Young people now hold the key to the presidential election as, for the first time in decades, the number of eligible Gen Z and Millennial voters could match the number of Baby Boomers.
On July 21, President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the election race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. His decision ended over a month of concerns surrounding his capacity to defeat former President Donald Trump in November after his dismal debate performance, poor polling and severe lapses during interviews and press conferences. As a much younger candidate, Harris has more potential to appeal to younger voters, a change that brings new hope for Democrats, who have been failing to win over youth voters with Biden as the face of the party.
Until now, the narrative of the election has revolved around Biden’s age and Trump’s lies and felony convictions, featuring a news cycle that made the election look more like a character drama than a serious moment for the future of the country. It’s no wonder that young people felt disillusioned and unmotivated. Biden has given Democrats a chance to bring this race back around to policy issues, but Harris’s candidacy could generate new interest among the young voters who have felt discouraged by Biden’s policies.
As the presumptive nominee, Harris must create a narrative for her campaign that is distinct from Biden’s by appealing to the desires of young voters, especially regarding policy issues such as immigration and foreign policy. This raises questions of how she will walk the political tightrope of distinguishing herself from the president while serving as a key member of his administration.
The Israel-Hamas war is a prime example of an area where Harris must distinguish her policy from Biden’s. The president’s refusal to halt U.S. aid to Israel during its occupation of the Gaza Strip has been unpopular and particularly concerning for voters aged 18-29, about half of whom support a permanent ceasefire in the region. Last spring, law enforcement’s violent suppression of peaceful campus protests throughout the country, including at Emory University, brought the issue to the center of national discourse, especially for students. Concern for fellow students and outrage at the ongoing violence in Gaza has caused many young voters to reconsider their support of the Biden administration.
But a Harris campaign can still win back support from left-leaning young voters, even though many have resolved that they will not support either mainstream candidate. By departing from the Biden administration’s message, Harris must begin to woo back this essential voting bloc, lest her campaign yield only another intact glass ceiling. As the first senior state official to push for a ceasefire, Harris has expressed more contempt for the U.S. role in the war in Gaza than Biden has. If Harris is to win back the votes of young people, she must not be afraid to diverge further from the Biden administration’s stances on Israel while remaining cognizant of the large number of Democrats that support the status quo, a balance Joe Biden has not successfully found.
Harris’s ability to engage and uplift youth voices is crucial for her political survival. Harris raised $200 million in the first week after announcing her candidacy, garnering support from Democrats across the country. Additionally, after slightly over a week of campaigning, she has clinched the support of 3,284 Democratic delegates — leaving only 39 unpledged. With the Democratic establishment behind her, what she must do now is secure the support of left-leaning 18-29-year-old voters, who constitute a significant portion of the population in swing states like Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Harris will do so by avoiding a moderate approach to her messaging. Generally, Harris is not in danger of losing young voters to Trump — instead, both Biden and Harris’ campaigns present as too moderate for young voters who may choose to not vote at all over voting for a candidate who doesn’t represent their values. Instead of resorting to political disparaging akin to Biden’s previous approaches, Harris should orient her campaign on concrete policy recommendations — such as putting an end to the ongoing violence in Gaza, supporting immigrants, and pursuing climate action — that will advance a progressive vision for America’s future.
When it comes to the election itself, bringing out the vote also means holding politicians accountable for change we want to see. Simply getting young people registered to vote in Georgia and pressuring them to vote for Harris because of her opposition to Trumpism is not the only strategy. The “she’s the best we got” argument only goes so far, and people will be more motivated to vote if they see a candidate who listens to their concerns. Biden’s age wasn’t the only thing dragging down the Democratic ticket: it was his lukewarm, centrist disposition on several issues that dissuaded young voters from seeing the Biden-Harris administration as a powerful office for good.
As Georgia residents, Emory students have the power to make a mark on this election in a pivotal swing state. In 2020, Biden won Georgia by 12,670 votes. Emory’s total student population is 15,889. Our ability to impact this election is undeniable. In order to vote, you must be registered by October 7th, which can be done by mail or in-person for those without a Georgia ID, and online for those who do. When Harris realizes the need to rally the support of young people with substance rather than memes and pop culture references, we must give her something to listen to.
The above editorial represents the majority opinion of The Emory Wheel’s Editorial Board. The Editorial Board is composed of Marc Goedemans, Carson Kindred, Justin Leach, Eliana Liporace, and Ilka Tona.
Opinion Editor Lola McGuire contributed to the writing of this editorial.
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