Presidential candidates who bank on the enthusiasm they are generating among college students and other youths in Iowa are up against history and new challenges, including a caucus date that lands when most colleges are on winter break.
USA Today reviews the uphill battles facing candidates like Barack Obama, a Democrat, and Ron Paul, a Republican, who have made capturing the youth vote a key campaign goal.
The story notes that in the last presidential campaign, in 2004, only 3.9 percent of 124,000 Iowa Democratic caucus participants were age 18 to 24. And that was for caucuses held on January 19. This time they are scheduled for January 3, when most Iowa colleges are on winter break.
Some colleges, including Grinnell, plan to reopen briefly around the caucus date so students who live in dorms can come back to campuses and participate, according to the newspaper.
