( CNN ) -- As a politically active Millennial invested in this year 's election , I was surprised by my own response to the first presidential debate : I was bored . But not for all the reasons the pundits are talking about . To be sure , President Barack Obama 's lackluster performance and Mitt Romney 's free rein over the moderator led us into the weeds of policy without a compass . But that was n't the only reason the candidates did n't speak to me . The debate was supposed to be about domestic issues , but focused exclusively on economic policies and health care plans . As a Millennial , or a member of the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s , I care deeply about the economy and health care . My generation faces crushing educational debt of $ 904 billion in 2012 , up from $ 241 billion a decade ago ; many of us do n't have health insurance ; and we face an unemployment rate that , at 12 % , is 50 % above the national average . But we also want our leaders to connect the dots . Opinion : A plea to millennials -- get out the vote . Among my own Millennial friends , we do n't debate economic reform without addressing the immigrant labor force . We never discuss health care without also grappling with women 's rights . And yet , the candidates Wednesday night managed to debate fine points of policy while missing the big picture . We ca n't build a moral economy or health care system without considering the major social challenges of our time : civil liberties , immigration , women 's rights , domestic extremism and climate change . None of these issues was even mentioned in the debate . The failure to speak clearly and consistently to our generation 's concerns about the world we will inherit has consequences in this election . In the 2008 election , Millennials made up 17 % of the electorate and voted 66 % for Obama , compared with 32 % for John McCain . We were responsible for Obama 's decisive seven-point victory , accounting for 80 % of Obama 's national popular vote margin over McCain . Our generation now makes up 24 % of the electorate and could make up the deciding vote again , but only if we make it to the polls . We are not nearly as engaged this election season as the last time around . We lag behind older voters in interest in the election and intention to vote . Only 18 percent of us under 30 are following this election closely , down from 35 % four years ago . Just 63 % of those of us registered say we will vote , down from 72 % last time around . While these numbers hold for both young Democrats and Republicans , a dip in voter turnout is most consequential for Obama , who leads among our peers . Why are we losing interest ? Let 's put this election in context . For the majority of us who voted for Barack Obama , electing the president in 2008 felt like changing the course of history . Opinion : Who are millennials ? Our generation came of age in the shadow of catastrophe -- the aftermath of 9/11 , the genocide in Darfur , Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath , the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq , and a faltering economy . We had hoped that the historic election of our first African-American president , a candidate who embodied our diversity in being and breath , would initiate a new era that broke from Bush-era politics . Instead , the president inherited a punishing economic recession and GOP obstructionism that made even modest reforms challenging . Even worse , his administration continued some Bush-era national security policies he promised to end , from indefinite detention at home to drone warfare abroad . As a result , Millennials I know have become disillusioned about national political change , turned to local politics and community engagement instead and focused on getting through tough times . Still , many , like me , are not giving up . This election year , I 've sobered up about the meaning of hope . Hope requires action beyond casting a vote ; it requires holding our elected leaders to task . The president repealed Do n't Ask Do n't Tell , came out for marriage equality and created a program that allows undocumented youth to live and work legally in the U.S . I believe that Millennials can be critical of the political process and still have faith that incremental change is possible if we organize before and after Election Day . Opinion : Why this election is so personal . Of course , it 's difficult to organize if our candidates are not even discussing our concerns . No matter who we support , let 's ask that our candidates debate all the issues that determine the future of our nation . No one has more at stake than the generation who will inherit it . Imran Siddiqui , a South Florida-based attorney , Muslim American activist and community organizer with Emerge USA , contributed to this essay . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Valarie Kaur .
A politically active woman , Valarie Kaur was fascinated by politics . Kaur : Jobs , health care are very important to her life , but so are social challenges . Civil rights , education , women 's issues , climate change were unaddressed , she said .