For Young Democrats in 2024, Palestine and the President’s Age Dominate.
By Olivia Harris
When Tallulah, 22, was a first-time voter in 2020, the decision to vote for Biden came easily. But now, as the 2024 presidential election looms near, she has doubts. (The source chose not to include their last name.)
“I don’t feel excited about voting for Biden,” Tallulah explained. “[But] there are no other legitimate challengers.”
Tallulah — a senior at New York University (NYU) studying Politics and Social and Cultural Analysis — is not alone in her discontent. In interviews, young voters expressed mounting frustration with the current political climate, and disillusioned college-aged students are reconsidering how and why they vote. “It appears like our representative democracy is no longer — in any way — representative,” Tallulah added.
For decades, the Democratic Party has relied upon young voters as a stalwart of support but recently, that coalition is starting to crack. According to a national poll from The Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School conducted last month, young Americans aged 18–24 “appear less likely to vote in 2024 than they did in 2020, which was a record-setting year for youth turnout.”
As a contentious election year gets underway — and the possibility of a fiery Biden-Trump rematch solidifies — the disintegration of such a key voter base could cause major problems for the current President. Young voters helped clinch his victory in 2020, and it’s unlikely that Biden can win re-election without them.
What’s holding young voters back? Kaden, 20, summed it up simply: “His age and Palestine.” (The source chose not to include their last name.)
President Biden’s response to mounting violence in Palestine as a result of the Israel-Hamas War has garnered massive criticism from young voters. According to a poll taken last month by The New York Times and Siena College, Biden’s approval ratings among voters under 30 stands at 26% overall and a mere 20% on the Israel-Palestine conflict specifically, with 45% of young voters saying both that they “strongly disapprove” of Biden’s handling of the conflict and that he is “too supportive of Israel.”
For Kaden, a junior studying economics at NYU who identifies as a Democratic Socialist, his frustration with Biden’s handling of the conflict was enough to make him consider the possibility of abstaining from the vote as a form of protest. “But then I thought, no, I can’t,” Kaden explained, “because then the Republicans will hold office, specifically Trump.”
Tallulah expressed similar frustrations with Biden’s Palestine policy. “I think his actions in Israel are absolutely despicable,” said Tallulah, “and I completely respect, actually, the contingent of voters that are choosing not to vote in the upcoming election so long as there’s not decisive action in regards to that conflict.”
But for Tallulah and Kaden, the possibility of another Trump term feels more dire than the prospect of voting for a Democratic candidate they don’t truly support. “It feels like there’s both a moral obligation to not vote for anybody — any candidate — that’s supporting a genocide,” Brannigan explained, “and it also feels like there’s a moral obligation to vote for Trump’s opponent.”
It is for this reason that Michael, 19, will not consider abstaining from the vote. “Even though I’m not very happy about it [voting for Biden] it would be more damaging for my personal beliefs to have a Republican in office,” Bathla explained. (The source’s name has been changed.)
“But I also don’t blame anyone who wants to abstain from voting for Biden,” Michael added. “I mean, I get it. Our choices are not great. But Trump part two…yeah that’s especially not great.”
For Michael, an NYU sophomore studying urban design and policies who identifies as a leftist Democrat, the government’s response to the conflict in the Middle East has been incredibly disappointing. “Discouraging, to say the least,” described Michael with a dry chuckle, obviously hesitant to share his opinions on Palestine on the record for fear of repercussions.
“It’s just been really discouraging to see the response to the conflict in the Middle East, you know, from both parties,” Michael added. While Democrats are more likely to criticize the state of Israel and support Palestine than Republicans, a Data For Progress poll conducted last month revealed that over 60% of Americans across the political spectrum support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
“I think that every member of the United States Government that is not calling for, or executing action toward, a ceasefire, and an end to the genocide in Palestine is morally complicit in the genocide,” said Tallulah, “and that includes him [Biden].”
However, Biden’s pro-Isreal policy is not the only thing deterring young Democratic voters. His age is another significant concern. “I don’t think having anyone as old as Biden or Trump in office is a good thing,” said Bathla, a sentiment echoed by Tallulah and Kaden as well.
“I think the other thing that makes me most hesitant to vote for him [Biden] is his age,” explained Tallulah, “but that’s true for him and Trump.” She further explained that she feels as though “this political dynasty refuses to hand itself over to its successors,” leaving young people out of the political mix in a way that only furthers the divide between representatives and the people they are supposed to represent.
For Kaden, this lack of faith in the American representative democracy has rendered both mainstream parties equally disappointing. “If it’s [Nikki] Haley versus Biden, I honestly don’t give a sh– who takes office,” Kaden sighed, explaining that both candidates feel fundamentally out of touch with his own personal leftist views, although perhaps not to the same degree.
Still, he said, he is determined to do what he can to keep far-right conservatives out of office, even if that means voting for Biden reluctantly. “If it’s Biden versus Trump or DeSantis, I care,” Kaden said, “I care a lot.” He further explained that this election, along with the 2016 election, “is a really unique election…because Biden [may be] running against a fascist.”
“Things are looking very bleak with the possibility of a Trump part two,” Kaden declared. “I don’t think any of us want that.”
With all three interviews, something akin to this same conclusion was reached. Tallulah, Kaden, and Michael do not want to vote for Biden, but chances are, they’ll do so anyway.
The reason? The stakes are simply way too high. “It kind of feels like a matter of life and death,” concluded Kaden. “Or at least, a matter of life and death for democracy.”
