Courtney Martin says that instead of drawing inspiration from political candidates, young people must be motivated by the promise of a country that reflects our deeply held values.
Chalk it up to my old age (I’m staring down 31 next month), but it seems to me that counting on candidates to provide incentives for voting is a little bit like paying a kid for earning good grades. It breeds reward seekers, not responsible citizens. Of course, having a leader who speaks directly to the issues we care most about — education, the economy, immigration — and can quote Jay-Z to boot is pretty inspiring. But it would be unwise for us to grow accustomed to the luxury of external inspiration when it comes to electoral politics. There won’t likely be another Barack Obama in our lifetime.
