TORONTO, Digital Journal — Election Day is over at last. Paul Martin is Canada’s Prime Minister. He’s the Liberal guy. Yes, also the same one who took over for Chrétien. Jean Chrétien — he was the Prime Minister before Martin. Ah yes. And what about that Harper dude. Did good (well) for his party. Didn’t win though. Martin won by a minority. But he still won.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the “I’m too lazy to pick up the full report,” super-short, annotated, “young” people’s version of the results of the federal election.
For all of June, as the country was being saturated with election coverage, there was a buzz about getting the younger voters out to the polls. There’s talk on the street, in the papers and on television about what it’s going to take to generate a younger audience.
The abundant marketing to a younger audience was perhaps a product of this election’s unique circumstances: Competition between major federal parties was actually restored and every party was starving for a vote. The polls showed a very close race and the country waited to see if Harper would actually defeat Martin. This election is a perfect case study for the young cynic who believes his or her vote doesn’t count regardless of their selection.
But did the marketing work to attract the wee ones to the polls? In the 2000 federal election, Elections Canada says that about 22 per cent of “young voters” (aged 18-24) turned out. Compared to the 61 per cent of the total population that voted that year, the numbers are dismal. While this election was fierce with competition and creative advertising, I still don’t think this year is going to be much better when the statistics are tabulated.
Considering I fall in the black hole of forsaken young voters, I will offer my two cents on what it’s gonna take to bring in some more votes. Let’s face it, what they got goin’, ain’t workin’.
Firstly, for the era that has grown up with fast food as a food group and the instantaneity of the Internet, most don’t have time to read newspaper coverage or watch hour-long debates in French and/or English. This generation has grown up with The Simpsons, Friends and Seinfeld all strewn with their own political, yet satirical and sarcastic views. To attract this demographic, things need to be kept short. Point Form. With more references to TV. Charts work too.
Young people see politics totally differently. The ones that get it are often as intrigued and active as their parents’ generation. Great. But, the group that has not developed an interest in politics is the one politicians should be going after. This group is one that defines the world by the popular cultural influences around it. Things just need to be summed up differently.
With this in mind, let’s illustrate our political parties. Suppose the federal election was laid out like a soap opera — Days of Our Lives, The Young and The Restless, Sex in the City — take your pick. Boys, you think Star Wars. While this example might seem like a bit of a stretch, it serves to illustrate that politics can be understood by anyone.
Paul Martin: Smart guy, good guy, middle man, made some mistakes, do you trust him? He flip flops from here to there and can’t really make up his mind. For the sake of an example, let’s use Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi of Star Wars as the character of Paul Martin. He has a lot of wisdom and understands how the world around him works (he was finance minister). Also, he finds it his responsibility to clean up other people’s messes. He’s a Liberal.
Steven Harper: The leader of a new party in town, big talker, smooth, but again, do you trust him? Promises big things, but can he handle it? Weird moppy hairdo too — should fix that, it’s distracting. He’s a bit like Anakin Skywalker, as fears were widespread that he could turn into Darth Vader once in power. He’s a Conservative.
Jack Layton: Aw Jack. The flamboyant. The guy everyone knows and likes. In a soap opera, he’d be the sweet guy who writes poems for you and reads them under a tree in the park. Funny thing though, Jack can’t keep his own thoughts on track, he’s all over the place. You ask yourself, do I trust this guy? He’s with the NDP.
Gilles Duceppe: With a name like Gilles, you’ve gotta be dreamy. Or maybe your dreams are just too big. And maybe selfish. Also untouchable to the majority. Blue eyes. He’s with the Bloc.
That’s it, plain and simple. If you think I’m simply reducing the younger generation to a ten-minute attention span and a television set, you’re dead wrong. There is much more to the younger generation, even if some people will debate that fact. They simply see things differently.
Also, young people do care about the issues. Among others, today’s youth care about jobs, education, health care, the environment, civil rights and taxes. The problem arises when (a) issues are not blatantly relevant to them and (b) when issues take too long to surface, the result is (c) an uninterested, and thus, uneducated voter. Things need to be put into perspective to generate an interest.
The solution: Target the areas that interest young people the most and visit them. Talk to young people, not at them. And finally, give them your real deal; they don’t have time to waste.
QUIRKY ELECTION FACT:
You did not need photo identification to vote in the federal election. In fact, you could have voted just on a matter of trust: an oral contract. So, suppose you knew a Jim Smith that lived in Winnipeg, and you knew that this Jim Smith was not voting. Because of this strange rule, you could, essentially, vote for him and yourself. Florida ballot recount anyone?
