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The effect of the Internet: Obama tanks with Millennials


A new CNN poll shows that Obama's approval ratings among Millenials (those age 30 or younger) has fallen off a cliff. The president once held a 76 per cent approval rating among Millenials, but currently holds only a 45 per cent approval rating (with a 17 per cent drop occurring just in the past month).

The reason(s) for this isn't hard to deduce.

Online News

The primary reason is where Millenials are getting their news from. Most millennials are getting their news online - The HuffingtonPost, The Young Turks, DemocracyNow, Reddit, and the list goes on. These outlets are covering stories with very different narratives than NBC, CBS, FOX, and MSNBC.

When it comes to Edward Snowden, the mainstream media uses terms like traitor, spy, criminal, cowardly, while the online media outlets tend to use terms like whistleblower, hero and courageous.

Additionally, on outlets like Reddit misinformation is quickly corrected in the ongoing conversation that takes place in the comments section.  Not to mention, Reddit aggregates news from hundreds of sources, meaning readers are getting a wide spectrum of media views (not just the narrative of a single outlet).

Millenials are not just getting a different narrative from multiple sources, they are also FACT CHECKING the news right there on the spot. Misinformation is quickly factually refuted by other Reddit users.

It's not surprising then that their approval of Obama has dropped off a cliff, as it is only within the mainstream press that his response to Edward Snowden has been praised.

Their Reality Isn't Matching the Rhetoric

The Millenials are facing the REAL WORLD. They don't have a cushy job yet where they have seniority and feel relatively safe that they won't get fired. They have massive student debts and abysmal job opportunities in the current market.

So while the stock market has gone up and Obama touts that we are in 'recovery', they aren't seeing it reflected in their lives.


 This isn't the Obama they Voted For

Lastly, Obama got elected based on doing the opposite of what George Bush did. In 2008 the reason Obama was picked over Hilary Clinton was that Obama was seen as the "anti-Bush AND anti-establishment" candidate, Clinton was seen merely as the anti-Bush candidate.

Since taking office though, Obama not only continued with the Bush doctrines, but enhanced them.  Millennials now see Obama a THE pro-establishment figure.

It Really Shouldn't Surprise Anyone

What we have happening here really shouldn't surprise anyone. I've been saying for a long time Obama's messaging strategy was doomed to fail in that it didn't match his actions. He benefited for a long time by the populous merely listening to his words and not even looking at the actions he was taking.  His speeches were so good people just assumed those were his core beliefs... and yet, anyone who followed his policy actions could quickly see they were not.

Millenials, mostly as a result of online news and discussion, see Obama for what he is at this point... a continuation of George Bush, a man who represents not the interests of the youth, but rather those of the military industrial complex and the banking system.

All that said, Obama got his two term presidency, so I doubt any of this bothers him much but it should definitely put the fear of God into Democratic and Republican candidates running for President in 2016. For the first time they are going to have a base of Millennials who feel betrayed by both parties (both under Bush and Obama)... and their votes won't be so easily swayed as they were in 2008 and 2012.

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