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Something huge is happening here. As part of today’s Q&A, I researched President Biden’s approval rating by state. The results weren’t terribly surprising to me. Yes, his approval ratings are underwater in 14 states he won last year. But then again when your national approval rating is hovering around 40% give or take that’s going to necessarily be the case. The real eye-opener is where his approval ratings are worst. Not as in geography but rather demographics. For as long as I’ve studied politics there has been one consistent truism. The youngest voters are those most likely to support Democrats. Typically, it takes family formation and career development to open the eyes of the previously idealistic kids. I’ve literally never seen anything to the contrary until now.
This is different and something huge is happening here. President Biden’s approval ratings are now worst youngest. Among voters 18-34 his approval rating stands at 35%. That’s four points lower than any other age range. Incidentally, that 35% figure is true of younger Floridians as well. I’m sure there’s more than just one reason for such disapproval by the youngest voters, he’s been underwater with them since early June, but one might imagine that Biden’s vaccine mandate plays a meaningful role here. Vaccination rates are lowest youngest, with only 54% of those in their 20’s vaccinated in Florida for example, and it stands to reason that those who’ve opted not to obtain a vaccine for health reasons up to now don’t take kindly to being threatened with their jobs when they’re starting to make their way in the world and are planning for their family.
This opens a generational opportunity for Republicans. Loving Reagan as a kid was a thing for me and millions in my generation. He’s the primary reason that those of us who were products of the 80s, Gen Xers, tend to be more conservative than Boomers or Millennials. I’ll never forget that in the 92’ election 98% of my school of around 2,000 students, in Newt Gingrich's district in suburban Atlanta, voted for Bush over Clinton in our mock school election. As young and naïve as we were it was a genuine shock to us when Clinton won.
Anyway, that’s the generational opportunity in front of Republicans today. We’ve discussed how Biden’s performance is the worst by any president since Jimmy Carter. And in the context of it being darkest before dawn, I’ve pointed out that it took Jimmy Carter for us to get Ronald Reagan. So here we are. The generational opportunity for Republicans, if they can emulate the principles of Ronald Reagan. Starting with freedom and liberty. The biggest teachable moment in the here and now isn’t about taxes or welfare or free puppies and Biden bucks and goodies that are anything but free.