JOE'S FSCHNIZZLE


You would think with the insurgent nature of Dean's campaign that he would be doing strongest among young voters. But according to the latest ABC/Washington Post poll that is not the case. Dean's support among Democratic primary voters drops from 31% overall to 26% among voters ages 18-30. The main beneficiary of this drop-off surprinsingly is Lieberman, who polled 9% overall, but 15% in the 18-30 bloc. The most likely reason for Liberman's added pull among younger voters is most likely not his condemnation of the moral lapses of the video game industry or his goofy "dad" jokes. On the contrary, it has everything to do with his hawkish views on national security. As opposed to the Boomers, younger voters view national security through the lens of 9/11, not Vietnam. Therefore, it is only natural that the liberal hawks might skew a bit younger.


This unease with the Dems dovishness among younger voters will have a significant impact in the general election. According to the same poll, younger voters were the only group to state a preference for Dean over Bush on domestic issues (46% to 43%, while overall voters supported Bush 50% to 39%), yet when asked who they would support in the general election, 18-30 year olds chose Bush 55% to 41% (overall Bush 55% to 37%). One more indication that not only is Lieberman's firm stance on national security essential to keep America safe from terror, it is also essential to keep America safe from four more years of the Bushies plundering the American treasury for the benefit of their corporate cronies.