Although establishment Democrats made several fatal miscalculations during the 2016 election cycle, one error that hurt them tremendously was their assumption that millennial voters would overwhelmingly vote liberal.
Now, a recent Reuters poll has further proven this, after polling 16,000 registered voters, and determining that millennial voters are beginning to lean towards conservatism, with a 23% change in support for Republicans among millennial males.
The poll indicated that support for Democrats among millennial voters has dropped around 9% since the 2016 election, with many stating their belief that the Republican Party is better for the American economy.
For Democrats, the inability to hold the attention of millennial voters adds to the growing number of problems headed into midterm elections, further highlighting the party’s “identity crisis” as a new generation of far-left liberals battle establishment elites for control of the Democratic Party.
Enthusiasm for the Democratic Party is waning among millennials as its candidates head into the crucial midterm congressional elections, according to the Reuters/Ipsos national opinion poll.
The online survey of more than 16,000 registered voters ages 18 to 34 shows their support for Democrats over Republicans for Congress slipped by about 9 percentage points over the past two years, to 46 percent overall. And they increasingly say the Republican Party is a better steward of the economy.
Although nearly two of three young voters polled said they do not like Republican President Donald Trump, their distaste for him does not necessarily extend to all Republicans or translate directly into votes for Democratic congressional candidates.
That presents a potential problem for Democrats who have come to count on millennials as a core constituency – and will need all the loyalty they can get to achieve a net gain of 23 seats to capture control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November.
Young voters represent an opportunity and a risk for both parties, said Donald Green, a political science professor at Columbia University in New York City.
Read the rest at: Millennials running away
