It's an interesting time in American politics. We are 7 months away from the election, but young people are talking politics more than I can ever remember.
I think there are several reasons for this:
1. Young people are more interested in some global issues than has been the case in the past. I think the two biggest would be justice issues and environmental issues.
2. Obama vs Hilary: This is certainly a heated battle & Obama's personality is warm and sincere. I think most young people find him very easy to like (and can I dare say that Hilary is an easy person to...). Obama has captured the support of lots of people who were previously pretty disconnected from anything political.
3. I think the War with Iraq has also heightened the conversation.
Now, I'm not guessing whether this increased awareness will ultimately be good or bad. I'm too skeptical to think that concern about one issue equals a better tomorrow. But it is going to be interesting to see how things progress.
Will people realize that sometimes environmental issues stand opposed to humanitarian issues?
Will people change their minds on Obama if he wins the nomination and comes under more scrutiny?
Will young people move away from their political interests if things don't go their way this year?