Ironically, this came right before the election, and I had no time to put it up before the election, so now I will try to post it posthumously as it were. I’ve had a little trouble with logging in, and thus the posts have been slow, but this was a semi-relevant essay for a class, written banged out on Halloween night. Rather than proposing a full scale reworking of the message, I emphasized particular parts of the message which could have appealed, a theme I think we should be emphasizing on our end here as well. Enjoy!

From: Brad Tidwell, Campaign Adviser
To: Campaign Manager, Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
RE: 2008 Presidential Race- Sending a Final Message to Young Voters.

With three weeks left in the race, the importance of maximizing every vote cannot be overstated. The youth vote represents one of the most important areas where John McCain can make a significant difference- currently voters 18-29 support Obama over McCain 56 percent to 29 percent. More recently, there has been an upsurge in new voters in this age range, and a lot of this has been attributed to the new web political presences. There has also been some skepticism about whether that reflects a new trend or whether it is a minor fluke. However, studies have proven it is possible to make important and valuable ground by targeting young voters. John McCain can make the most of the young voter vote through a final message which emphasizes McCain’s plans for lower taxes, its impact on education, and clarifying his position on health care.

Right now, McCain has ground to gain on Obama when it comes to taxation. McCain lost the strong lead in September, and while he has resurged more recently, he currently trails on the question “Would Barack Obama or John McCain better handle taxes?” by a margin of 50 percent to 44 percent. McCain’s use of Joe Wurzelbacher, popularly known as Joe the Plumber, a man who got Obama to say “I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody”, can help McCain regain that ground. This will be especially helpful as Joe the Plumber has become an internet sensation, and would easily gain following among younger voters who have more exposure to this kind of news- voters in Florida and all over the internet have already submitted videos talking about how this message has resonated with them.

The economics message can also have an impact on the area of education. One report says college tuition has risen 5% this semester- $34,000 for private schools and $14,000 for public schools, and college loan debt affects 60% of all students graduating in 2007. McCain needs to emphasize the impact of tax increases on the economy overall, and the fact that his policies will actually free up more money to spend on college loans and college tuition. This message, specifically targeted, can help give impact to the broader economic messages of the campaign.

McCain can also gain ground by emphasizing clarity in his health care policy. According to the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, there are 18 million uninsured young adults from 19-34 who have no health care. While this point has not been well emphasized, McCain’s actual position as it stands could gain him important ground among young voters. The Wall Street Journal says “The McCain health-care insurance tax credit may well be one of the most misunderstood proposals of this presidential election”, and clarifying the impact can make a significant impact: the number of insured people under a McCain administration would increase by 21 million people.

Through emphasizing his positions on tax policy, clarifying his health care policy and emphasizing victory in Iraq, McCain can create a message which can effectively communicate with younger voters and perhaps gain vital ground in the rapidly approaching election. Younger voters can make a difference in an election with close polling numbers such as have been seen lately, and if McCain can communicate effectively to them, he could see a significant gain on Election Day.

Last 5 posts by Brad Tidwell

• Voter Fraud- There's an App for That? - April 14th, 2010
• Obama and International Perception - October 20th, 2009
• The Healthcare Debate, Simplified. - October 2nd, 2009
• Win $100 for Reporting Campus Leftist Abuse! - September 30th, 2009
• Serena, Kanye, Wilson and the GOP's Crisis of Coverage - September 22nd, 2009