I recently attended a downtown Milwaukee event which featured Congressman Paul Ryan.  The 40-year old congressman from Wisconsin’s 1st District has been one of the leading voices in the rebirth of conservatism both here in Wisconsin and nationally. 

Mr. Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future is often cited as the most substantive and comprehensive conservative plan currently in circulation, even garnering praise from President Obama.  Christian Schneider makes one of the most persuasive arguments for a 2012 Ryan presidential campaign.  But heaping additional praise on Mr. Ryan is not the point of this commentary. 

In my opinion, he is without a doubt the leading conservative figure in this country, and Wisconsin is lucky to have him representing this great state.  Instead, I want to take this opportunity to comment on the changing political landscape.  And in particular, I want to focus on the changing political landscape for younger professionals.

There is no doubt that younger voters leaned heavily Democratic in the 2008 election.  President Obama received 66% of the 18-29 year old vote, which comprised 18% of the electorate.  However, a closer look at the numbers over past presidential elections reveals a not so consistent trend.  When younger voters have been given the choice of supporting a conservative candidate that is attempting to change the course of the country at a time when real change was needed, they have responded. 

In 1984, 18-29 year olds supported the policies of President Reagan by 59%; in 2000, the vote was split down the middle, with 48% supporting Gore and 46% supporting Bush.  Younger voters will be facing a similar decision in 2010 and to a greater extent, in 2012.  Do we continue the liberal policies of President Obama?  Or do we embrace a conservative, limited role for government?

As an example, one of the key areas of focus in Mr. Ryan’s Roadmap is Social Security reform.  For younger professionals, there is arguably no more significant issue.  Not only do young professionals need to be concerned about the burden of Social Security as more and more baby-boomers retire, but the uncertainty begins to slowly creep in – if these numbers are correct, will there be anything left for me when I retire?  Unless things fundamentally change, I’m not sure I want to know what the answer to that question is.

This point was hammered home when I recently received two separate pieces of literature in the mail.  One was the federal government’s annual Social Security Statement.  After reading both my wife’s statement and my statement, my confidence in the program reached an all time low. 

The government’s own statement makes this observation on the cover page: “Social Security is a compact between generations.  Since 1935, America has kept the promise of security for its workers and their families.  Now, however, the Social Security system is facing serious financial problems, and action is needed soon to make sure the system will be sound when today’s younger workers are ready for retirement. 

In 2016 we will begin paying more in benefits than we collect in taxes.  Without changes, by 2037 the Social Security Trust Fund will be exhausted and there will be enough money to pay only about 76 cents for each dollar of scheduled benefits.”  And that is page one!

Now compare that to a portion of Mr. Ryan’s Roadmap which he highlighted in the Wall Street Journal: “The Road Map preserves the existing Social Security program for those 55 or older.  For those under 55, the plan offers the option of investing over one-third of their current Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts, similar to the Thrift Savings Plan available to federal employees.  This proposal includes a property right, so those who own these accounts can pass on assets to their heirs.  The plan also guarantees that individuals will not lose a dollar they contribute to their accounts, even after inflation.”

This is the sort of choice younger voters face – do we continue with an unsustainable course, one that the government even admits is unsustainable, or do we choose to head down a new and bold direction.

The attention Mr. Ryan and other young conservatives like him are receiving (see Sean Duffy in Wisconsin’s 7th) make me confident younger professionals are ready to take the bold step of supporting candidates running on a message of limited government.  In the same way, middle-aged to older voters appear ready to embrace a new generation of conservative leadership.

Even at the grassroots level the excitement is evident.  Since August of 2008, the Conservative Young Professionals of Milwaukee (“CYP”), a group I helped co-found with Jason Kohout and Brandon Henak, has been holding monthly networking events throughout downtown Milwaukee and has featured Wisconsin’s leading conservative voices, including Scott Walker, J.B. Van Hollen, Tim Michels, and WPRI’s very own Christian Schneider.  The group now numbers over 700 young professionals.

This election cycle is turning into a real referendum on the Obama policies of bigger government, more spending, and higher taxes.  With conservative leaders like Paul Ryan offering concrete examples of limited government, I’m confident young professionals will take a bold step in the right direction.

-May 10, 2010