A reader writes:
I was born in 1984. The first election I was able to vote in on a Presidential level was 2004, in which I voted for John Kerry, and have gone on to vote for Obama both in 2008 and 2012. To give some perspective on why the Democrats are winning voters like myself and of my generation, I can break it down.
Many people my age are more libertarian-leaning than anything. I think the emergence of gay marriage as an issue in 2004 is what started the trend of the youth vote decisively going for the Democrats. While it may have been a shrewd political move by Karl Rove in 2004 to use marriage equality as a wedge issue, in the long run, it will be seen as a strategic error for the party. In addition to marriage equality, we also don't believe in stupid wars. It seems Bush really exposed my generation to an underbelly of the Republican Party that we don't identify with.
Furthermore, we are a technological generation. We came of age during the rise of the Internet, and we have embraced it, and in turn we have revolutionized its use (Zuckerberg, et al). We see the Republican party as anti-science, anti-technology know-nothings. We want no part of that.
And that's a big reason why Silicon Valley voters and donors went overwhelming for Obama, as we illustrated earlier today.
The Dish 