Searching For a Candidate That Doesn’t Exist

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The American Conservative: Searching For a Candidate That Doesn’t Exist

By GRACY OLMSTEAD • August 6, 2015, 12:05 AM

As the media begins to buzz with anticipation over the first televised Republican presidential debate—taking place this evening on Fox News—it’s difficult not to feel disillusioned before it even begins.

 

Because, along with (I assume) at least a few other millennials out there, I don’t think there’s a single candidate I want to vote for. And the shouting matches that are sure to build over the next several months are only going to further entrench that viewpoint.

 

The problem is that the politics of the millennial generation is more diverse, issue-based, and flexible than those of our forbears. Few of us are fanatically partisan. Many of the conservative young people I talk to are passionate about their pro-life beliefs, but lean libertarian on issues such as foreign policy and same-sex marriage: they want to be less involved in conflicts overseas, are disillusioned by hawkish rhetoric, and open to diplomatic measures such as the Iran deal. Be they religious or no, many believe that the government should not ban gay marriage. They have a greater appreciation for compassion and nuance in the illegal