Young voters, then, are the prize. And young voters in the past couple of elections, according to Gallup, are strikingly more Republican than their predecessors. The pattern is especially pronounced among those under thirty who have come of age during the Reagan era and who saw a vivid contrast between Reagan and Carter. These young voters supported Reagan handsomely in 1980, and again in 1984. But they are not yet firmly entrenched in the Republican Party.
Young people are considerably less anchored to parties than their parents.
Many Republicans believe that if they can hold the young voters in 1986, they will have built a substantial and long-lasting base. All rights reserved.