EDR is especially beneficial for young people. Young Americans move frequently -- for school, for jobs -- making it harder for them to be registered. They register to vote at lower rates than the general population. With EDR, these highly mobile Americans can register at the last moment and vote. According to Demos, EDR could increase youth turnout in presidential elections by as much as fourteen percentage points.

Read This!

There's an editorial in today's Washington Post that talks about the student loan bill that passed in the House of Representatives yesterday. It's worth reading.

Student Relief Package Sails Through the House

Breaking News! Well, sort of. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed the "College Cost Reduction Act of 2007," which will boost federal funding by $18 billion over the next five years while simultaneously reducing subsidies to lenders. The bill also increases investment in minority institutions, controls student repayment rates and creates loan-forgiveness programs. Under the act, the maximum value of Pell Grants, which are need-based federal scholarships, would increase by $500 over the next five years, and the interest rates on need-based government student loans would be halved to 3.4% from 6.8%. Representative George Miller (D-CA), the chair of the House Committee on Education and Labor, stated that the "bill is a remarkable step forward in our efforts to help every qualified student go to college."

The Senate is expected to vote on a similar bill later this month. However, the White House has stated they may veto the bill, for it only "benefits students once they leave school." In a Statement of Administration Policy, the White House's Office of Management and Budget recommended that Pell Grants be increased $1,340 (from $4,050 to $5,400) over the next five years to help students who are currently in college or are contemplating enrolling in it. Though the debate surrounding the near future of student loans and grants is bound to be exciting, hopefully both the legislative and the executive branches keep the best intentions of the bill's subjects--the youth of this country--in mind.

Are you feeling presidential?

An article in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution details the popular social networking website MySpace's plans to launch a new reality television show entitled "Independent." Throughout the series, MySpace users will be able to vote on which of the show's contestants--chosen by video submissions to MySpace--would be the presidential candidate that best represented "the collective voice of Americans." Though the contestants aren't seasoned politicians, they will be advised by national politicians and operatives. The winner of the final virtual election will win $1 million, but he or she must either donate the prize to a real candidate or political action committee, or invest it into a personal run for the White House. Though the show hasn't been picked up by a major broadcaster, its producers, who include Mark Burnett of "Survivor" and "The Apprentice" fame, hope the series will air in Spring 2008.

So, how many of you are running for president now?

Healthy News for Health Care Voters

Well folks, the New York Times has declared that the 2008 presidential process is going to basically be a single-issue election surrounding the state of the United States' health care system. Yes, though we're still sixteen months away from November 4th, the residual spirit from Michael Moore's new documentary Sicko as well as the continuous pressure from the general electorate has yielded promises from almost all candidates--Republican and Democrat--to overhaul the health care system and ensure insurance coverage for all Americans. However, the Republican and Democrat strategy differ: "Republicans, by and large, promise to expand coverage by using a variety of tax incentives to empower consumers to buy it themselves, from private insurers...[while] many Democrats also see a strong role for government, including, in some plans, new requirements that individuals obtain insurance and that employers provide it, along with substantial new government spending to subsidize coverage for people who cannot afford it."

Though it seems a bit premature to assume the 2008 elections will only address health care, Americans' concerns are rightfully understood. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, insurance premiums have risen in cost by 87% since 2000, while a National Center for Education Statistics report states that one in three 18 to 29-year-olds in America lack health insurance coverage.

Though we'll undoubtedly hear a book's worth more on each candidate's health care plan, below are each candidate's statement so far. If a candidate lacked a statement on health care on their website, the link goes to either a nonpartisan article or something the candidate authored which was not placed on their website:
DEMOCRATS
Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
Bill Richardson
John Edwards
Christopher Dodd
Dennis Kucinich
Joe Biden
Mike Gravel
REPUBLICANS
Rudy Giuliani
Fred Thompson
Duncan Hunter
Jim Gilmore
Jim Cox
Mitt Romney
John McCain
Ron Paul
Mike Huckabee
Sam Brownback
Tom Tancredo
Tommy Thompson

Read This!

