In Obama’s Appeal To The Youth, A Thought-Provoking Question On Voting

Former president Barack Obama made an appearance on the basketball podcast, “The Young Man & the Three” and exhorted young people to exercise their right to vote. The podcast was hosted by Tyrese Haliburton and Tommy Alter.

During the podcast, Obama urged young men to not get frustrated when it comes to the slow progress of politics and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

“It’s not that hard to vote,” he said. “You’re not gonna vote which means you’re going to let a bunch of old people decide your future. You wouldn’t do that about your music, you wouldn’t do that about your clothes but you’re gonna let them decide what your future, your potential careers, what the environments gonna look like, you’re gonna let them decide that?”

Here’s my message to young people: you wouldn’t let a bunch of old people decide what music you’re going to listen to or what clothes you’re going to wear – so don’t let them decide your future.

Make a plan to vote today: https://t.co/V3uLF7XRqt pic.twitter.com/VR5T97x8K1

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 23, 2024

He persuaded people to vote saying, “People vote on everything, they are voting on American Idol, you can vote to decide who’s gonna represent you and our country.”

One X user commented saying, “We the People see right through you…  Race baiting trash.” While another said, “Don’t know how to say it more clearly, but to young people especially: If you don’t vote for Kamala Harris in this presidential election, you might not have a country left in which you can ever truly be free again.”

According to the University of Chicago’s latest GenForward poll, obtained by NPR, Harris has significant support among young Black Americans, with six in 10 backing her. However, this is a notable decline from the support President Biden received four years ago, when more than seven in 10 young Black Americans supported him.

In contrast, former President Donald Trump has garnered support from one in five young Black Americans, with a notable 25% backing from Black men specifically. Meanwhile, only 12% of young Black women support Trump, while 16% express a desire for “someone else” beyond Trump and Harris.

These findings highlight challenges for Harris in maintaining strong support among young Black Americans, particularly men, ahead of the election.

In the episode, Obama also attacked Trump’s work ethic saying, “I don’t think it’s any secret that I think Donald Trump is not somebody who is going to work hard on behalf of ordinary people,” he said. “I think his agenda is basically about himself. His status is ego and self-promotion.”

This year, the election campaign has seen some unorthodox stops on both sides of the coin. Obama has not been the only one endorsing Harris on a podcast, but this Friday, Trump is set to record an interview with “The Joe Rogan Experience”. Harris has also become a member of the podcasting world by giving an interview on, “Call Her Daddy”, a popular podcast among women.