Posted on: Saturday, July 31, 2004

Kerry not connecting fully with youths

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Education Writer

Democrats did their best to introduce John Kerry and John Edwards to America this week, but their message did not reach all of their intended audience.

Elaine Kamanawa, who will be eligible to cast her first vote for president this November, did not follow the convention in Boston at all. Between work at the Ihilani Resort and Spa, baby-sitting and preparing to make the jump from Nanakuli High & Intermediate School to Leeward Community College, she has had other things on her mind this summer.

"I'm just going to go with my intuition, my gut feeling," said Kamanawa, who seemed to be leaning toward Kerry during the Democratic primaries but now is back to undecided.

Both political parties see young people as potential swing voters, but their history of low turnout has often meant that they do not get the same amount of attention from candidates as more reliable voters. The Advertiser is following a handful of young people who turn 18 this year, talking with them about what might influence their decision during their first opportunity to vote.

One of the themes out of Boston was that every vote counts — as Al Gore's narrow defeat in 2000 showed — and Democrats hope that young people were paying attention.

"You've got great potential for growth in that age group," said Tony Welch, a Democratic National Committee spokesman, who thinks that Kerry and Edwards have backgrounds that appeal to young people.

Kerry, a Massachusetts senator, served in Vietnam but became a leading anti-war protester when he came home, an example that young people can have a voice in national politics. Edwards, a North Carolina senator, is a mill worker's son who became a prominent trial lawyer, a lesson that all people have the opportunity to succeed.

Desiree Almodova, who will study fashion technology at Honolulu Community College, said she had watched some of the convention speeches but is not sure what to believe.

"They give all these speeches, but you never know what they are actually going to do if they get elected," she said.

Almodova remains undecided, but she believes that President Bush may be better suited than Kerry to fight international terrorism. Four years ago, it was Bush, then a Texas governor, who had to fend off questions about his foreign policy experience. "I just think Bush would handle it better," she said.

Fayez Rumi, who will attend the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, said Bush's foreign policy, particularly the war in Iraq, has given the United States a negative reputation.

"With a new administration," he said, "the nation will have a chance to redeem itself."

Rumi, who watched the convention on television and read coverage in the newspaper, said he will support Kerry but finds him mysterious, which he regards as a weakness. "It doesn't seem that people can really connect with him. They like what he has to say, but no one really feels like they know him."

Krista Scott, who will go to the University of Portland, said she followed the convention while interning at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Scott voted for Edwards in the Hawai'i caucuses and was disappointed when he dropped out of the race. But she is encouraged that Kerry picked him as his vice president, and says she believes he will draw young voters.

"The United States needs positive change, and we need a younger voice, just as we need young voters not just in Hawai'i, but across the nation," she said.

"With cynicism and lack of civic participation on the rise, Edwards provides hope and symbolizes a positive change for the future."

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.