( CNN ) -- Will young American voters be as enthusiastic about President Obama 's re-election as they were about his candidacy four years ago , when 66 % of 18- to 29-year-olds favored him over John McCain ? Polls vary widely . But a Public Religion Research Institute survey gives Obama only a 7-point lead over presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney among millennials , while a new Harvard Poll says he has a 17-point lead -- still a worrisome number for Democrats . If 2008 was any indication , an unshakeable youth coalition may be a prerequisite for Democratic victory . The president seems to be listening : He has focused this week on young people , with stops at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Iowa in Iowa City . But amid this climate of economic gloom , even apocalypse , for millennials , Obama is rocking the campus vote ... with the single issue of loans ? This is certainly a salient policy most directly affecting college students and recent graduates today . They will see reduced loan rates expire without prompt legislative action . And these students undoubtedly will warm , in the short term , to Obama 's efforts to sustain the current rates . However , three and a half years after young voters supported Obama as a fixer-in-chief , the economic situation for millennials is in worse shambles , with debt and unemployment climbing for most 18- to 29-year-olds . More than half of recent graduates are unemployed or underemployed , according to a forthcoming study by Northeastern University , says Sheila Palma of the school 's Center for Labor Market Studies . Gen Y , people roughly between the ages of 18 and 34 , may be the first generation since the New Deal without lasting financial protection . This week , trustees of both Social Security and Medicare reported that the solvency of both programs is slipping , and lawmakers need to take action quickly . A recent CNBC story said that Gen Y has no safety net for retirement beyond market-driven 401 ( k ) s. On top of that risk , the financial hurdles of student loans , a weak housing market , and high unemployment are shaping this generation 's deficient savings rate . This is a chilling glimpse into the extinction of the American middle-class for most young citizens . President Obama 's narrowly tailored discussion of the loan issue for millennials is not likely to rekindle the `` Yes , We Can '' enthusiasm of 2008 or spur effective policy for young people beyond the college years . Channeling a message of social justice on the loan issue can go only so far . There is the wider issue of affordability -- policy that could make college cost-free for middle-income students -- and the fundamental need to improve millennial social mobility . To galvanize the youth vote anew in 2012 , when young people 's economic livelihood is at stake , Obama will have to reach deeper than loans . How about a plan for young Americans after college : stronger jobs legislation geared around recent grads ? A proposal to reclaim Social Security ? The president knows how pivotal the youth vote is for his re-election odds . But his bid for a second term will hinge upon across-the-board substantive answers for young people , so their economic situation is not such a raw one . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Alexander Heffner .
Alexander Heffner : Obama on college tour addressed student loans to recapture youth vote . Heffner says Obama needs to go beyond loans and help young people get jobs . Score: 6 Young voters will be crucial to Obama 's chances at re-election , Heffner writes .