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Republican Convention 2000

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The Republican Convention Web site

George W. Bush for President

Don't pass up your opportunity to have your say. If you're eighteen, make sure you're registered to vote.
Click here for more information on voter registration.

What's the Deal?
by Eric Lincoln, age 19, Washington D.C.

Capital punishment, a budget surplus, the Supreme Court. A tax cut, saving social security, offering universal health care. Compassionate conservatism, progress and prosperity, campaign finance. In the words of the great philosopher of our time, "What's the deal?"

Even Jerry Seinfield knows what all these catch words are associated with - this fall's presidential election.

But in July 2000, the presidential election is still four months away.

The Republican and Democratic Conventions this summer in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, respectively, will be the forums for the nation's two major parties to convene and agree about their candidates for the White House.

And for many Americans, little serious attention has been paid to the election that has yet to catch their interests.

Household Names

By now, Al Gore and George Bush are household names, but that doesn't mean they are table conversation.

As a nineteen year old, this fall is of particular personal importance. It will be the first time I will be casting my ballot for the office of the President of the United States.

I am very excited for the opportunity to let my voice be heard, to stake my claim as a United States citizen.

The 26th's a Big Deal if You're 18

Eighteen year olds gained the right to vote in 1971 as a result of the ratification of the twenty-sixth amendment. Prior to that, only four states had permitted citizens younger than twenty-one to vote: Georgia, Kentucky (18), Alaska (19) and Hawaii (20). In 1972, the first Presidential election was held in which all eighteen year old Americans could cast ballots.

Ever since, the youth vote has struggled to become a prominent voice in the American political landscape.

U.S. Census statistics show young people do not vote in presidential elections-- in fact, many of the youngest people eligible to vote are simply not registered to do so.

Only 32.4 percent of eligible voters between 18 and 24 went to the polls in November 1996, compared to 49.6 percent in 1972.

Why Don't We Care?

What's the deal with voter apathy?

The youngest group of eligible voters tends to offer less than impressive reasons for not voting.

According to a study conducted by the Census Bureau, one in four of those between 18 and 24 who did not vote in 1996 didn't make it to the polls because they were too busy or didn't get any time off.

Another 16.5 percent declared that they were simply not interested in voting.

One increasing trend is the rise in students involving themselves in community service over political activism. This demonstrates a frustration with the political system coupled with the gratification of seeing a result for one's efforts.

Reasons to Care

In my humble opinion, it is this group of unconcerned voters that has the most riding on this election. An examination of the campaign's most talked about issues suggests long-term implications that will leave our generation of leaders responding to the actions of a President Bush or a President Gore.

Here's the case for youth involvement in the political process:

Environment: The Kyoto Agreement in 1997 regarding global warming made great progress in the global environmental effort. However, U.S. leadership could be decisive in arranging similar international conferences and making strides now to protecting the only earth we have for future generations before the effects become uncorrectable.

National Missile Defense: Should the U.S. develop a system that can intercept nuclear missiles before they impact on American soil? Russia and China don't think so. The establishment of a NMD system in Alaska is a breach of a 1972 treaty with the former Soviet Union. After two of three tests of the system have failed, President Clinton has most likely left the decision for his successor, a decision that will have serious implications in international relations.

Supreme Court: Many well-regarded followers of the Supreme Court speculate that anywhere from two to four justices might step down from the bench during the next presidential term. It is the president's responsibility to appoint a new justice… this means that a nominee will probably have the same beliefs as the president that nominated them. Since justices serve for life, it is clear that the political leanings of the justices appointed by the next president could very well influence court decisions for quite some time.

Budget Surplus: Over the past year or so, politicians have been confronted with a unique situation - more taxes and fees have been collected than have been spent in running the federal government. So, then, what do we do with the extra money? Good question. Here are some ideas being kicked around.

Social Security/Medicare: These systems that your grandparents might take advantage of offer supplementary income to retirees and discounted medical coverage to the elderly. With a large percentage of the Baby Boom generation retiring in the near future, it is feared that the present distribution system and the present funding will prove insufficient to meet the need in the next ten to twenty years. If these programs go belly up, then it will be our responsibility to figure out a way for the retired Americans of the future, our parents and eventually ourselves, to live without government assistance after paying into a system designed for that purpose.

Debt Retirement: Do you know that the U.S. has a debt somewhere around $6 trillion? Try counting that one on your fingers! If the U.S. government were a private business, it would have filed for bankruptcy a long time ago. Many argue that the surplus should be dedicated to paying off some of this huge sum so that it doesn't come back to haunt future Americans (that's us!).

Tax Cut: This option is sensible to many. Basically, if the government is collecting more in taxes that it needs, why not reduce the amount taxpayers have to pay? This would allow Americans to spend more of their money on things that they wanted to. However, a tax cut comes with important questions: Who should receive the cut? How much should the cut be? What happens when the government comes upon hard times?

So Here's the Deal

So that's the deal with getting involved in this fall's election.

And it's key to remember that while the race for the Oval Office is gaining most of the press, your local Congressional district is up for grabs and possibly one of your U.S. Senate seats, not to mention a slew of state and local races.

So if the spirit moves you, read the newspaper, get acquainted with the candidates who want to represent you, get yourself involved with a campaign, but above all, if you are eighteen, register to vote and then do so in November.

If you are a student and will not be home for the election, look into arranging to receive an absentee ballot. Go to your city hall and make sure you don't miss out on your chance to vote even if you aren't at home in November.

I'll see you at the polls!

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