Age will be a major issue in the Presidential election of 2024. Joe Biden, America’s 80-year-old President, is a subject of debate as to his mental and physical ability to perform the duties of the office if reelected. If Biden wins the Democrat nomination and is reelected, his most likely rival, former president Donald Trump, will be 78. Trump may not be suffering from the cognitive issues that Biden does, but age is still a factor for both men. Turning Point USA held its annual Action Conference over the weekend. It is one of the biggest non-profits working with young people and college students. Every year, Turning Point USA holds a straw poll to determine who they would like to elect as president in 2024. The results of some of the straw polls are predictable, while others provide an interesting look at what young voters think and why Republicans should pay attention.
🚨ACTCON2023 STRAW POLL RESULTS ARE IN🚨
Trump dominated with 85.7%
Vivek wins 51.2% of second choice votes, ahead of DeSantis and Tim Scott
Kari Lake wins VP vote with 30.8% followed by Byron Donald’s with 24% and Vivek with 22.7%
77.3% of respondents say they do not plan to…
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 16, 2023
Donald Trump won the presidential straw poll with a landslide. He won the straw poll with an astounding 85.7 percent. Perry Johnson, who has had a relatively unknown campaign, was a distant second with 7.8 percent. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was third with 4.3 percent. Vivek Ramaswamy was ranked second with two percent. No one else received any votes. Things got interesting when the conference attendees were asked to choose a second Republican candidate. Ramaswamy won the poll with 51.2 percent. Trump came in second at 21.4 percent. DeSantis was third at 13.5 percent. Kari Lake, a former Arizona governor’s candidate, came out as the winner with 30.8 percent when asked to nominate a vice president.
Perhaps we can assume that those who voted for Johnson as their choice for the GOP nominee have taken the time to find out who he is. A quick perusal of his campaign website reveals that, as someone who has created and run businesses, many of his views and proposals he would implement as president are similar to Trump’s. But at 75 years old, even if he were not the long shot he is, the age factor would most certainly come into play. While the choice of Perry Johnson is definitely a standout, it is attendees’ second choice that Republicans really should give a second glance.
Massive crowds have arrived to hear Trump’s Turning Point speech. Ron DeSantis could never draw a crowd this large. Young GOP voters want a party that’s America First. That’s why Trump is beating DeSantis by a lot.
pic.twitter.com/qnWyuUAJ4v— Charles R Downs (@TheCharlesDowns) July 15, 2023
Half of the 6,000 attendees voted. The half of attendees were between 18-21 years old. Vivek RAMASWAMY was the second choice of these youngest voters for president. The Republican Party should take note of these young voters, as they are the future. Why Ramaswamy? He is young. At 37, he’s not that far from the people who chose him to be their number two. It also means he still has time to become the leader of the party. He has similar views as Trump.
DeSantis was one of many candidates who were invited to speak but did not show up. Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, said that many attendees expressed their disappointment that DeSantis did not attend. Former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC, as well as former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. This apparent dismissal of the importance of younger voters has no doubt propelled Ramaswamy to the top of the second-choice list. The young people who attended this conference sent a clear message to the Republican Party, even though they may only be a small sample of those voters. They want to see a tangible change, and they are searching for those who can take the Republican Party in a bold new direction. The message was that “losing honorably” is not an option. Kirk called the conference, and the people who attended it, the “pulse” of the grassroots.
Ronald Reagan said that “I think the Republican Party’s platform is a bold, unmistakable banner with no pale pastels.” Today, we are witnessing the young people of the Republican Party who will hoist this banner.
“No one is punished for lying. People are only punished for telling the truth.”@TuckerCarlson speaks at the @TPUSA Action Conference in Palm Beach, Fla. #ACTCON2023 pic.twitter.com/LGk3WMxT9b
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) July 15, 2023
