NEW ORLEANS — Candidates will take centerstage Thursday night for the first debate of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.
President Joe Biden has been at Camp David all week preparing for the debate, while former President Donald Trump has been aggressively hitting the campaign trail with a recent stop in New Orleans earlier this week.
Some political analysts say younger voters, particularly those under 30, are very hot or cold when it comes to voting.
Data from a recent CBS poll shows that a majority of this key group of voters believe age is a factor for both Biden and Trump.
While young voters prefer Biden, only 66 percent of registered young voters say they will vote this year compared to 94 percent of those 65 and older.
Most of these younger voters also don't believe that either candidate understands the issues of young people such as environmental concerns and difficulty buying a home.
Like most voters, the economy is a major factor for those under 30 but younger voters also prioritize other issues like abortion, race and diversity.
“Younger voters just haven’t lived long enough to see what can go wrong," said WWL Louisiana political analyst Clancy DuBos. "They tend to be more idealistic. They tend to look for candidates in their eyes or their minds, who are perfect. They tend to focus on their flaws rather than their virtues, even of the candidates that would represent their interests. They would say, ‘Well yeah, Biden forgave my student loans, but... .'"
The debate will be hosted by CNN and will air on WWL starting at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 27.
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