Time.com came out with an article that talks about the early attention being paid to the youth vote. It also highlights some of the research Young Voter Strategies has done about the best ways to mobilize young voters.

Among the interesting assertions that isn't all that surprising is that "new technology is certainly helpful in communicating with younger voters, but it shouldn't be the only means of targeting them," says Heather Smith, the director of YVS. Her organization's research shows that face-to-face contact is the most effective way of getting young adults to actually vote for a specific candidate. Also key is talking about issues that are most relevant to young adults.

For more tips on mobilizing young voters, check out this fact sheet produced by YVS.

Debt got you down? Don't leave town (if you live in Maine)!

Maine's governor John Baldacci signed a bill on Monday which offers tax credits to Maine companies if they assume responsibility for a recent Maine graduate's student loans. The bill is designed to keep Maine's best and brightest in the state after graduating. The League of Young Voters is hoping that Maine becomes a national model to help redistribute the debt of college loans that plague young people.

Legislative Show-Down: House vs. Senate

In mid-June, the House of Representatives responded to the tragic April 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech by voting to provide grants to states to update the national database that gun dealers use for background checks so that it includes more criminal records and mental health information in the database. However, the Senate Appropriations committee has voiced its concern about maintaining the privacy of gun owners. Last week, the Committee stalled the effort to repeal the Tiahrt amendment passed in 2003, which legally limits the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) from releasing to local law enforcement agencies information about guns used in crimes, including serial numbers, manufactures, sellers, and buyers in order to respect the privacy of gun owners. Those supporting the repealing of the amendment, including the prominent group Mayors Against Illegal Guns with members stretching from New York City to San Francisco, argue that if police forces were allowed to use the information currently protected by the BATF, they would be able to more effectively halt illegal gun trafficking and sales, the method by which many criminals obtains firearms. However, the National Rifle Association states that the Tiahrt amendment prevents local authorities from abusing this protected information, and also cite that both the BATF and the Fraternal Order of Police oppose repealing the amendment. What do you think?

Putting Planet Earth on the '08 Agenda

Looks like it's going to be a big week for the environment. Al Gore has kicked off the Fourth of July with an op-ed in the Times calling for a new Kyoto: one in which the United States leads an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, with "differentiated commitments" among participating countries.

The op-ed was published exactly one week before Live Earth, a series of eight concerts worldwide designed to raise awareness of global warming. The concerts are being put on by SOS, in partnership with Gore's own Alliance for Climate Protection.

And don't think that Democrats are the only ones taking a good hard look at how our energy consumption affects the environment. President Bush recently announced a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions world wide.

Could this 4th of July be the start of our independence from carbon-based energy? Regardless, global warming is an issue that every one of the presidential candidates is going to have to address.

Campaign Fundraising Records

The second fiscal quarter of the year has come to a close with a campaign donation surge. Though the Republican candidates have not released their second quarter totals yet (they have until July 15th, and we'll definitely blog about them when they are released!), Democratic presidential candidates Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) collected the most cash. In the second quarter of the year (April 1-June 30), Senator Obama raised about $32.5 million, five million ahead of Senator Clinton's $27 million. According to their respective campaigns, Obama has raised about $55.7 million in total while Clinton has collected about $50 million--and there's still more than two fundraising quarters remaining prior to the Iowa caucuses on January 14, 2008, the first actual election event. To add perspective, during the 2004 election cycle, then-frontrunner former Governor Howard Dean (D-VT) raised only $52.9 million for the entire year he campaigned! For the rest of the Democratic candidates, former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) raised $9 million dollars, Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) raised $7 million, and Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) brought in about $3.25 million during the second quarter. Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), former Senator Mike Gravel (D-AK), and Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) have not released their second quarter fundraising totals. As stated above, the Republican candidates are expected to release their totals in the next few days.

OpenSecrets.org is an excellent non-partisan website which collects information about the immense amount of money poured into US elections every year. Under US campaign finance laws, all campaign donations must not only be public, but also limited to a certain amount per person, currently $2,300 for both the primary race and the general election. These donations are often referred to as "hard money," and corporations and unions are prohibited from contributing hard money to candidates.