American youth's crush on Obama is cooling. Though many young people are still passionate about liberal social issues, a weak job market and faltering economy has led many to lose confidence in the Democratic Party. According to a new Pew survey, compared to 2008, far fewer 18- to 29-year-olds today identify as Democrats. This shift has serious implications for the upcoming midterms; the youth vote's ability to upend the results in November and hand back a majority to Republicans can certainly compromise Obama's agenda. “Is the recession, which is hitting young people very hard, doing lasting or permanent damage to what looked like a good Democratic advantage with this age group?” asked director of survey research at the Pew Research Center Scott Keeter. “The jury is still out.”
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