The young and the restless (continued)

THE COMING CAMPAIGNS

Although the Young Democrats and Young Republicans work closely with their respective state parties and national youth federations, the recent rebirth of the two Rhode Island groups comes in large part as a response to statewide political events. While Lincoln Almond showed little interest in taking on the dominant General Assembly Democrats during his two terms as a GOP governor, Carcieri has aggressively challenged the Dems on a variety of fronts ever since he aimed his successful 2002 gubernatorial campaign against the legislature. The remaining divisions in the House, as well as recent scandals involving prominent Democrats, including former Speaker John B. Harwood, former Senator John Celona, and former Senate President William V. Irons, provide further opportunities for new entries on the political scene.

With a number of incumbent legislators expected not to seek reelection in 2006, "I think building the younger Democratic leadership, it’s the right time to do it," says one Democratic observer. "We need the energy, we need new candidates, and we definitely need new volunteers to help in these important 2006 elections."

Caetano naturally hits on the familiar GOP theme of how the Democrats’ overwhelming dominance in the General Assembly is a recipe for bad government. "We want to see a balance of power," she says. "It’s the only way we’re going to see change." At the same time, as the cheerful face of youthful Republicanism — and perhaps mindful of the Rhode Island GOP’s longstanding difficulty in surpassing token status — she tries to build a big tent, touting the Log Cabin Republicans and even raising the prospect of get-togethers with the Rhode Island Young Democrats. "There are a lot of bright people on both sides, and we need to work together," Caetano says. "I’d love to have joint events. A lot of our members are going to be elected officials in 10 years. In 10 to 20 years, we’re going to be running the party, we’re going to be running the state."

Of course, Karl Rove might have something to say about how the best-laid plans for Republican hegemony are subject to unexpected short-term setbacks, if not outright reversal. Nonetheless, the Young Republicans and Young Democrats, as well as their college counterparts, are gearing up to be a force in the 2006 campaign season.

Asked about the Young Democrats’ overall goals, Paul Tencher offers a considered paragraph: "We want to recruit and reach out to young people, not only to run for public office, but to increase the membership in our organization and in the party in Rhode Island. Our obvious goal, we want to organize and support the electoral efforts of Democrats throughout the state and federally. We want to educate the young electorate about the core values of our party and how those values relate to their lives. We also want to advocate for issues that are important to young people in Rhode Island. Most importantly, as a political organization, we want to connect young people not just in educational and political environments, but in social settings. There are about 250,000 young people in Rhode Island under the age of 36. We need to lay the groundwork for 2006. We want to make sure that every one of those 250,000 people hears our message and understand why it’s important to vote for Democrats."

Citing the rightward movement of the national Republican Party and the marginalization of more moderate voices, Tencher asserts, "The same thing has happened to young Republicans. They’re more right, more fervent in their beliefs. That’s not going to help them attract new members, because Rhode Islanders won’t take that kind of stuff." When it comes to local elections, he says, "People in Rhode Island know what our party stands for: workers’ rights, civil rights, and middle class rights. We have to get back to those roots and concentrate on our lunch pail issues. Those are the things we win on."

Republicans, emboldened by a string of political victories scored by Carcieri in 2005, hope to build on their recent gains. Patricia Morgan, chairwoman of the Rhode Island Republican Party, says she expects the GOP to contest more than 75 legislative races in 2006.

The Young Republicans’ Mia Caetano steered clear of partisan rhetoric during an hour-long discussion with the Phoenix, but it’s clear that she relishes the work of building the party and increasing the number of GOP elected officials in Rhode Island. When appropriate calls are received by the state GOP and the National Young Republican Federation, she says, "They instantly say, ‘Call Mia,’ and I say, ‘Come! Come to our events!’ It’s been a really great year for growing the Republican ideals in the state and building the infrastructure."

In terms of organizing, "Can we raise a lot of money? No, not yet," Caetano says. "But there’s a lot more than raising funds. We’re raising political capital," and the Young Republicans have been able to steer volunteers to various events." Crediting the course set by Jeff Deckman, executive director of the state Republican Party, she adds, "I think the Democrats can see that and can feel that."

WHERE FROM HERE?

Whether the growing political involvement of young people in Rhode Island will continue to be reflected nationally remains to be seen.

In an analysis on last year’s election (posted at www.vanishingvoter. org), Thomas E. Patterson of Harvard’s Kennedy School found that the current era might come to more closely resemble the pattern of the late 19th century, when turnout varied substantially, depending on the leading issues, from one election to the next. "High turnout in 2004," he wrote, "owed to a confluence of powerful issues, Iraq and the economy particularly, and to a polarizing president. (The gap in George W. Bush’s approval ratings between Republicans and Democrats was the highest in the 70-year history of the Gallup Poll.) If these elections are still in play in 2008, that election, too, is virtually certain to produce high turnout. If they are not in play, and the intense partisanship of the moment dissipates, it is uncertain whether young adults will again flock to the polls."

In the absence of something as dramatic as a reintroduction of the draft, some observers remain skeptical that the recent increase in youth voting will be sustained. Young people are highly mobile, after all, and they generally haven’t come to appreciate how politics affects their daily lives until they are married and have a mortgage. Despite the ease of obtaining information on the Internet, researchers like Patterson have found that only about 20 to 25 percent of young people have a news habit — a situation that does little to stimulate a broad degree of civic engagement.

If the example set by such youthful activists as Seth Magaziner and Pratik Chougule takes hold, however, 9/11 might come to be seen as the dawn of a new era of political participation. Magaziner, for his part, believes that the war and the difficulty experienced by college graduates in finding jobs have demonstrated how "government can affect lives in a very real way. At the national level, both parties have to realize what an impact young people can have."

As is stands, though, national political leaders and the media can be too patronizing when it comes to the interests of young people. (Magaziner cites how a Brown student last year, during a CNN youth forum in Boston, asked Democratic presidential candidates whether they preferred Macs or PCs. After the student returned to Providence, and got rapped by peers for asking something so superficial, it was learned that CNN had planted the question in the belief that it would be of interest to young people.)

While some might have a simplistic belief that the concerns of young people don’t extend beyond smoking marijuana and listening to iPods, Magaziner says, "Most young people actually have a much more sophisticated view of the large picture." And while people might long wax nostalgic about the ’60s’ generation, young people voted in 2004 voted at a higher percentage, and for a more progressive candidate, than at any time since 18-year-olds got the vote.

Ian Donnis can be reached at idonnis[a]phx.com.