Top 6 Reasons Why Millennials Will Vote For Republicans In 2014

Critics on the political left and right incorrectly claim that young voters are liberal and that as a Party, Republicans ought not attempt to reach them. They're wrong. Eighteen to twenty-nine year olds decided the 2012 presidential election, and Republicans must take young voters seriously. Here are six reasons why Republicans should feel bullish about the Millennial Vote in 2014, and beyond.

1. Young voters are largely unaffiliated—not Democrat

As a recent Pew study found, Millennials are “unattached to organized politics.” Half of them consider themselves independent and only 31% think the two parties differ a “great deal.” The migration of young voters to the Independent column has been a loss for the Democrats. While it’s true that the GOP has suffered with millennial voters consistently since 2008, this is because we have not actively sought to communicate a positive message with young voters where they are: on campus and online. Democrats, however, have experienced both rapid growth and a precipitous decline during this same period. Self-identified millennial Democrats peaked at 35 percent in 2008 and fell to 27 percent in 2014, according to Pew. Many of these voters were originally independents that identified as Democrats and voted for the President in 2008, only to abandon the Democratic Party when “hope and change” fizzled. Democrats have had a popular president to make their case for six years and are still losing ground.

2. The Obama magic is gone.

“Hope” will not be enough to get young voters to the polls this November. In fact, there’s been an 11-point decline among members of this generation who say they will vote this November who turned out in record numbers in 2012. Don’t take it from College Republicans: a University of New Hampshire College Democrat Tyler Gullbrand summed it up recently when he said of the Obama presidency, “The public has seen that it wasn’t magic. It wasn’t this beautiful Renaissance in our country… I think we expected a lot more — maybe just out of hope.” The GOP brand may be in need of repair and President Obama’s personal brand may have been popular with young voters, but it would be a mistake to assume that these factors automatically translate into support for the Democratic Party.

3. President Obama isn’t on the ticket, but his failed promises are.

President Obama has successfully capitalized on President Bush’s unpopularity since getting elected in 2008. This is no longer an option in the 2014 midterms. Only 32 percent of this generation now trusts President Obama, compared with 51 percent in the fall of 2010. He and his party now have to defend their record of a botched health care rollout and a sluggish economy. With President Obama not on the campaign trail for his own campaign, congressional Democrats are put at a distinct disadvantage in answering for his broken promises to create jobs for young people and to make college and healthcare more affordable. In fact, we’ve already seen this happen in 2008, Millennials backed President Obama by 34 points, but in the 2010 midterms, only backed congressional Democrats by 16 points.

4. Young voters are attracted to problem solvers and the GOP has them

Our Republican governors aren’t just talking about hope and change; they’re making it happen. Look to the states, where they are cutting tuition and creating jobs plans. From pension reform and balancing the budget in Wisconsin to job creation and reducing taxes in Ohio, Republican governors are offering solutions in their states – something that Democrats are failing to do at the national level.

5. “Social Issues” offer debate, not division.

Democrats (and an alarming amount of journalists and pollsters) speciously claim that young voters have a monolithic view of “the social issues” and will reject the Republican Party as a result. But research suggests that clumsily grouping “the social issues” together in our discourse together is as careless as it is dishonest. For example, Pew research shows that while Millennials may favor same-sex marriage and marijuana legalization, they are also increasingly pro-life and in favor of second amendment rights. Millennials care deeply about the role government will play in their lives. Their opinion on one issue doesn’t impact how they think about all issues. Our generation would much prefer to have a debate than be fed talking points.

6. We offer the next generation of leaders.

Elections are about the future. In our focus groups, Millennials rattled off the next generation of Republican leaders—Paul, Rubio, Christie, Ryan, Jindal, to name a few. Meanwhile, they were at a loss to name even one up-and-coming Democrat. The talent and the debate is on our side, which is something young voters will be mindful of as they head to the polls in 2014.