Crossroads Generation

As the Democrats’ plans for their 2012 convention in Charlotte run into trouble, so too have Obama’s chances of holding the state’s fifteen electoral votes this November.

No group was more central to Obama’s success in North Carolina in 2008 than young voters, who broke for the president by a wide margin (74-26). However, even a 2 percent increase in ballot share for Republicans among young voters is enough to tip the state Republican this fall.

“Across the country, picking up even a small amount of ballot share among young voters will have a huge payoff for Republican candidates,” said Kristen Soltis, communications advisor for Crossroads Generation. “North Carolina is a prime example where even a slight gain among young voters can tip the scales.”

Young people in North Carolina are facing particularly tough times. The state’s unemployment rate hit 9% in January 2009 and hasn’t gone below that number since Obama’s inauguration. In 2011, some 19.6% of North Carolinians aged 20-24 were unemployed, as were a staggering 32% of those 16-19.

“We are focused on making gains with voters in key swing states like North Carolina in order to help put Republican candidates over the top,” said Derek Flowers, executive director of Crossroads Generation. “Young voters facing a dismal economy are looking for something better.”