Young Americans love Barack Obama. Voters between the ages of 18 and 29 favour him over John McCain by whopping margins-59% to 38%, according to the October 19th aggregate from Gallup. His campaign offices teem with bright young staffers and volunteers. His face adorns T-shirts, tote bags and dorm-room walls. The internet has been overrun with tributes. If it were up to young people, Mr Obama would have been elected by acclamation long ago.rnAll of that is rather good news for the Democrats. Young voters are notoriously unreliable in elections, but there are so many of them that they matter anyway. Only half of voters under 30 turned out in 2004, and that added up to 21m votes. If they pull most of their weight this time, Mr McCain will find himself in a hopeless position. Young professionals in Virginia and Colorado, for example, are helping to push those Republican states to Mr Obama. And Mr Obama seems to have solidified his position in Wisconsin and Michigan, partly thanks to support from students and other young people.
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