So far, everything is going just great for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, whose campaign is a month old on Wednesday, the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
No matter your politics, the analysis is about the same. The battle between Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump is going to be close. It’s going to depend on a sliver of voters in a handful of swing states. That makes every special group — sliced and diced by demographics or special interests — potentially crucial to the outcome in November.
Of all the groups, younger voters are seen as some of hardest to get to the polls. Difficult to get them engaged. This is an ongoing issue, not new for 2024. Democratic organizers are giving access to some 200 influencers, betting the material that’s generated turns out younger voters for Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee.
I’ve been interested in what makes youths want to engage in politics and government and voting for years. So that’s why when I heard Iain Armitage would be in Chicago for the convention — part of a delegation from the non-partisan Creative Coalition, an organization advocating for issues important to the arts and entertainment community — I knew I wanted to talk to him.
Armitage, 16, is the actor who plays the high-IQ child prodigy Sheldon Cooper in the CBS hit “Young Sheldon.” It’s the spin-off prequel to “The Big Bang Theory.” Disclosure: I’m a big “Young Sheldon” fan. The series ended its run this year. I was sorry to see it go. Since “Young Sheldon” knows everything, I thought I’d check in with Armitage.
Armitage just got his student pilot’s license, and “I’d love to get my private pilot’s license when I turn 17,” he said. Since the show ended, he’s been traveling around the world and learning a bunch of new languages, having a great time, hanging out with friends.
Here’s our edited conversation about engaging youth:
Lynn: What motivates younger people to get into politics? You’re 16 now, and somehow you found the way to an advocacy organization. What was your path to getting involved in wanting to know about government and politics?
Iain: Well, it’s our future, and it’s our way of having our voices heard in the government and politics in general. I think voting is incredibly important. I’m 16 right now, and in two years, I’ll be able to have my voice heard in a much more important and bigger way by being able to vote.
And I’m very lucky to be in a country, to be a citizen of a country, where we have a lot of freedom — it’s important to exercise it. It’s a right of ours like any other. And if you don’t use it, you lose it.
And it’s something that a lot of people fought and died for. It’s really important to stay active in politics and understand what’s going on in your country. And I’ve been very, very lucky to grow up in a family that’s very artistic and also very politically involved, having a lot of rallies in my life. (His grandfather, Richard Armitage, was a deputy secretary of state.)
And I was taught the value of standing up for things you believe in. … I’m not even advocating for a specific party or group — as long as you vote, as long as you do your research, as long as you understand what’s going on in your country, that the candidate that you’re voting for supports your ideals and what you think will help our country, just get out there and vote, be active in politics and make your voice heard.
Lynn: So one of the things that I’ve tried to figure out, though, is what someone your age is paying attention to?
Iain: I think a lot of people just feel sort of disillusioned. I think a lot of people find that in the current political climate, they don’t feel like their voices are being heard.
I think the important thing is less about staying focused on what’s happening. I think a lot of people are sometimes too focused on the minutiae of, you know, who’s being elected, what this or what party they’re part of. I think it’s more important to be hopeful about the future and to come together as a country — from hating your neighbor to loving your neighbor. I think it’s really important.