REPORT: The Kochs’ Transparent Attempt To Pander To Millennials

Bridge Project’s “Month’s Supply of Koch” is dwindling as we approach the end of May with the release of the fourth report: “GenFlop: The Kochs’ Transparent Attempt to Pander to #Millennials.” The latest report is a deep dive into Generation Opportunity, the Kochs’ youth outreach front group, which spreads their libertarian, profit-driven agenda to millennials.

Much of GenOpp’s advocacy is focused on lower-profile campaigns that would appeal to young people, such as supporting food trucks and ride-sharing apps like Uber. However, these smaller campaigns are designed to build an audience of millennials to whom the Koch agenda can be pitched; this agenda is aimed at boosting the Kochs’ bottom line, often at the expense of these same young people. Besides reaching millennials via social media, Generation Opportunity has also spent millions from their Koch-raised coffers on ads and grassroots lobbying efforts such as hosting events on college campuses.

GenOpp made a splash by scaring young people away from Obamacare and encouraging them to “opt out” of coverage using a bizarre set of ads featuring a demented-looking Uncle Sam. They irresponsibly argued that no health care coverage is “better for you” than Obamacare. If their ulterior motive wasn’t immediately obvious, GenOpp’s President made it clear: They were literally willing to risk students’ health in order to advance the right wing goal of repealing Obamacare.

Generation Opportunity also advocates eliminating government-backed student loans and federal aid, as well as net neutrality, even as a University of Delaware poll from last November found that 81 percent of respondents between 18-29 years were opposed to allowing “Internet service providers to charge some websites or streaming video services extra for faster speeds.”

Despite their deceptive tactics, millennials seem to see Generation Opportunity for who they really are: not a grassroots movement of like-minded libertarian young people, but a thinly veiled attempt by two billionaire brothers to pander to young people and persuade them to buy into the Kochs’ self-interested agenda.