A new poll by Generation Opportunity (a group working specifically with Americans 18-29) and the polling company, inc./WomanTrend shows that American youth maybe aren't as in line with President Obama's train of thought on America and its current state.
Some interesting figures from the poll press release:
1. "56% - more than half – indicated their agreement with “American Exceptionalism” – described as an ideal of freedom and democracy exclusive and unique to the United States, only 29% disagreed."
This doesn't sound like President Obama in a news conference in April 2009: "I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism."
2. "54% believe that things here in the United States have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track; only 24% believe that things here in the U.S. are headed in the right direction. 52% indicated they are not optimistic about the country’s future."
Optimistic in the future? How can we be? Our own Senate can't even pass a budget -- it's been around 800 days since it did. Or, as a Senate communications adviser on Twitter noted, "Three teams have won the @NHL #StanleyCupFinals in the time since Democrats last passed a budget."
3. "54% - more than half – are not confident that the US will be a global leader in just 10 years. Only 9% said they were “very confident” that the US would be."
4. "While 54% agree they have “more opportunity” than their parents, only 16% think their children will have “much more opportunity” and 27% actually think their children will have less."
5. "69% say political leaders do NOT reflect the interests of young Americans and just 31% approved of the President’s handling of youth unemployment."
6. "57% also say they will learn more about the policy positions of presidential candidates in the 2012 election than they did in 2008."
Since Obama covers a flimsy policy with layers of icing, this should actually bode well for the GOP, if young voters actually do learn the policy.