If you ask any of Barack Obama’s campaign staffers what they believe is the most important presidential campaign issue, they’ll respond with the same slogan: “It’s IDENTITY stupid.” Or at least they should…

This election is not about issues; it’s not about hope or change or even about the candidates themselves. Rather, this election’s outcome will ultimately be decided by our sense of identity; or lack thereof.

Last November, in a speech given by former President Bill Clinton in Little Rock, Ark., he claimed that our sense of identity will determine the course of the 21st century:

            “The central question of the 21st century … is not terror or climate change or economic inequality but identity. How do we view ourselves, how do we view our relationship with others?  How do we view our specialness, our uniqueness, how do we view our connections?”

Of all the speeches I’ve heard Clinton give, this was the most peculiar. The normally fluid rhetoric was strained and awkward as he seemed to grapple with a question too profound and complicated for explanation in a single night.

But the question of identity didn’t die for me after that speech. I began to explore whether and how our identity, especially among youths, will impact the 2008 election.

Over the past several months, I’ve surveyed a large number of 18-25 years-olds from across the South (predominantly from Arkansas), asking three specific questions:

1) How do they identity themselves?

2) What candidate do they support?

3) How does that candidate affect their sense of identity?

Without a set of predetermined labels, most young people rejected the idea of identifying themselves in any particular fashion. However, when the subjects were pressed, the results showed varying degrees of self-identification. Let me describe four discernable groups of youths that shared similar answers.

The results were part of a nonscientific study. 

Young Conservatives (YC)

1) The YC’s were by far was the most consistent with their views and took pride in labeling themselves as conservative (as compared to Republican).

- The YC’s not only emphasized their “conservative” values, but almost always used “young” to further define their brand of conservatism.

- As expected, the YC’s conservative ideals were grounded in their religious beliefs. But they also believed that “young conservatism” was as much about ideas, as it was beliefs.

2) Most YC’s supported Mike Huckabee; whereas the remaining YC’s voiced their support for former Republican candidate Mitt Romney or were undecided.

3) Many YC’s said that Huckabee represented a “softer,” “less angry” brand of conservatism, which fared well with YC’s. However, most stated that Huckabee did not impact their own sense of identity.

Clinton Connectors (CC)

1) The CC’s represent the youths who feel a strong sense of connectedness: either to a particular issue (such as health care); within a healthy family unit; or even connected to the powerful and influential.

- Many of the Arkansas youths have been and will continue to be in some way personally connected to the Clintons. They tend to be practical, highly-motivated individuals.

- A senior at University of Pennsylvania, David Helfenbein, spoke to me about how Hillary visited his middle school when he was 13 years-old. Even at 13 he was determined to meet her and asked the principal for a chance to say hello. Years later they were friends -- Hillary even called David to apologize for missing his high school graduation.

- The CC’s understand the value of being connected and don’t apologize for working towards establishing those connections.

2) The CC’s overwhelmingly favored Hillary Clinton.

3) To one longtime Clinton family friend, being connected to others helps determine our sense of identity. “Being connected is the way the world is moving and we shouldn’t apologize for it.”

Obama Mama’s (OM)

1) “Obama Mama” was how one girl identified herself right away. She was a 20 year-old undergrad student who explained that as a young, black female in the South, Obama represented a way “up and out.”

- The OM’s defined themselves in part by their sense of “struggle” and by their desire to “overcome.”

- Amongst the OM’s, race seemed to override gender.

2) The OM’s overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama.

3) A senior from historic Central High School in Little Rock told me, “There’s no way to understand unless you’re black in South. Obama represents so much more hope. I see more of myself in him.” However, she also added, “Me and my girlfriends also think he looks good.”

? Generation (?)

1) As you would expect from the ? label, this group has no idea who they are, where they’ve been or what the future holds for them. And there were a lot of them.

- Ironically, the ?’s identity was rooted primarily in their refusal to be identified. (For all the ?’s reading this, I know the ? label stings).  

- When pushed on their political beliefs, the ?’s readily described those beliefs as more democratic (as compared to liberal – a label they interestingly shunned).

2) The ?’s overwhelming supported Barrack Obama, while a few chose Clinton or Huckabee.

3) The ?’s were completely ???? when asked how their candidate affected their own sense of identity. One ?, obviously frustrated by the question, responded, “Obviously he affects me because of change.” When asked to clarify “change,” he was unable to do so.