By Jeff Davidson,
The figures don’t lie: Donald Trump captured a larger portion of the youth vote than expected. As such, I was encouraged to engage in discussion with some of his potential supporters.
My big opportunity came quickly. At the pickleball courts near my house, especially on weekday evenings, a variety of young players emerge, sometimes as many as 40 to 50. My curiosity about who some of them might have voted for got the best of me. Amidst a large group of young guys, between roughly 20 and 25, I asked about the election.
A Rational Choice
Most were willing to engage. A few said that they didn’t vote. One said that he voted for a third party candidate. The rest affirmed that they voted Republican. Oddly, no one said, verbatim, that they “voted for Trump.” Instead they would say they “voted GOP” or “voted red,” but no one mentioned Trump by name.
Now comes the gratifying part. I asked those who voted red what factors led them to such a choice. I was amazed to learn their rationale. One said that he was upset that Kamala Harris had not been in any primaries, hadn’t won any primary votes, and was only selected to be the candidate. It seemed to him as if this was a critical short circuit in democracy as to how a major party is supposed to offer their candidate.
Another said that he was sort of shocked when he saw a YouTube clip of Sunny Hostin on The View asking Kamala Harris what, if anything, she would have done differently during the Biden-Harris administration over the last four years. When he heard Harris say, “Not a thing comes to mind,” he recoiled. There and then, he felt that she was unqualified to run for the highest office in the land, let alone be elected.
A third reasonably gratifying response, from yet another young pickleball player, was that while he wasn’t gung-ho on Trump or Republicans, he felt that they had a better plan. Trump repeatedly announced what he was going to do about inflation, the border, foreign relations, and so on. This young pickleball player said that having a candidate make a stand was miles ahead of someone who talked in vague generalities.
Resulting Reflections
After speaking with these guys and getting home later that evening, I reflected on what I had learned. Today’s youth, at least in my small random sample, are not necessarily ill-informed. Maybe they’re not gathering their news the way we do, but they can obtain viable answers from their various sources.
Since Wake County, in which I reside, is decidedly blue and votes almost straight Democrat in election after election, I was pleasantly surprised to encounter these young voters. They did not represent the mainstream within their own county.
The young men with whom I spoke seem to be either upperclassman in college or maybe a year or two out of college – I hadn’t asked. It was enough simply to get their views on the election. FYI, the University of North Carolina, 25 minutes away, routinely leans left on all issues. Duke University, 20 minutes away, largely leans left but has some deep pockets of those on the right.
North Carolina State University (NCSU), however, which is only one mile from our pickleball courts is unpredictable. I’ve been told by students that NCSU professors generally don’t attempt to indoctrinate students. That is good to know.
Four Years Hence
A lot can change even within the course of year, let alone before the next presidential election. We all know that. The ways that the Biden-Harris administration currently is undermining Donald Trump before he is inaugurated is infuriating. Sending long-range missiles into Russia via our proxy Ukraine, opening the border floodgates even wider, and enacting all kinds of domestic policies that will unfairly challenge the Trump administration is maddening.
Yet, this is the stock and trade of Democrats. They have no loyalty to the nation. Their quest is only for power.
In any event, four years from now, given that the Republicans do what they said they’re going to do, I think we’ll be in good shape. If the views of these young men are any indication, the 2028 election bodes well. Let us all be hopeful.
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Jeff Davidson is “The Work-Life Balance Expert®” and the premier thought leader on work-life balance, effectiveness, integration, shift, blend, and harmony. Jeff speaks to organizations that seek to enhance their overall productivity by improving the effectiveness of their people. He is the author of Breathing Space, Perfect Timing, Simpler Living, Dial it Down, and Everyday Project Management. Visit BreathingSpace.com or call 919-932-1996 for more information on Jeff’s keynote speeches and seminars.
