New poll shows
young Americans are leaning liberal

According to a new poll conducted by The New York Times, CBS News, and MTV, young Americans are more likely than the public at large to be in favor of hot-button cultural issues such as the legalization of gay marriage, government-run universal health care insurance, and an open-door policy on immigration. As reported by The New York Times, the poll also shows that Americans between the ages of 17 and 29 appear to be familiar with only two of the candidates for the 2008 presidential race, senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, both of whom are Democrats. A 54% majority say they plan to vote for a Democratic candidate in 2008, with 52-36 saying they share similar moral values with Democrats moreso than Republicans. An "overwhelming majority" said the nation was ready to elect a president who was black, female, or had admitted to smoking marijuana.

The poll also found young Americans hold a negative opinion similar to the public at large on President Bush, who scored a 28% approval rating with this group. This comes in sharp contrast to earlier polls, just after the attacks of September 11, that showed Bush's approval rating at more than 80% with this group.

Forty-four percent believe that same-sex couples should be able to get married, while only 28% of the public at large hold that view;and 62% said they would support a universal, government-sponsored national health care insurance program, compared to 47% of the general public.

Additionally, 30% said that "Americans should always welcome new immigrants," while 24% of the general public holds that view.

The New York Times states that young Americans' views on abortion mirror that of the general public: 24% said it should not be permitted at all, while 38% said it should be made available but with restrictions.

The survey also conveyed that 42% of young Americans thought it was likely or very likely that the nation would reinstate a military draft over the next few years. Two thirds said they thought the Republican Party was more likely to do so, and 87% of respondents said they opposed a draft.

When asked about the Iraq war, young Americans were slightly more optimistic than the nation's population about the outcome: 51% said the United States was very or somewhat likely to succeed in Iraq, compared with 45% among all adults.

Results also showed that young Americans believe the country is ready for both a woman president and a black president.

The nationwide telephone poll, which was collaboration between The New York Times, CBS News, and MTV, was conducted from June 15 to June 23. It involved 659 adults ages 17 to 29. (The Advocate)