GOP Counts Its Youthful Support

HOUSTON--Peering around the convention floor yesterday morning, John Loza '85 couldn't help but notice the swarm of more than 1500 college students walking the aisles with their spirited shout, "four more years."

Loza, an alternate delegate for Texas and a former vice president of the Republican Club of Harvard, said Republicans can only be encouraged by such a strong convention showing form the National Youth Coalition.

"It's great to see so many college Republicans making it out here for the convention." said Loza, now an assistant district attorney in Dallas. "When I was at Harvard, I never saw so many college-age Republicans assembled at one time. During my time, the Republican Club never surpassed 80 or 90 members."

While many might think that college students are more liberal than the general population, Loza was quick to point out that the youth vote is anything but a weakness for the Republicans--at least if the last two elections are any indication.

The GOP candidate won the nation's "youth vote," voters between the age of 18 and 24, in 1984 and again in 1988. And if you ask anyone here why Reagan and Bush have been able to win that youth vote, you get a number of different answers.

Caroline Boyd, a senior at American University, said there are simply more Republican youths than Democrats.

"The young liberals happen to be much more outspoken, so it seems like there are more of them," she said "But the fact is that there is a conservative majority among youths."

Organization is Key

Regardless of which party can boast more loyal young people, the key to a strong showing among the 18-24 age group is organization, said Phil Meuret, the president of the College Republicans at Texas A&M University.

"The Republicans understand that the future of the country is in the youth, so they make sure that the National Youth Coalition keeps the youth unified," Meuret said. "The Democrats don't have a comparable organization at the youth level."

Loza and Meuret both emphasized the importance of getting the youth to vote Republican in their first and second elections because it is unlikely that they will change allegiances in the future.

"Just as with any habit made early in life when someone votes one way the first, and second time, it's a lot more likely that they will vote that way down the road. If it doesn't set at lifelong pattern of definite votes for Republicans, at least it sets a lifelong leaning to that side."

If the Republicans do in fact win the "youth vote" for the third straight election, the implications for future elections would favor the Republican party--regardless of the outcome in 1992.

Meuret said that 12 straight years of votes would likely support the Republicans candidates for the rest of their lives, which would make it difficult for he Democrats to win in years to come.

"Things will be much easier for the Republicans as time goes on," he said.