CBS Poll: Economy Worries Young Voters

Young Americans Also Show Strong Support For Obama In CBS News/MTV Survey

(CBS)  Concerns about the state of the economy have passed the Iraq war as the top concern for voters between the ages of 18 and 29, according to a poll conducted by CBS News and MTV.

Twenty-two percent of young adults surveyed cited the economy as the number one issue facing their generation, compared to 13 percent who said the war in Iraq. In a similar poll conducted last June, the war topped the list of concerns with 19 percent.

When it comes to the economy, young adults are just as pessimistic as all adults nationwide. Seventy five percent said the state of the economy is bad, compared to 78 percent who said so among adults overall in March. Just 22 percent of young people said they felt the state of the economy is good.

And just one-third of young adults said they feel their job prospects are excellent or good. Sixty seven percent said they felt their employment opportunities would be fair or poor. Those numbers are almost identical to how young people felt in a CBS News/MTV poll conducted in September of 2004.

Read The Complete Poll Results

Asked about the biggest long-term problems their generation will face, 34 percent said the economy while 18 percent cited the environment. Just 11 percent put the issues of war and terrorism at the top of their list of concerns over the next twenty years.

About half of young adults say they think the presidential candidates are paying the right amount of attention to the economy but 65 percent say job opportunities for younger workers does not get enough attention on the campaign trail. Thirty three percent say economic issues will be their top issue in November’s elections while 25 percent say it will be the war in Iraq. Most of those who said the war was their topic election issue said the candidates are making it a priority while those who said the economy want to hear more.

And young adults say the candidates are not doing enough either in general or on specifics to address concerns of global warming. Forty seven percent said the candidates are not spending enough time on the issue and 65 percent said they have not addressed specific plans to reduce the use of oil and gas.

Young voters who have either already voted in a Democratic primary or intend to support Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton by a 48 percent to 37 percent margin. While over 60 percent of supporters for each candidate say they strongly support their choice, just 29 percent of all young voters say there are large differences between the two.

Both Democrats lead presumptive Republican nominee John McCain among younger voters in a fall matchup. Obama bests McCain in the poll 52 percent to 39 percent while Clinton leads 51 percent to 40 percent. Both Democrats were given higher marks when young adults were asked which candidates care about their issues. Eight eight percent said they thought Obama cared a lot or some about the problems of young people while 78 percent said the same of Clinton. Just 57 percent said they thought John McCain cared a lot or some about their problems.

When it comes to the war in Iraq, young adults are looking for a president who will end it. Sixty six percent say the next president should end the war while 33 percent say it should continue.

Young people see themselves having as much of an impact on the outcome of the presidential campaign as any other age group. Thirty six percent said they thought their age group would have as much influence on the election as older voters while 31 percent said they would have more influence. Thirty one percent said they thought their age group would have less. And 75 percent said this election will be the most important or one of the most important in their lifetimes.

Eighty four percent of those under 30 said they are paying some or a lot of attention to the campaign and 77 percent described it as interesting, compared to 21 percent who said it was dull.

The Internet and social networking sites play a large role in the lives of young people. Three in four Americans under the age of 30 use networking sites like Facebook and MySpace and six in ten have their own pages on such sites. About one quarter of young adults say they have visited a candidate’s Web site. Still, 71 percent said a lot of their political information comes from television while just 15 percent said a lot of it comes from Web sites and blogs. Twelve percent say they get a lot of their political information from late night talk and comedy shows.

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This poll was conducted jointly by CBS News and MTV. Interviews were conducted by telephone among 526 18 to 29 year olds April 10th-15th 2008. These respondents were part of nationwide representative samples identified in households previously interviewed in CBS News Polls, and from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and cell phones. The sample is weighted to ensure that the distribution of interviews mirrors the distribution of the entire population of 18 to 29 year-olds across a variety of variables, and for the likelihood of a respondent’s selection within a household. The weights were adjusted to match Census Bureau estimates of 18 to 29 year-olds by age, presence of both 18-24 year olds and 25-29 year olds in the same household, education, gender, marital status, and census region. The margin of error for this survey is plus or minus four percentage points for results based on the entire sample.

