EDITORIAL: Super Duper Tuesday

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Posted: 1/15/08

If ever there was a good time to be a young voter in Massachusetts, that time is now. With the commonwealth's change in primary date and the importance of voters between 17 and 29 in Iowa and New Hampshire, the youth in Massachusetts have more clout than ever before in the nominating process.

For once, it seems that Massachusetts is no longer just a throw-away vote in choosing a president-at least not until the general election-and Brandeis students have the opportunity to take advantage. Importantly, if you have already missed your state's primary or come from a state with less impact on the primary process, you can register to vote in the primary here and still vote in your state for the general election, but remember that because Massachusetts has a closed primary, only those who register as Democrats or Republicans can vote in their respective party's primary.

But, time is running out. In order to vote in this state, voters must register at least 20 days before the primary, meaning the deadline is Wednesday. When Massachusetts' Secretary of State William F. Galvin proposed to move the commonwealth's primary from March 4 to Feb. 5, he did so to become part of the new "de facto national primary day." With 23 other states-including California, New York and New Jersey-voting on that day, "Super Tuesday" has been renamed "Super Duper Tuesday." Massachusetts has been used to voting nearly a month after Super Tuesday and having little effect in the primaries outcome. The change has altered things significantly.

On Feb. 4, only four percent of Democratic delegates and 11 percent of Republican delegates will have been selected. By the end of the next day, the Democrats will increase that number by 55 percent and Republicans by 44 percent. With the selection of more than 3,000 delegates, Super Duper Tuesday will have one of the biggest impacts a primary day has ever had. Unlike in years past, however, when the results from Super Tuesday have often solidified presidential nominations, this year's Feb. 5 primary could mark only the midpoint in what some candidates have taken to calling "a nine-inning game." With no clear favorite in the Republican Party, and a heated competition between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination, the primary season may remain open into June.

A vote in Massachusetts on Feb. 5 now goes a lot further than helping to assign the 121 Democratic delegates or 40 Republican delegates. Massachusetts is now a momentum state.

Perhaps the only type of voter more important than a Super Duper Tuesday voter is a young one. If the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary taught us anything, it's that the youth vote counts. In Iowa, young caucus-goers pretty much single-handedly provided Obama a victory. With one in five Democrats at the caucuses under the age of 30, the young adults upped their attendance from the last presidential election by 135 percent, compared to the 90 percent increase by Democrats as a whole. Also, for the first time in recent history, the youth voted at the same rate as those above 65. Therefore, when Obama grabbed 57 percent of young caucus-goers between the ages of 17 and 29, he assured himself a victory. Clinton by comparison received only 10 percent. Likewise, Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the Republican caucus, also was the winner in this demographic, winning 38 percent of the caucus-goers between 17 and 29.

Youth voters came out for this year's New Hampshire primary in droves, as 53,000 more voters under the age of 30 headed to the polls than in 2004-an increase of 15 percent. On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain won 27 percent of the 18 to 24-year-old vote. Rep. Ron Paul was the runner-up for the young vote, winning 19 percent. Likewise, it was the youth that kept the Democratic race close in New Hampshire. Obama beat Clinton among college-age voters 60 percent to 22 percent, which allowed him a close second-place finish.

Clearly, the votes of the young are affecting this election in an unprecedented manner. Our increased turnout at the polls, however, remains only a small section of our possible impact. While there is still time to register in Massachusetts, involvement should not end there. What makes our voice so important is more than just an increase in primary votes. Regardless of where you cast your vote, your voice can be heard here at Brandeis. Since politicians everywhere are recognizing the importance of our vote, the youth's voices are now more audible than ever.

It's time to prove that we are more than just a Facebook generation that indicates support in virtual groups, we are an actual community with an ability unlike any other age-group to work together, and not just as avatars. With just over three weeks to go until Super Duper Tuesday, now is the time to get active, and to do so in person. Join the Brandeis Republicans or the Brandeis Democrats, go to Brandeis Students for Barack Obama meetings, canvass with Brandeis for Jonathan Edwards, or start up Brandeis for Huckabee (if you dare). Your voice counts now more than ever. It's time to have it heard both inside and out of the voting booth.