YDA is launching a new project, and we’re asking a simple question: Why are you voting for Democrats? It’s called whYDA.org. Users submit videos and written testimonials to the site to be shared with the world. It’s an easy process with potentially dramatic effects: We are growing the Young Voter Revolution. Here’s our launch video explaining the project:

YDA President David Hart just sent out an email to Young Democrats celebrating the Forth of July and introducing our new project, whYDA.org. Here’s the part about whYDA.org; see the full text after the jump.

The opportunity our generation has to sweep Democrats into office up and down the ballot in every state in the nation is unprecedented. Turning this opportunity into a reality, however, will take a lot of hard work. We need to do everything we can to convince our friends and family to vote for Democrats come November. With everyone gathering together to celebrate our nation’s independence, I can’t think of a better weekend to get started.

That is why YDA picked this holiday weekend to unveil our newest project. A web site designed to encourage a community of young voters to share why they are voting for Democrats and why they think others should as well. We call it whYDA.org (get it?), and in order for this to be an effective community building and persuasion tool, we need you to visit and tell your story.

Why are you voting for Democrats this November?
Tell your story at www.whYDA.org.

At whYDA.org you can submit videos and written testimonials and share them with your friends. We are going to do everything we can to publicize submissions, and the best of the bunch will be used as a part of our large scale paid campaign operations to convince undecided young voters to cast their ballots for Democrats.

After initially threatening to veto the bill if passed, today President Bush reversed course and signed the 21st Century GI Bill into law.
This legislation proposed by Democratic Senator Jim Webb (VA) and Democratic Representative Harry Mitchell (AZ-5) significantly improves the educational benefits our veterans get when they return from service overseas.
This is another major victory [...]

YDA Veterans & Military Affairs Caucus Chair Cole Hickman just sent this email out to Young Democrats celebrating the final passage of the 21st Century GI Bill.

Dear Young Democrat,

Last night, the Senate passed the Webb-Mitchell 21st Century GI Bill by an overwhelming majority, 92 to 6. Don’t let the margin fool you, this one wasn’t easy.

Democrats Jim Webb and Harry Mitchell first introduced the legislation over a year ago, facing considerate opposition from the Republican Party, namely Senator John McCain and President Bush, this crucial bill seemed doomed to a veto.

Democrats didn’t stand down; we stood up — you stood up — for our men and women in uniform. YDA’s newly-organized Veteran’s and Military Affairs Caucus mobilized young people nationally to pressure the Republican Party into honoring our veterans. Dozens of local events, hundreds of letters to the editor, and thousands of calls to Congress later, the Democratic Congress sent the sent the veto-proof bill to the president’s desk for his signature. Once signed, the bill will provide the greatest single expansion of educational aid since the last GI Bill in 1946. This is a much needed, hard fought, and well-deserved victory — just the kind of progress we can expect from the Democratic Party.

Read more about "How You Honored Our Veterans"

That’s right – our very own David Hardt will be discussing the importance of the youth vote this election cycle and the work of the Young Democrats on CNN’s Larry King Live tonight! He’ll be on with pop star Christina Aguilera and Rock the Vote Executive Director Heather Smith, so it should be a great segment!

Check your local listings for when Larry King airs on CNN in your time zone and set those TiVos and DVRs! There is also usually a re-run of that evening’s show at midnight.

Making college affordable is one of the most important issues for all us. Education is the basis for a progressive country, and it is a shame that in this country so many of us, young people, see our dreams of higher education deferred due to the costs involved. Upon restoring their leadership in Congress, Democrats have taken the initiative of seeking solutions to this problem. Within their first 100 hours they passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act that among other things included more than $2 billions a year in additional need-based grant funding, a new Income-Based Repayment program that allows borrowers to repay federal loans as a portion of their income, and lower interest rates for federal loans. According to a new new report by the U.S. PIRG, the interest rate reductions will translate into savings of thousands of dollars for college students. See the map above for how much average savings will be in your state.

The “rising wave among young people” may help carry Obama to a November victory, according to a new Democracy Corps report, which puts Obama at a huge 33 point lead over McCain among likely young voters. This margin typifies the political landscape: “Democratic support among America’s youth now reaches 2006 levels, not only in the generic vote for president, which has been true for some time, but also in the named trial heat. Obama now beats McCain 60 to 33 percent in a named ballot for President, a margin that echoes the Democratic advantage in the 2006 congressional elections (60 – 38 percent).” In “Youth for the Win,” the third installment of their young voter series, Carville and Greenberg argue that young voter bloc will be instrumental for an Obama win.

We are so close. The primary season is over and we all know it has been a long journey. We have reached our first stop in the trip to restore our leadership. Now we find ourselves on road to achieve the change that after eight years of failed policies, a stagnant economy, a disastrous war, and diminishing hope, is much needed.

Reports from the CIRCLE and the Pew Internet & American Life Project highlight the growing power and presence of young voters at the polls:

• More than 6.5 million votes under the age of 30 participated in primaries or caucuses
• Overall National youth turnout doubled over the last 8 years
• Young Voters now lean Democratic by large margins
• More young voters go online to inform themselves about and engage with the campaigns

More after the jump.

Lon Seidman, former President of the CT Young Dems, put together a great recap of the YDA 2008 Spring National Conference in Nashville, TN.