Dean had another good polling day, and has picked up support among groups he once led. His strength among 18-29 year olds looks solid.
--Zogby
So, Dean is running strong among those voters aged 18-29. Why? Here's my extended take . . .
No segment of the voting public is more "media-literate" than the 18-29 set. Raised almost entirely on television ads emploting ever-more sophisticated marketing techniques, 18-29 year olds intuititively understand the ins-and-outs of "branding," and other forms of marketing manipulation.
Take the automobile Saturn for instance. Eschewing the traditional "deal and haggle" model of car-buying. It's no coincidence that Saturn sells well among the younger set, as the sticker price for a Saturn car is THE price. It's no coincidence that automobile manufacturers like Saturn and Volkswagen do especially well with younger people.
In a sense, Howard Dean has the same thing going for him. The endless repition of Dean's "scream" never really caught on with this 18-29 set. Probably because they know better. A lifetime of exposure to television media has taught them to take in messages with a weary eye, especially if its repeated ad infinitum.
I think what this 18-29 set sees in Dean, is a certain non-"pre-packaged" identity; an authenticity that no other candidate seems to possess.
Thoughts?
