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Impact of youth vote in 2012

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    Where do young voters stand?

  • Duration 3:38
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Americans had a huge impact on the 2008 presidential election but will they make a significant -- -- 2012.

Talk about some of the issues that young voters care most about and -- candidate can secure the demographic.

Is journalist Alexander Hafner and also parents that executive director of the young invincible welcome to you know.

Thanks for -- us -- -- -- -- -- -- asking you are young voters motivated this time around the way they were four years ago.

Well I think.

They're still waiting honestly to hear from the candidates and how they're gonna dress some of these big challenges.

That are facing young people are facing the future of our country where young missiles actually doing.

A national youth bus tour right now we were just in Michigan now -- going to Ohio we've got about fifteen more states and we're having these conversations with young people.

About the challenges that they face in there they're hungry for the kind of leadership that can address some of these these bigger issues and you look at.

Jobs that's the number one issue that we're hearing you look at college affordability and student debt that's right up there.

-- I think.

I'm actually very hopeful that young people will get out and vote and because frankly it's it's our responsibility to make sure that we have a voice in this process.

And Alexander from your viewpoint what are you hearing about the key issues and whether or not young people think of these candidates are dressing down.

Well in this election cycle really the message rivals everything else it rivals and medium.

We'll hear a lot about social media and its impact in young people's engagement via networking web sites like FaceBook.

But fundamentally Aaron is exactly right the economy rivals every single issue.

Governor Romney was on the campaign trail recently saying that he does understand how a young person today in America.

Could vote for Democrat yet he sort of boxed himself further into.

Right wing positions in his not tackled young people specifically.

In conceiving of strategies.

For you know how to improve this country so you see on the one hand governor Romney.

The conceiving of a block this this gen Y and millennial demographic.

That could be advantageous to his election bid but not proposing real solutions that are -- -- appeal of these voters.

Ask you about Ron Paul because I've been on the campaign trail a lot of -- a lot of the events with the different candidates and I got to tell you he's the oldest candidate out there running and by far when you're there.

At his rallies in his event he has by far the youngest cry out what's his appeal.

Well I think you need to go -- Young the young Ron Paul supporters but you know I I think part of the appeal is that the idea that he -- he speaks his mind and I and I should -- stressed that young and it's -- doesn't.

Endorse any candidate but this idea that.

You know -- candidates are gonna speak their minds are gonna really.

Go at the issues regardless of partisanship is is something that's very appealing to young people.

And you know frankly there is tremendous room for agreement among young people on some of these on some of these key issues you you take -- -- issue like health care.

Which has been very politically divisive.

But the reality is that two and a half million young adults have gained coverage -- the new rules around preventive care and birth controller.

Very popular among young women in that cuts across party lines.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- one thing that's been very noticeable this cycle is the dismal turnout among conservatives.

The Republican candidates have not been able to galvanizing you face -- that will frankly be destructive for them.

Come the general election so President Obama right now has a strong advantage with young voters.

All right we'll see how plays out Alexander Hafner and Aaron Smith we think both for joining us -- -- they senate.

I -- a door.

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