Gen Y: Obama takes questions on MTV

(LIN) — With less than two weeks before Election Day, both President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney are in a frenzy to grab as many uncommitted votes as possible in a race that is growing closer every day.

On Wednesday, Obama traveled 5,300 miles in a swing-state blitz, while Romney flew from Nevada to Iowa on his way to Ohio.

Through campaign events, debates and a kerfuffle of advertising, voters can’t get away from hearing each candidate’s spiel on what they have to offer as commander in chief.

To reach younger voters, though, candidates have to get creative. Obama hopes to do just that by speaking to young voters on their turf: MTV.

Friday, Obama will take questions from young voters on “Ask Obama Live,” as part of MTV’s “Power of 12” campaign .

This campaign is centered on the 45 million 18- to 29-year-olds eligible to vote, making them (at 12 percent) the largest voting block in the country. The network has reached out to Romney’s campaign to conduct a similar interview, but nothing has been scheduled at this time.

To participate, young voters are asked to submit questions on MTV’s Facebook page on what they’d like the president to answer.

Their questions so far?

Benton Gilder, 23
“Mr. President I would I like to know what would you do with people that have disabilities that don't have any jobs?”

Tom Dover, 25
“Mr President why did you invoke Executive Privilege with the fast & furious scandal?”

Megan Rose, 23
“Why don't Firefighters and EMT's and Paramedics have better options for student funding? I don't think it's fair seeming how we fight the war here. Shouldn't we have support?”

Zac Mudd, 18
“Dear Mr. President, if re-elected, do you intend on bringing more jobs from China to America? And if so, how exactly do you plan on doing so? I am a first-time voter, and want to make the right choice, so please enthuse me.”

Nicole Puckette, 24
“Will the cost of living ever go down or will we continue to work to live? College prices are disgusting and so are food and gas an even the dentist visits.”

Erik, 26
“Do you support the use of drone attacks when figures of 80 percent of civilians die during them?”

Although the interview is only 30 minutes, President Obama has his work cut out for him. It doesn’t appear as if anyone will be asking the question asked to President Bill Clinton in 1992 on the same network, “Boxers or briefs?”

Young voters are tired of hearing they are uninformed, apathetic and lazy. Generation Y wants answers, and this platform is an excellent opportunity for both candidates to reach not only an important voting bloc, but an influential one.

The interview will be shown across five MTV networks, as well as online and on MTV’s mobile platforms.

Editor's note: A feature on Mitt Romney's efforts to attract young voters in his campaign will be featured next week.

—

Gen Y is a weekly opinion piece covering issues that matter most to younger, influential voters through their late 30s. Jessica O. Swink, a 20-something, is the digital political producer for LIN Media and contributing editor to  onPolitix .