[onceagirl]

My younger brother, didn''t see the need for education..got married, had two kids and last year lost his job in the construction business....devastating? He moved to Alberta, Canada with his family and his widowed mother in law last year....he got a job in the oil industry and is now making over 150k per year, his health care costs for his entire brood is 1140.00 per year...there is no sales tax on their purchases, but there is a 7% general sales tax federally...with the mother in law looking after the kids, his wife wanted to work with her grade ten education...she''s working at a local burger kind...making 20 dollars and hour....they are applying for Canadian citizenship as soon as possible...wake up my fellow Americans....socialism does work!

[crewmember1]

Why didn''t Obama close the deal? Well, he didn''t have Rendell in his pocket suggesting that the world may not be ready to have a woman prez. He wasn''t as willing to jump into the fray until the end. He hadn''t been building a campaign base for 15 years. He didn''t walk in with a 25 point lead like HRC. He didnt grow up there. He didn''t triangulate the media. Need more answers? Go to barackobama.com and have a look around.

[crewmember1]

Economy - yes, put the Economy in the hands of HRC who is broke, living in disarray, breaking kneecaps to achieve her goals. There''s a great American example. Sorry folks, I can''t tell my kids to live like that. The ends does not justify the means.

Interesting spin. So, why is the media participating in the racial bashing and holding out reporting all the votes (like the Harlem scam). While PA is still on the radar, let''s see what really happened for all to see.

[mudrose-2009]

Young people support Obama much like young people supported Eugene McCarthy and McGovern years ago. The actual issues and facts were not as important as the excitement and momentum. I hope people make a wise choice for our countries future and do not get caught up in emotion that overrides reason.
Posted by sjc_1

They don''t teach reason in the schools anymore. It''s a feely thing, hence this is what we got. Scarey now ain''t it?

[blackspirit3]

FLIP FLOP HILLARY????
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton discussed actions that would warrant a nuclear response that would %u201Ctotally obliterate%u201D Iran. The New York Senator told ABC''s %u201CGood Morning America%u201D Tuesday and MSNBC''s %u201CCountdown With Keith Olbermann%u201D Monday that, if president, she would be willing to use nuclear weapons against Iran if they orchestrated a nuclear attack on Israel.

Clinton, who has tried to cast her rival as too inexperienced for the job of commander in chief, said of Obama''s stance on Pakistan: "I don''t believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or non-use of nuclear weapons."

[tigerjcs]

Worrying about the economy? then vote for the experience candidate - HILLARY. I don''t invest my money in unproven or unknown companies. So, the wise thing is to invest in KNOWN AND PROVEN trail of success. Obama hasn''t proven any successes, except making great speeches that lead to nothing. His voting of record of PRESENT shown he is a coward. His 20 years association with the AMERICAN HATRED Red. Wright shown his poor judgement, His treatment of his white grandmother, shoveling her under the bus over Rev. Wright, is a weak character flow. NO OBAMA. VOTE FOR THE PROUD AMERICAN ALL THE TIME - HILLARY OR MCCAIN.

[sjc_1]

Young people support Obama much like young people supported Eugene McCarthy and McGovern years ago. The actual issues and facts were not as important as the excitement and momentum. I hope people make a wise choice for our countries future and do not get caught up in emotion that overrides reason.

[leftyintexas]

Anyone with any commmon sense should worry. This Republicon administration is slowing killing this country.

[blackspirit3]

