In 2008, Barack Obama convinced millions of young voters to enthusiastically vote for him.

Between 2009 and now, he has convinced these same folks that they and their votes do not matter:

In thinking about the 2012 presidential election, 45% of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic say they are more enthusiastic about voting than usual, while nearly as many, 44%, are less enthusiastic. This is in sharp contrast to 2008 and, to a lesser extent, 2004, when the great majority of Democrats expressed heightened enthusiasm about voting.

The most depressing thing about all of this that it’s likely that a lot of the new voters who came into the process are now likely to be apathetic for  years.

We know what happens when the only reason that people are given to vote Democratic is “The Republicans are Scary”.  Just look at John Kerry’s 2004 run, and I think that the Dems are progressively making this their only talking point, particularly if Obama gets his way and manages to gut cut Medicare and Medicaid.

H/t Americablog.