51吃瓜

The revelations from DNCLeaks have the potential to turn away a generation of voters from party politics.

The explicit bias against Senator Bernie Sanders among Democratic leaders exposed by WikiLeaks鈥攄ubbed DNCLeaks鈥攈as confirmed the suspicions of millions of his millennial supporters. The revelations have potential to turn away a generation of voters from party politics鈥攁nd they may not come back.

While much maligned for inaction, millennials show聽聽as previous generations. To聽, in 鈥�1976, when boomers were between 18 and 30 years old, their turnout rate was 50 percent. In 2008, 51 percent of millennials鈥攁ges 18 to 28 at the time鈥攙oted.鈥� Throughout the nominating contests leading to the 2016 presidential election,聽鈥攖his time overwhelmingly voting for Bernie Sanders.

Millennials helped transform Sanders from a long-shot candidate, surrounded by more reporters than supporters in May 2015, to an important force in American politics in July 2016. During the primaries a staggering聽聽supported Sanders, giving him more youth votes than major party nominees Secretary Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump combined.

What the Sanders campaign represented to young adults was a beacon of hope that concerns for social and economic justice could be addressed at the highest levels. While Secretary Clinton holds many similar policy views, 聽the most respected political figure among millennials, more so than President Barack Obama.

Political Integrity

Among a demographic that聽聽over attributes such as political or business experience, that respect stems from the conviction that Sanders can be trusted to stand by his convictions and his supporters. The candidate鈥檚 authenticity attracted millions in the generational cohort to vote in Democratic primaries who may have聽聽until the general election to weigh in.

However, throughout the campaign supporters of Senator Sanders complained of聽聽by party officials,聽 and other fairness concerns鈥攑otential violations of DNC bylaws聽聽during primaries and caucuses. Previously dismissed as conspiracy theories, many of these suspicions have been proven true by the revelations of聽.

The immediate impact of these leaks seems minor: Hillary Clinton was officially selected as the Democratic nominee for the presidency, which is reasonably estimated to have been the same result had the favoritism revealed in DNCLeaks never occurred. The long-term impact of these actions by Democratic Party officials, however, will be much more important.

The revelations in DNCLeaks may be the straw that broke the camel鈥檚 back for an entire generation with respect to party politics. Millennials have come of age in the post-9/11 world, punctuated by the 2008 economic crisis and bridled by the shackles of student debt, lingering social injustice, and stagnating wages under administrations led by both Republicans and Democrats.

The result is that聽聽identify as politically independent, 44% of whom lean toward Democrats. And while politically active, the demographic is naturally skeptical of political institutions: In 2015, a聽聽in government at any level, from the local to the United Nations (UN). Indeed, DNCLeaks is the most recent episode in a list of instances wherein millennials feel long-established institutions belie their goals.

Status Quo Will Prevail

In聽contrast, millennials see in Sanders a trustworthy steward who shares a mutual hesitance toward institutions鈥攕uch as the Democratic Party itself鈥攁nd a mutual understanding of the systemic problems which plague our country. The marginalization of this almost universally respected figure among millennials by a guilty-until-proven-innocent political institution confirms the disillusionment with the status quo and those who propagate it.

The lesson that former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and others have taught millennials is that, despite your best efforts, the political system really is聽聽and the status quo will ultimately prevail.

Like the Watergate scandal from decades ago, the 2016 presidential election could prove to be a pivotal moment for an entire generational cohort. The nearly three in four millennials who were made to 鈥渇eel the Bern鈥� are left with no reason to view political institutions as avenues of change. Had Sanders lost without party behavior that bred suspicion, Democrats could have made critical inroads within the largest and most diverse American generation yet. But with Clinton and Trump聽聽of 60% and 64%, respectively, among 18 to 29 year-olds, the remaining choice yields no attractive option for millennials looking for politicians they trust.

Much is written about the proclivities of millennials, but this much is true: The majority of those who are politically active聽are motivated to resist structural unfairness鈥攅videnced by the creation of non-establishment organizations such as #OccupyWallStreet and #BlackLivesMatter. In this election, the DNC has given millennials one more instance to resist.

The views expressed in this article are the author鈥檚 own and do not necessarily reflect 51吃瓜鈥檚 editorial policy.

Photo Credit:聽

We bring you perspectives from around the world. Help us to inform and educate. Your聽donation聽is tax-deductible. Join over 400 people to become a donor or you could choose to be a聽sponsor.