Fusion Conducts Poll of Millennial Voters!

Dear Commons Community,

Fusion, the news, pop culture, and satire TV and digital network, has just completed a poll that focuses on the views of millennial voters (age 18-34). As reported at the Fusion website:

“Likely millennial voters—the people we talked to—are different than registered voters or members of the general millennial population. Our sample was screened for the people who actually vote in midterms, which is a small percentage of the overall millennial population. (Just 23% of millennials are expected to cast a vote in the midterms, according to Harvard’s Institute of Politics.)

With the Democrat’s control of the Senate hanging in the balance, young voters will be especially powerful this November if they show up at the polls. As Princeton Professor Sam Wang noted, just “a few thousand students Ames, Iowa and Boulder, Colorado could help determine control of the United States Senate by getting out the vote in their states.”

Fusion’s poll was conducted by telephone in English and Spanish between Sept. 12 – 22.  It has a margin of error of +/- 2.83%. For the complete, unedited results provided by our polling firm, click here.

See a summary of major findings below.

Tony

 

Major Findings:

  • Paul Ryan is the top pick for president in 2016 among young Republicans who are likely to vote. 16% of young Republicans polled chose Ryan, 11% chose Jeb Bush, and 9% chose Rand Paul.
  • Hillary Clinton is the top pick for president among young Democrats. Fifty-eight percent of millennial voters say they’ll support Clinton, followed by 13% who support Joe Biden, and 9% who support Elizabeth Warren.
  • In the midterm elections, 47% of likely millennial voters say they’ll choose Democrats, 32% say they will vote for Republicans, and 21% are undecided.
  • Only 15% of young black voters and 17% of young Hispanics are likely to support Republicans in the midterms.
  • Millennial voters say the economy, debt and spending, and terrorism are the most important issues for them.
  • 60% of young voters—and 69% of young Hispanic voters–want to allocate more resources to address the border crisis of unaccompanied minors.
  • In the wake of Ferguson, a majority of young voters oppose the militarization of: 56% say military weapons are unnecessary for police.
  • 84% of young voters think marijuana should be legal for medicinal purposes.
  • 68% of millennial voters support gay marriage.
  • 60% of millennial voters are in debt, and 69% are concerned about their ability to pay it off.
  • 59% of young voters believe gun ownership should come with “reasonable restrictions”—and 9% think individuals should be banned from carrying guns.
  • 66% of young white voters trust police officers to treat them fairly, versus 46% of young black voters.

Intriguing Findings:

  • Young Hispanic voters support gay marriage at higher rates than other groups.
  • Seventy-one percent of likely young Republican voters say they’ve never smoked marijuana, vs. 55% of young Democrats.
  • Young Independent voters are the most likely to smoke pot. Fifty-percent say they’ve used it.
  • Republican millennial voters have more debt than Democrats.
  • Only 4% of millennial voters think climate change is the most important issue facing the United States.
  • Just 17% of young Hispanics says the Republican Party represents their views on immigration.
  • Only 12% of young millennial voters report that they get their news about politics from social media.

 

Amazon to Open its 1st Physical Store in Manhattan!

Dear Commons Community,

For those of us who buy online at amazon.com, you will soon be able to go into a physical store if you are in the vicinity of 34th Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. According to the Wall Street Journal:

Online mega-retailer Amazon plans on opening an actual physical store in New York City.

The store will be across from the Empire State Building at 7 West 34th Street in Manhattan. It won’t be a regular store, though. There’s just too many items on Amazon. The store will be more like a warehouse. You’ll be able to return and exchange things you buy online in the store. You’ll also be able to order something online in the morning and pick it up at the store that night, sources told the WSJ.

If this store is successful, Amazon may open more.

Although this will be Amazon’s first store, the company does have lockers around the U.S. where you can pick up and return Amazon purchases.

Part of what makes Amazon so great is that you don’t have to go outside to a store to buy virtually anything you want, so it’s a little surprising that the company is opening a store. However, other online retailers, like glasses company Warby Parker, have had success opening stores. Apple obviously has not regretted opening its stores.”

The significance of this move is that the most successful online retailer sees a need for people to people contact. In addition, it will be right across the street from our own CUNY Graduate Center.

Tony