OBAMA DOMINATING HIGHLY-CHARGED YOUTH VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL RACE, HARVARD POLL FINDS

Economy Emerges as New Dominant Issue; Young People see Changing U.S. Role in the World

Washington, DC – A new national poll by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics (IOP), located at Harvard Kennedy School, finds 18-24 year-olds who plan to vote for the Democratic candidate in November strongly prefer U.S. Senator Barack Obama over U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (70% to 30%) to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.  The poll also finds a majority of likely young voters favor Obama (53%) in a hypothetical head-to-head contest against U.S. Senator John McCain (32%) but give Clinton a much smaller lead (44% to 39%) when matched up against the Arizona Senator.   

“The story of this presidential race could very well come down to which campaign can inspire and mobilize the youth vote the best,” said IOP Director and former U.S. Representative (R-IA) James A. Leach.  “Young people are focused on the issues and challenges facing America.  They care deeply about the war in Iraq, but like the rest of the country are increasingly concerned about the economy.  They look forward to an honest and spirited discussion on how to improve the jobs picture and how best to deal with immigration issues.”

Spring 2008 Survey - Top Line Data
Executive Summary