Are Millennials Actually More Conservative Than We Think?
*By Christian Smith*
Republicans may stand to lose more than just the House if the party doesn't address millennial needs, said GOP strategist Evan Siegfried.
"The party needs to adapt or die," Siegfried said Monday in an interview on Cheddar. "The Democratic punch is coming."
The punch is a result of changing demographics within the American electorate. In each election, the American voting population becomes less white and better educated, a shift that Siegfried said will pose a major threat to Republicans if they don't prioritize issues like student debt which are important to the country's largest voting bloc.
Siegfried cited Democratic Socialist and 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders as an exemplar of successful outreach to the millennial base. Though he may disagree with the Senator's viewpoints, Siegfried said Republicans would do well to imitate Sanders's methods.
"Millennials are the most fiscally conservative generation since the Great Depression, and the Republican Party's fiscal, conservative message actually reaches out and would be perfect for them, but we haven't been able to do so," Siegfried said.
"We have been viewed and portrayed as the stereotype of an anti-woman, anti-minority party. Unfortunately with Donald Trump's rise, he has helped to cement the stereotype as reality."
But there is an opportunity for the GOP ー while millennial voters are the least likely demographic to identify as Republican according to a [poll](http://www.people-press.org/2018/03/01/1-generations-party-identification-midterm-voting-preferences-views-of-trump/) from the Pew Research Center, an [April poll](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-millennials/exclusive-democrats-lose-ground-with-millennials-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKBN1I10YH) by Reuters found that enthusiasm for the Democratic Party among the group is slipping, and young voters increasingly consider the Republican Party a better steward for the economy.
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/one-republican-strategists-plan-to-help-the-gop-win-over-millennial-voters).
Alex Ward, National Security Reporter at Politico, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the latest in a looming international threat as Russia continues aggression against Ukraine, in defiance of Western nations.
The recent Virginia and New Jersey elections are making one trend line pretty clear: voters in this climate will vote on education, and it could be a winning tactic for Republicans.
Virginia's race for governor was defined by, as the Republican candidate and eventual winner described it, "school-choice." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking a page out of Governor Youngkin's playbook for his upcoming reelection bid, over-indexing on themes of education. John Kennedy, Florida capital reporter at Gannett, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
North Korea launched its sixth missile test this month, equaling the total number performed in all of 2021. Cheddar News speaks with Bruce Klinger of the Heritage Foundation on why the regime is suddenly ramping up its weapons testing program.
More than 80 lawmakers are calling for President Biden to release a memo outlining the legal pros and cons regarding the president's authority to cancel student loan debt, the total of which sits around $1.75 trillion. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), joined Cheddar to discuss the memo and support the push to forgive student debt that could potentially have a massive positive impact on the U.S. economy. "I think that would be really helpful for all of us to be able to see as we figure out how we can go forward," she said. "It seems like a simple thing to do, and I hope that the administration will release this memo." For her part, Sen. Smith said she believes the president does have the authority to abolish student loan debt.
Dr. Celeste González de Bustamante, professor and director of the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the Univerity of Arizona, and Dr. Jeannine E. Relly, professor and director of Global Initiatives at the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the University of Arizona, join Cheddar News to discuss the recent journalist killings in Mexico.
Joe Kennedy III, a former congressman and co-founder of Give Us the Ballot, joined Cheddar News to discuss voting protections in the United States and how his campaign is aiming to fix the issue of voter suppression. "Yes, redistricting is critical — Give Us the Ballot though recognizes it's 'redistricting, and —', because voting rights has an implication for every single election at every single level: school board, mayor, city council, House of Representatives, Senate, president," he said. Kennedy also gave his thoughts about the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer.
