GOP’s youth gathering aims to energize campaigns

by Malathi Nayak, Medill News Service for Politics Daily on 07/26/10

WASHINGTON — Recognizing the importance of young voters in the midterm elections, conservative youth groups will converge in Washington this weekend to map out a youth agenda for the Republican Party.

“Our objective is to bring students from all over the nation together to compromise on an agenda similar to the 1994 Contract with America,” said Frank Williams, a college student from California and director of the GOP Youth Convention. He said the agenda will then be distributed on campuses across the nation to garner support for the Republican Party.

In preparation for the convention, students held weekly meetings with Republican members of Congress to discuss social and political issues. This summer, Republican interns met regularly to help organize the event.

Williams believes many young Americans who have graduated or are expected to graduate before midterm elections are most concerned about jobs. This issue, he said, is fueling youth activism and may lead to a large turnout in November.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R- Tenn.) recently met with about 25 students over breakfast. The students listened intently as Blackburn invited them to be part of the Republican effort this fall.

“Young people become engaged and educated on the issues. And they register to vote and actually show up and vote,” Blackburn said.

Blackburn spoke about hot button issues like the deficit, health care reform and unemployment trends, and called the young members sitting before her “The You Network.” She urged the students to stand up for the Republican Party, derided by Democrats as the “Party of No.” “I call it the party of K-N-O-W,” Blackburn said.

Beyond the events this weekend, some young Republican supporters have come together to kick start a fundraising initiative for Republican candidates, forming a youth political action committee, called Reagan Youth PAC, or RYPAC.

“We’re targeting districts where there is a large youth population. For instance, in Bill Flores’ district (Texas’ 17th congressional district) there’s Baylor University and Texas A&M University,” said Heath Mayo, co-founder of RYPAC.

RYPAC is also supporting young Republican candidates such as Adam Kinzinger, 32, who is running for Congress in Illinois, and Marco Rubio, 39, a senatorial candidate from Florida.

Mayo spoke of the Obama campaign’s use of social media in 2008 to reach out to young voters and feels Republicans are catching up.

Blackburn says Republicans have started connecting with young voters through social networking. “I call it freedom networking,” she said referring to Republican sites such as AmericaSpeakingOut.com and its online YouCut campaign, which urges Americans to protest wasteful government spending.

Williams hopes the convention will bring young Americans closer to the Republican Party. “There are many students with ideas [on] health care, financial reform and entitlement programs. A lot of the students really want to speak out.”

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