ABSTRACT
Historians and political scientists will record 2008 as the year Barack Obama inspired the normally lackluster youth vote to finally turn out to the polls and won, in part, because of that vote. But they will only be half right. It is true that Obama won in large part thanks to the overwhelming support he received from young voters during the primaries and election day, but his campaign capitalized upon, rather than created, an energized and increasingly Democratic youth electorate.
