Right On The Right

It's all about the money, the money they spend that is. The youth vote is not driven as much by taxes, social security, or welfare, but rather by gas prices and finding a job. I have a slightly different take on the youth vote than most. A lot of folks, including some of my allies on the right side of the aisle, think John McCain has a unique advantage over most Republicans because he cares about global warming. I think he has an advantage, but rather because of his stances on drilling and the economy. Let's take a look at my top issues:

Number one is gas prices. The pain at the pump affects 18-25 year olds even more than it affects the average working American, because cash is short to begin with and kids drive around visiting friends, going to movies, and spending nights out on the town. If John McCain can turn the hatred of the oil companies into hatred of the liberal do-nothings who won't let us drill, he's golden. Issue two is jobs, which is slightly more specific than the economy. John McCain has to spin small-government economics to the youth in a way they can understand. Consider it a challenge.

Sell the surge. John McCain's legacy over the past few years, aside from antagonizing Conservatives, has been his support of the Petraeus strategy. Third party ads in support of the surge should help, but expect a great deal of anti-war ads helping Obama too. It's popular to be anti-war when you're in High School and College, so it needs combated.

Climate change has to be next, right? Wrong. America's religious Conservatives do have children, who grow up and carry with them the same values as their parents. Barack Obama should suffer a huge weakness with this bloc, so marriage and abortion are very key issues, even with the youth vote. Still, polls show youth are more open to homosexuality, so push it too far and you'll lose their support. McCain should play to his strength and support traditional marriage with a bit of "straight talk."

Global warming is sixth, followed closely by the border because teens care about a secure nation. Barack Obama would be upset to find out that hope & change don't do too well on my list. The youth vote is about the green, but it's money more than nature politics.

Vets for Freedom is running a new ad saying that we need to finish the job in Iraq no matter who is elected President. With Barack shifting left and right and left again on the issue, it's essentially an election ad meant to support McCain or at least trap Obama on the issue. Allahpundit has some analysis too, so check that out after watching the ad: