[Editor’s Note: How does American politics look to those who will one day be totally in charge — America’s teenagers? Connecticut’s Jack O’Connell offers this perspective.]
How Kids’ Political Views Are Shaped
by Jack O’Connell
Jonathan Krohn was once a phenomenon. At 13 years old, he was an eloquent and zealous spokeschild for conservatism. Spewing very conservative ideals ever so passionately, Republicans in politics and in the media were salivating over him. Yet, his story has made me think: why was the kid so entrenched in his views? What internal and external forces mold the political views of youthful observers?
The ideal question everyone asks when choosing a candidate is “which choice is be the best for my country?” Most people would probably say they prefer a certain candidate because he or she is better for the nation. However, it takes an optimist and an idiot to think this is the only factor when discerning who is the superior candidate.
The first kind of kid is the selfish observer. If Barack Obama were to speak to a group of traders at a successful hedgefund, he probably wouldn’t talk about food stamps and welfare. He’d tell them that their lives would be better with him in office. And if Mitt Romney sojourned out to Flint, Michigan, he wouldn’t discuss tax cuts for the rich, but he’d focus on his intention to reduce the unemployment rate. This is because appealing to someone’s selfish side is imperative in the act of coaxing. Many people prefer a particular candidate because they think he or she will make their life better.
Emotion played an instrumental role in the 2008 election. A lot of this is attributed to the race of Barack Obama. The election became more than just politics and this played a role in the minds of the youth and all citizens. There was Barack the politician and there was Barack the transcender of racial barriers. Some were so in love with Barack the transcender that they were vehement supporters of Barack the politician. The logic for many was if he fits in with MLK and Jackie Robinson, he’ll fit in with Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. If I were African-American I would have supported Obama wholeheartedly and then rationalized my support for him by trying to say he was better than McCain in policy. There would be too much involved emotion for me; I couldn’t be objective.
I’d be willing to bet John McCain’s sister, Sandy McCain, voted for John McCain. If Barack Obama were her brother, who would she vote for then? Probably Obama. Humans often make decisions based on emotional connection and choosing candidates is no exception.
Peer pressure is the Achilles’ heel of the American teenager. Society and the media encourage us to do certain things, behave a certain way, or believe in certain ideas. Any opinion that presents itself is a form of pressure. The other day, for some reason, my friend and I were talking about political pundits and he said, “Bill O’Reilly is an idiot.” After further interrogation, I came to the realization that he didn’t know who Bill O’Reilly is. He thought he was stupid because he was exposed to people who thought he was stupid and he trusted them.
Now, I’m not here to discuss the intellectual capacity of Bill O’Reilly, but his statement revealed that the crux of peer pressure is trust. People ride their parents’ political views because they trust them. I don’t condemn them for that, but I do condemn the kids who do and rationalize it by saying they know what they’re talking about and their views have no connection to their parents’ views. Are people liberal in San Francisco because their friends who they love and trust are also liberal? Are people conservative in Texas because their friends who they love and trust are also conservative? Probably.
I would say people my age fall victim to this more than the average adult. Having said that, I don’t think there is a “cooler” party nationally. Conservatives seem to think that all young kids turn on The Daily Show with a bong by their side and inhale the toxic fumes of liberalism and cannabis. Truthfully, the most prevalent attitude towards politics, elections, and world issues in my demographic is a declaration of ignorance.
“Obama’s president, so? What’s he represent? Just because the n—–’s half black don’t mean he’s Heaven-sent.” This is a quote from rapper Hopsin. If someone from the right read this, he or she might nod his or her head in delight that this rapper is taking a stand. Hopsin, like most other voters, does not have a PhD in political science. I’m sure there are African-American political science PhDs out there who love Obama’s policies after thorough examination. Hopsin could be labeled, along with many other Americans, a contrarian. Sometimes people are so disgusted by their environment that they oppose every view they have as an act of revolt. Honestly, I don’t think contrarianism plays too big of a role when evaluating candidates. If Rachel Maddow had a kid and they didn’t get along, I don’t think the first thing he or she would do is donate money to a Republican PAC.
Personal morals should play a larger role than they do among kids when choosing a candidate. It makes sense that a kid and his or her parents have similar morals and therefore similar political views. However, this election is dominated by terms like “economy, spending, deficit, and Medicare.” Kids don’t know which policy on national spending would benefit the economy most. The candidates themselves don’t even know. The politics we’re exposed to in school are limited to views on abortion, same-sex marriage, capital punishment, and euthanasia. How can an old traditional man be angered about kids knowing nothing when this race is all about money? In layman’s terms, our election is about a crappy economy and two conflicting ideas on how to fix it. An honest kid can’t look at this election and choose a side. Morality is a non-existent issue in this election. I guess I’m the first kid against teen partying.
What separates adult psychology from adolescent psychology? Not much. Their environments are different. Kids can’t vote and are indirectly affected by the election while adults can vote and are directly affected. It would be a problem if kids cared as much as adults did.
As for Krohn, I can’t speak for him. I can say he’s not your typical teenager. After his steadfast conservatism, he said at the age of 17 he was no longer conservative. This was after reading about philosophy on a journey of self-discovery. His views on “social issues” completely changed. The existence of Krohn predictably evoked praise regarding the involvement of a kid in politics. In one of the interviews I saw, Krohn was articulate speaking about every topic except for why kids should know about politics. Kids can’t vote, so why should they care?
Krohn’s passionate conservatism only led to a conversion, but what has his knowledge done for the country? For me, they proved that extremism is no direction for a kid to travel. Someone must fully digest their surroundings before interpreting them. Krohn proved that teenagers should stay away from parties and enjoy the sidelines.
Jack O’Connell is a Junior from CT who once wrote for Deadspin, a viral sports blog. He gave betting advice. He is no longer in that business for it was a dark vice of his tween past. He is now in the business of exercising his right to free speech.