Are many young people saddened by the war in Gaza? Yes.
Are they dissatisfied with President Biden’s approach to war? yes.
Does this mean Biden’s re-election is doomed? necessarily.
First, the Harvard Youth Poll released in April found that two issues that commonly concern young voters, the Israel-Hamas war and student debt relief, “may not be particularly important issues in terms of voting.” This was revealed in a report in the Harvard Gazette. , because young voters rank them among the least important issues facing the country. Of the 16 issues asked of 18- to 29-year-olds in the poll, these two ranked last in importance, behind issues such as inflation, immigration, housing, and protecting democracy. Indeed, as the Gazette pointed out, Biden’s relationship with young voters is “complicated.”
While that idea may come as a surprise to those watching the student protests that have spread across college campuses in recent weeks, remember that reactions to protests can work in many ways. is important.
I believe in students’ right to peacefully protest, while acknowledging that protests are often incomplete and that the actions of some protesters are deplorable. We also understand that the students protesting represent only a small portion of all students, and that students represent only a small portion of all young voters.
It is fair to say that protesters represent the views of more people than just themselves, and that their protests influence and influence non-protesters as well. , it is equally fair to say that there is a large group of young voters who are less likely to vote on a single issue. About the war in Gaza.
Second, modern protest movements have a fast metabolism. Social media can help organizations stay organized and grow quickly, but trending topics on social media also change quickly. They condition us to repeat a series of outrages so that one outrage doesn’t last.
There are less than six months left until Election Day. Therefore, it is worth considering his prominence six months after the beginning of the protest movement or the first burst of energy.
For example, in 2011, “Occupy Wall Street” also created an encampment. Generally, however, these encampments in various parts of the country were dismantled within a few months. Although the movement lasted for years and had a lasting impact on liberal discourse and policy, it dominated the zeitgeist for a relatively short period of time.
The racial justice protests of 2020 after the killing of George Floyd were some of the largest in memory, but those protests lasted only through the summer. Although the movement had political implications that resonated beyond the protests, its effect on attracting national attention was relatively short-lived.
Third, Republicans are likely to push back against the protests toward their own policies, stirring up long-simmering debates that go beyond issues such as U.S. geopolitical interests or moral considerations related to humanitarian crises. However, they are probably exaggerating the situation in a way that denigrates the participants. A culture war conceit often worn out in stores.
According to Fox News, House Speaker Mike Johnson recently said, “God will bless the nation that blesses Israel,” adding, “We understand that that is our role.” It is also a commandment from the Bible for us. This is an item of faith for us. ” Sen. Tom Cotton has referred to the protest encampment on college campuses as “Little Gaza” and even posted a post on his own Instagram page defending the term.
And at the University of Mississippi, a group of mostly white male counter-protesters made racist comments, including making monkey-like gestures and shouting “lock her up” at a black pro-Palestinian demonstrator. said Rep. Mike Collins, to a nasty jeer. A Georgia woman posted a video of the incident and spoke out against X in support, saying:Ole Miss takes care of business.” A few days later, he posted: statement Although on X has partially retracted previous posts, it is worth noting that he has previously been criticized for amplifying anti-Semitic and racist social media accounts.
Republicans have certainly reveled in the rift that has developed among traditionally Democratic voters over the war, but in doing so they have grafted this foreign conflict onto long-standing and sometimes ugly attitudes on other issues. Some people are.
If they position these protests as the latest manifestation of the “wokeness” they have been campaigning for, it signals to all voters, including young voters, the tough choices this country will face in November. It will remind you.
Do you think the dissatisfaction that young voters have with Biden has any effect on voter enthusiasm or voter apathy? I do. And in a close election, Biden has little margin for error. But their complaints don’t have to be definitive.
There is a huge potential for unforeseen consequences for Democrats, depending on how they respond to and engage with demonstrators at their most important election events, including this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago. expensive.
But as fall comes, students return to school, and war begins, let’s hope away from the theater of intense combat — despite Hamas saying it agrees, Israel this week We have stepped up operations in Rafah, the last refuge for people. Despite agreeing to the terms of a cease-fire proposal from Egyptian and Qatari mediators, some of the energy and sense of urgency is likely to be lost from the protests. Activists will continue to work, but voters’ attention is likely to shift.
As November approaches, I predict that the differences between Biden and Donald Trump will become sharper, and the choices facing young Americans will become clearer.
