Youth vote could prove crucial in swing state of Ohio
Democrats are trying to get millennials to vote, banking on the trend that young people traditionally vote blue rather than red.
Sunday 6 November 2016 13:04, UK
No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning the state of Ohio.
It is an item of American election trivia which must be delighting Donald Trump, given he's ahead of Hillary Clinton in the polls in Ohio - albeit by just a few points.
But young Democrats are out campaigning in the swing state trying to get millennials to the ballot box because they too are banking on an election trend - that young people traditionally vote Democrat rather than Republican.
Twenty-seven-year-old Republican Jordan Arnold told me: "In this country they've always joked if you're young and you don't vote for the Democrats you don't have a heart and if you're older and you don't vote for Republicans you don't have a brain, so there's definitely a traditional movement from liberal to conservative as they get older."
"But not you?" I ask him. "Not me," he says.
"I guess I represent the more conservative side. For a lot of these issues what I see is Mr Trump offering something positive and I don't relate to the solutions of the Democratic party."
Over the last 20 years one in three jobs in the steel and manufacturing industry have gone in Ohio.
White collar workers are angry with the Washington elite epitomised by Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and the businessmen Donald Trump is capitalising on their discontent.
Christine Peterman is a 19-year-old first-time voter and a young Democrat.
She is pounding the streets, knocking on doors right up to the last minute canvassing support for Mrs Clinton.
She said: "Honestly I think young people are what's going to make the difference for Hillary Clinton in Ohio.
"She's been making a big push for voter registration and getting young people to vote on campus. I think a lot of the reason why Republicans do well is that those minority groups that Donald Trump has been insulting don't get out and vote.
"Hillary Clinton has been making a push for voter registration among minority voters and young voters, those who don't show out at the polls."
We went to see the Cincinnati Bearcats take on the BYU Cougars from Utah.
College football is huge in America. It's the perfect place to find first-time voters amongst the players and supporters.
Kicker Ryan Jones is 20. He said: "I think he (Donald Trump) has a swagger to him and he has more of a youth style."
Mr Trump dismissed as locker room chat lewd comments he made about women.
Does that sort of thing really go on in locker rooms, I ask Ryon. No, he says. But will the comments stop him from voting for Mr Trump? No, again.
The young female cheerleaders, though, are not so forgiving. Christina Lebedevskiy told me she found them "offensive".
For half a century Ohio has always voted for the winning Presidential candidate - and whether younger voters turn out to cast their ballots could be a key factor in deciding this election.
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