Mon, Nov 8, 2004 11:51am ET

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Matthews falsely claimed "young people voted no more in this election than they did in the last"

NBC and MSNBC host Chris Matthews misstated the turnout of young voters in the 2004 presidential election, disregarding the increase in 18- to 29-year-old voters. On the November 7 edition of the syndicated The Chris Matthews Show, Matthews said that President George W. Bush's positions on gay marriage, abortion, and stem cell research "unnerved" young people, but that "if you didn't vote, don't complain." He then falsely claimed that "the numbers show that young people voted no more in this election than they did in the last. Rock concerts and T-shirts don't count on election night."

But turnout among 18- to 29-year-olds increased by 4.6 million voters over 2000 -- from 42.3 percent to 51.6 percent of such potential voters -- according to an analysis of exit poll data by the nonpartisan Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).

—A.S.

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