Will the Youth Vote Swing this Election?

Over the years democratic parties have taken the lead thanks to young voters. Obama won the primary elections because of this. He didn't get any votes from anyone over 45 in the primaries. Overall, Obama has gained 60% of america's youth's vote. It is only recently that young people started choosing the Democratic Party. In 2000, Gore won young people by only 2% over Bush, Kerry expanded this margin to 9% in the 2004 contest. In the 2006 midterm elections, young voters were more likely than any other age group to favor Democratic congressional candidates. A recent Pew Research Center poll has Obama leading McCain by 44 points. The enthusiasm gap among young voters is in Obama's favor too. 47% of Obama supporters are enthusiastic about his candidacy compared to only 11% for McCain.