The College Republican National Committee (CRNC) is the latest in a long line of organizations to try to “figure out” Millennials. The premier group of campus Republicans released an in-depth report titled “Growing Up GOP.” It’s intended to be a handbook for Republican candidates to win the youngest and most powerful group of eligible voters in America, and the findings fly in the face of what most people believe about modern twenty-somethings.
Millennials are not the self(ie)-obsessed, constantly texting, lazy “participation trophy” people that other, less thorough studies have made us out to be. While we do care about electing candidates who are kind people, what we want from government is not a “safe space” or even a big safety net: The three top issues that Millennials want candidates to tackle are public schools, clean energy, and the national debt.
We do not want to take big personal risks, like getting married, buying a house, or having a kid (probably because we can’t afford it) – but we want someone who will create big change in government.
The GOP report comes from their study of all Millennials – not just those who lean right. After all, the goal is attracting new voters, and that’s all but impossible if you’re only talking to people who already agree with you.
The focus group participants were slightly more likely to name “luck” as the main determinant of success in this country than they were “hard work.” That it was only a slight discrepancy is good news – it means we are not a generation of socialists.
Republicans will win by saying “Yes, your observations are valid, government intervention makes it less likely that the hardest workers get ahead. More freedom – and less government – will get you closer to the meritocracy you crave.”
The failed, tired message is “No, Millennials, you’re wrong, you need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps even if you think the deck is stacked against you, even if those bootstraps are tied to sinking concrete blocks of debt, unemployment, and a failing education system.” (Millennials have three bootstraps in this scenario. Be okay with it.)
Looking at this product turned out by the CRNC, it’s full of answers about the newest generation of voters – but it leaves one with a dire question: Where was this research eighteen months ago, when primary season was just starting up? It seems many of the candidates did not consult with or did not listen to millennial Republicans’ advice.
The GOP should have started listening to us years ago, and then taking our advice. This isn’t the Millennial ego saying “I have all the answers” – it’s about winning the hearts and minds of America’s largest generation of voters.
