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President Obama's speech in a Denver high school got a little fiery. He did use some
of his time to blast Republicans. But mostly, he did stay on target, talking jobs, education
and the crucial link between them.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: -- what was also a quintessentially
American idea is that those of us who have done well should pay our fair share, contribute,
to the upkeep of the nation that made our success possible, because nobody -- nobody
did well on their own. A teacher somewhere helped to give you the skills to succeed.
PHILLIPS: Well, a lot of presidents' speech clearly aimed at younger voters. We've got
two of them with us right now. Dan Burrows is political director of the Denver Metro
Young Republicans and then we've got the president of the Denver Young Democrats, Chris Laughlin.
Gentlemen, OK, Chris, let's start with you. The young Dems actually hear what they wanted
to hear from the pres?
CHRIS LAUGHLIN, PRESIDENT, DENVER YOUNG DEMOCRATS: Thanks, Kyra, yes, absolutely. The president
got out there and he talked about one getting middle-class families back to work and, two,
creating job opportunities for - for, you know, the young American.
This is a bipartisan. It's full of bipartisan policy measures. I don't see any reason why
Congress shouldn't go out there right now and pass this bill.
PHILLIPS: Dan, did you feel better about job opportunities for this younger generation
after the speech?
DAN BURROWS, POLITICAL DIRECTOR, DENVER METRO YOUNG REPUBLICANS: No. I don't think so. The
unemployment rate for people under the age of 24 is a staggering 18.1 percent right now.
And the only thing about this speech that was really helpful to unemployed people is
that it was in the middle of the day. And they didn't have to fight for tickets against
those who actually have jobs. What it was, was the same thing that we've heard before.
I think the discredited stimulus that we had in 2009.
This idea of pushing money out the door as fast as possible is somehow going to revive
the economy. It hasn't worked before. Why's it going to work now?
PHILLIPS: Chris, do you agree?
LAUGHLIN: Absolutely not. Listen, this measure is paid for, for one thing, and secondly,
you know, right now we have a field of Republican candidates, and not weren't of them is out
there talking to youth voters and talking about how they're going to actually create
jobs for young Americans.
So, you know, I respect Dan, but I don't quite see where, you know the Republican candidates
are going to go out there and actually be any better for youth voters. The president
has his whole, you know, his whole term has been out there doing things to make sure that
youth voters can get access to college.
That they have health care and creating all sorts of different opportunities for them
so, you know, I'm really proud of this president and I think the American Jobs Act is really
going to help young Americans.
PHILLIPS: Dan, I think both of you probably will agree to this, Chris and Dan, about voter
apathy especially within the younger generation. I mean, besides you guys who are out there
really pushing for you believe in. I know you'll be going to the polls. Did this speech
do anything for voter apathy among men and women in your age range? Dan?
BURROWS: Well, it depends what group you're talking about. I think certainly we had a
meeting last night for young Republicans. We had more people there than in months. People
are excited about what's coming up.
But as far as people that are supporting President Obama, when you run a campaign that's based
on, for young voters, at least, voting for somebody because they're cool, the same thing
is going to happen there that's happened to other cool things.
Like slap bracelets and hair metal. Eventually people are going to forget about it. I think
that's what's happened with young voters. President Obama just isn't cool anymore. These
people have left a protective bubble of high school and college that they were in had they
voted for him the first time.
They are facing the stark reality that they don't have jobs. That they're facing crushing
student loan debt and running around making nice speeches on a bill that simply isn't
going to pass isn't helping them.
Look, the targeted tax increases that he's talking about that are supposedly going to
pay for this bill, he proposed the exact same thing in April 2009 when we had a Democratic
Congress and it went nowhere.
Now he's saying Republicans just want to stop this because, so they can score political
points. That's not really what's going on here. He's proposed something that's not palatable
to either his party or the Republicans.
It's a campaign tactic, but, you know, when you have people that are in some things that
are cool, I don't know if he wants to plank on the --
PHILLIPS: What do you think, Chris, about what Dan is saying? I mean, does the younger
generation no longer think Obama's cool? It was sort of a neat thing at the beginning?
There was a young African- American president and now all of a sudden it's just not cool
anymore?
LAUGHLIN: No. Yes, well I take issue, to begin with, with the fact they only voted for him
because he was cool. I think that they -- we were coming out of a presidency with George
W. Bush that really kind of left America in shambles.
And they were looking for someone who was intelligent, and inspirational, who knew he
could go out there and actually get things done, and I think we have to put things a
little in perspective when it comes to youth apathy.
You know, I'm out there all the time like trying to engage young Americans, and I think
they are actually excited for this upcoming election. But, you know, it wasn't until October
2007 when I actually went to my first Obama event. So, you know, it's -- we still have
a lot of time to get those youth involved and I'm confident that he will have every
single one of those votes he had in 2008 from youth voters.
And they will not only give their votes, but they will actually get out there and knock
on doors and make phone calls and make sure that we re-elect the president.
PHILLIPS: Chris Laughlin, Dan Burrows, thanks for weighing in, guys.