Obama poll standing rises among 'Millennials'
A Harvard University poll released this morning found President Obama's approval rating rising among the so-called "Millennials" or "Generation Y" that spans from 18 to 29 years old.
The president had an approval rating of 55 percent, up 6 percentage points from a similar survey last fall. Both were conducted by Harvard’s Institute of Politics, which is part of the John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Among students at four-year college campuses, Obama's approval rating rose even more, from 51 percent last fall to 69 percent now.
The survey also examined social networking within the group.
It found that 80 percent of all 18-29 year olds, and 90 percent of four-year college students, now have a Facebook account, according to a statement releasing the results.
The survey also found 27 percent of Millennials believe online tools like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and YouTube make more of an impact than in-person advocacy when advocating for a political position.
In-person contact rated at only 16 percent.
“As the 2012 presidential primary and caucus season draws closer, young people will again have the opportunity to greatly impact the race for the White House,” said Trey Grayson, a former Kentucky secretary of state and the new director of the Institute of Politics. “Political campaigns which incorporate an effective youth outreach strategy will have a strong advantage in the 2012 cycle.”
The main sample data collection took place from February 11 to March 2. Overall, the web-enabled survey of 3,018 18-to-29 year-old US citizens had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points
Initially, participants are chosen scientifically by a random selection of telephone numbers and residential addresses. Persons in selected households are then invited by telephone or by mail to participate in the web-enabled "KnowledgePane."
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
About Political Intelligence
Glen Johnson is Politics Editor at boston.com and lead blogger for "Political Intelligence." He moved to Massachusetts in the fourth grade, and has covered local, state, and national politics for over 25 years. E-mail him at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen. |
