Education platform: The winning strategy for winning young voters

What does Obama do? Exactly what he's been doing.

In a speech earlier today at the University of Michigan, Obama stressed the importance of increasing college affordability.

As we both opined today in The Boston Globe, the perfect campaign strategy in order to attract young voters is one that involves an aggressive effort to take on the continually sky-rocketing cost of a college education in this country.

The 19 GOP debates have been void of any discussion of the country's education policy, which may be the reason why most of the Republican candidates have been largely unable to mobilize a significant number of young voters.

Meanwhile, President Obama has rolled out a comprehensive college affordability platform, which includes incentives for colleges who offer standardized student aid forms.

Here's how The New York Times characterized Obama's education proposals:

Under the plan, which the president outlined on Friday morning in a speech at the University of Michigan, the amount available for Perkins loans would grow to $8 billion, from the current $1 billion. The president also wants to create a $1 billion grant competition, along the lines of the Race for the Top program for elementary and secondary education, to reward states that take action to keep college costs down, and a separate $55 million competition for individual colleges to increase their value and efficiency.

The administration also wants to give families clearer information about costs and quality, by requiring colleges and universities to offer a “shopping sheet” that makes it easier to compare financial aid packages and — for the first time — compiling post-graduate earning and employment information to give students a better sense of what awaits them.

For me, stressing that colleges standardize the often complicated and confusing forms required for students to qualify for aid is a major step toward solving the economic inequality that plaques our education system.

Even if all of the details aren't worked out yet, putting education the forefront of his election-year policy proposals is extremely wise. Even if a divided Congress refuses to to pass the Obama education proposals, the fact that this is the domestic policy he is bringing to the top of his agenda will boost his support among young voters.

And, with an articulate messenger, Obama's education speeches are going to be able resonate with voters. Here's a clip from the Detroit News' coverage of his speech this morning:

This is going to be one of the most important issues that not just you face but everyone in the entire country faces."

School officials estimated the crowd at Al Glick Field House to be roughly 4,000. Many of those in attendance had waited hours in line overnight Wednesday to get their tickets the following morning. And many others began lining up in the rain and snow for Friday's general admission appearance the night before.

Drawing on his own experience and that of first lady Michelle Obama, the president told that crowd: "Your president and your first lady were in your shoes, not that long ago. We didn't come from wealthy families. The only way we were able to achieve what we achieved is because we got a great education. We could not have done that unless we lived in a country that made a commitment to opening up that opportunity to all people."

Obama's comments come as the average tuition at public universities in Michigan more than doubled over the last decade. In 2002, the average cost for a resident undergraduate student was $4,945, according to the House Fiscal Agency. In 2012, the average cost is $10,416.

Like I said earlier in this post and others, if Obama hammers home an education platform he'll ensure his re-election. What do you think, Alexander?

Santorum embraces millennial view of fair taxation during final Florida debate

Wes, I'm going to react briefly to last night's debate, but, if you will, do remember the question I raised in my previous post: On the heels of his State of the Union, what does President Obama do next to galvanize young people anew?

The Republicans didn't service themselves particularly well with young voters last night. In fact, they will find it more and more challenging to connect with them as they lurch further to the right on the now mainstream GOP plank of little-to-no taxation for the very rich.

If anyone championed a populist economic message yesterday that could sway the youth vote, it's actually the most socially-conservative Republican candidate: Rick Santorum. He grew up in the the most humble circumstances, the son of an Italian immigration, among the remaining GOP hopefuls.

In the debate, he proposed a tax overhaul as a simplification for working-class families, not as an elimination of the taxation commitment from the wealthy.

And so what I believe is we need to reduce taxes. I don't -- look, I'm honest. I don't reduce the higher -- top rate as much as these other folks do. I take the Reagan approach. Ronald Reagan had a 28 percent top rate. If it was good enough for Ronald Reagan, it's good enough for me. And that's what we put the top rate as. And -- and we have a bottom rate of 10 percent. I believe in a differential. I don't believe in a flat tax. I believe in a simplified tax code with five deductions and -- and focus on simplify, creating two rates.

I disagree with Newt also on this. I don't believe in a zero capital gains tax rate. I don't think you need to get to zero to make sure that there's an efficient deployment of capital and investment. I think, if you get to zero, then, in fact, guys like Mitt Romney, who, again, I give him -- I wish I made as much money as Mitt Romney, but...

On the subject of generational debt, he also articulates a central millennial concern: that D.C. pols are stealing Gen Y's future, by virtue of massive debt that will be impossible to pay off.  If he coupled this  with directly targeting young people's concerns, like rising college tuition, more directly, he would have a better shot at overtaking Paul or Gingrich's prowess with young voters.

But he he hasn't to date. In fact, young people have taken Santorum to task for his criticism of Obama's dream for all young people to graduate from college.

Once again, compared to the gravitas of Obama's State of the Union, the Republicans looked more trivial than presidential on the stage last night. Overall, how did you, SCOOP2012 readers, assess the GOP's chatter on some of the domestic issues related to young people, ones the president raised in depth during this week's SOTU?