Young voters turned off by violent campaign rhetoric

Santorum is not alone when it comes to his commitment to keeping higher education unaffordable for young Americans.

Of the five remaining GOP candidates, not one has articulated a plan for cutting the cost of higher learning and solving the greatest problem facing Gen Y — massive student loan debt.

What many of the Republican candidates don't understand is that vitriolic comments they are tossing around about socialism, "lazy" Occupy Wall Street protesters and that the poor lack a work ethic will cost them the youth vote. While the old-money, Generation X Republican voters in South Carolina may pounce on that type of elitist conservative red meat, the more moderate and expanding younger generation can't help but be turned off.

As Politico columnist Roger Simon pointed out today, the soundbites that have played best during the 15 GOP debates have been those involving killing people — Romney saying Osama Bin Laden deserved two bullets in the head, Rick Perry boasting about how many people Texas executed and a crowd crying "let them die" with regard to the uninsured.

It should come as a surprise to no one that young voters find that type of rhetoric disheartening.

That's why a candidate such as Ron Paul — who was nearly booed off the stage multiple times during last night's FOX News debate in South Carolina — is resonating so well with voters under the age of 30.

Here's how Matthew Segal, who works for OurTime.org (a nonpartisan group that promotes political participation among young people) described it to the Associated Press last week:

Ron Paul is bringing unorthodox ideas to the marketplace that don't fit with the conventional pillars of either political party. And because young people today are a uniquely independent-minded generation, he's resonating with them.

My prediction is that Paul finishes 3rd or 4th (at best) in South Carolina, but that he carries at least 30 percent of the young vote. Assuming both that, and that Romney wins (delivering the knockout blow to Gingrich, Perry and Santorum) how can young voters influence the GOP platform if Romney has locked up the nomination?