40 YEARS OF CLINTON RAPING WOMEN

A 1969 charge by a Eileen Wellstone, said Clinton assaulted her after she met him at a pub near the Oxford University campus where the future President was a student.
In 1972, a 22-year-old woman told campus police at Yale University that she was sexually assaulted by Clinton, who was a law student at the college.
In 1974, a female student at the University of Arkansas complained that then-law professor Bill Clinton groped her and forced his hand inside her blouse
Broaddrick, a volunteer in Clinton''s attorney general campaign, said he raped her in 1978;
From 1978-1980, Arkansas State troopers assigned to protect the governor reported seven complaints from women who said Clinton forced, or attempted to force, himself on them sexually.
Elizabeth Ward, the Miss Arkansas who won the Miss America crown in 1982, told friends she was forced by Clinton to have *** with him shortly after she won her state crown.
Paula Corbin, an Arkansas state worker, filed a sexual harassment case against Clinton the then-governor exposed himself and demanded oral ***.
Sandra Allen James, President Clinton invited her to his hotel room during a political trip to the nation''s capital in 1991, pinned her against the wall and stuck his hand up her dress.
Kathleen Willey, a White House volunteer, reported that Clinton grabbed her, fondled her breast and pressed her hand against his genitals during an Oval Office meeting in November, 1993.

[leftyintexas]

....he is a nut job.

Posted by Obama8years at 09:42 AM : Apr 22, 2008

Why YES, you are!

[leftyintexas]

Be of good cheer GOP -victory is in our sights.

Posted by tuffone3 at 10:07 AM : Apr 22, 2008

Dream on DOOFUS follower. Ha!Ha!Ha!

[libh8er]

Which means of course that YOUR voter registration should have been rescinded by now.
Posted by lindaredtail at 09:18 AM : Apr 22, 2008

We should go back to the Thomas Jefferson model. If you own land and pay taxes, you can vote. Otherwise, you''re not part of the solution, you''re part of the problem.

[obama8years]

Search YouTube.com "Obama to Shut Down America"



youtube.com/watch?v= waz57ce_hl0

Not only is Obama have Hamas ties but from his own words wants to destroy our military strength.

youtube.com/watch?v= waz57ce_hl0

VIDEO IS OF OBAMA SPEAKING....he is a nut job.

[lindaredtail]

Posted by Libh8oer at 8:45 am April 22,2008

Doesn''t your name translate to libeightoer (libhater). It is obvious that you hate everything that doesn''t agree with your twisted rascist philosophy. So if the right to vote depends on understanding America (we are a republic =representative democracy not a theocracy) nor are we an arpatheid society. Which means of course that YOUR voter registration should have been rescinded by now.

[starleo146]

If Hillary wins good in PA. watch the democrats start changing there tune, from knocking her down to wow! she is one tough cookie. It has been the democrats who have done damage to the democrats. They better get there act together or Hillary will have to straighten y''all out

[starleo146]

Hillary is getting very scary. This women needs some medication and fast. The thought of her in the White House with her finger on the button would keep us all up until 3 in the morning.

Posted by TheGoodTexan at 07:37 AM : Apr 22, 2008


what cha scared of she might win after all, in spite of. no matter what. I want my president to be tough and the president will have a tough opponent in Hillary

[starleo146]

ECONOMY WORRIES "ALL VOTERS"

WAKE-UP SPIN WRITERS OF CBS!

Posted by dumbshun at 01:29 AM : Apr 22, 2008
+ report abuse

way to go Hillary don''t let the media knock you out, they loved Bush because he is tough but a woman is suppose to fit the media''s attention and sitting in the parlor knitting, certainly not running for President.

[libh8er]

About 1/3 of all the young libs fainting at Ubama rallies think the phrase "from each according to their means to each according to their needs" think it''s from the US constitution!

People who have NO understanding of how our system of government or economy works should NOT have the right to vote!!!!!

[thegoodtexan]

Hillary is getting very scary. This women needs some medication and fast. The thought of her in the White House with her finger on the button would keep us all up until 3 in the morning.

[crewmember1]

Wow The Hillary Campaign is here in full force today. Good morning! Obama supporters just want our Country back. YOu know it and you know why.

The job of President is not only the "toughest" job in the world, it weilds more responsibility than power, but you don''t have to recognize it that way. Clinton''s played with the power and used it for triangulation, which is strangulation for the people.

Obama has come forward and is willing to do the hard work to regain America. We have a chance, an opportunity, to have an era of culture, goodwill to the people. That is our chance here. Look at Obama''s campaign. Obviously, he is a rainmaker! HIllary is struggling and she is entrenched in PACS. What does that tell you? She owes them more than they owe her. DO we really want her to get into office and use it to repay those debts? Thank hard and vote smart!