Dear John,

I just reviewed the new poll from The New York Times that has been getting so much attention lately … and it’s not good.

Most of the media are focused on President Biden’s low approval rating. But a different number jumped out at me, which is that less than one-third of voters 18-29 years old said they plan to vote in the 2022 midterms.

Let’s be clear: If so few young voters turn out in November, Democrats will get crushed, and Trump Republicans will be back in control of Congress and state legislatures all over the country. So the team here at Inequality Media Civic Action has launched a crash effort to connect with young voters before it’s too late.

Step one is to dramatically expand our reach on the social media platforms where young voters spend the most time, including Snapchat and TikTok. Step two is to develop and test messages that are most effective at reaching young voters, addressing the issues they care about most, and speaking their language.

Will you make a donation to Inequality Media Civic Action and help fund this critical work? Your donation will go directly toward staffing our team and growing our reach on these crucial platforms for educating and mobilizing young people.

It pains me to say it, but as an educator who works with young people every day, it doesn’t surprise me that young voters are fed up with politics.

It’s not that they don’t care. Believe me, they care deeply about a whole range of issues from reproductive freedom to income inequality to climate change. That’s why they turned out to vote in such large numbers in 2020 to oust Trump.

But now, a lot of those young people are looking around and wondering what they got for their votes. Sure, Trump is gone, they say, but Democrats aren’t delivering the big structural change that many young voters are looking for, and depend on for a prosperous future.

That’s why it’s critical that we expand our following on Snapchat and TikTok, to reach young voters where they are — and develop messages that will be effective at motivating them to turn out to help give Democrats a real majority. (Hint: Scolding and nagging won’t work.)

At the ripe old age of 76, I know I’m an unlikely messenger to young voters. But my secret weapon is the creative team at Inequality Media Civic Action. They know the memes and inside jokes. They speak the language of social media. And they are a part of a generation that continues to get shafted by status quo politics — and that is determined to create an economy where the gains are widely shared.

We’re making progress already. In just the few weeks since we launched on Snapchat, we’ve grown our following exponentially. Not only are our numbers beginning to rival that of right-wing pundits like Ben Shapiro, but our engagement levels are deep. And every person who sees our explainer videos is another mind opened that might vote to defeat Republicans in November. Especially as we continue to underscore the need for Democrats to play the long game, and vote in people who are committed to progress, not just corporate money.

We must strengthen our social media presence on Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to reach every possible youth voter before November. Your donation goes directly toward staffing our team and growing our reach. Will you chip in?

Young people give me hope about the future of American politics, but they need extra motivation and encouragement during these trying times. Let’s give it to them. Your support makes all the difference.

Thank you,

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action