The kids are alright

It would seem that "the youth vote" -- or lack thereof -- is not to blame for Kerry's loss.

Despite long lines and registration snafus, voters under age 30 clocked the highest turnout percentage since 1972. The good news is that America's young people are more engaged in politics than at any time in two generations. Aging cynics have been quick to blame the kids for a host of political lapses, but the cynics have it wrong.

Start with the numbers. According to professor William Galston at the University of Maryland, at least 20.9 million Americans under 30 voted on Tuesday. That is an increase of 4.6 million voters from 2000. Four years ago, just 42.3 percent of young people voted. This year more than 51.6 percent did.

Young people were especially active in battleground states, with turnout at 64.4 percent of eligible voters. Furthermore, these estimates understate things, because college kids are more likely than other groups (except the military) to vote by absentee ballot. Surveys of college students around the country, done in the weeks before the election, found 42 percent of students planning to vote absentee. Exit polls completely miss these young voters who numbered, this year, close to 3 million.

Unfortunately, the higher turnout is pretty consistent with turnout across all demographics, and while it was a record number of voters aged 18-29, they still represented only 17% of the total, same as 2000.

Nevertheless, the kids did come out and shouldn't be blamed, as some useless pundits did on that bitter morning after the election.

Thanks to alert reader Cybele for the tip.