Saturday, August 23, 2008
McCain's Boomer Opening
As an American, I'm pleased that Obama is going to the well with Joe Biden. Yes, the senator from Delaware can be irritating and sanctimonious (like, say, John McCain) but he is also a serious thinker on foreign policy, and would be an important balance to some of Obama's sillier impulses in that area should the ticket actually win.
I do think think that the selection offers a very interesting opening for McCain, though. From a generational politics perspective, it's pretty extraordinary that the largest generation living -- those pesky Baby Boomers -- are completely essentially unrepresented on the national tickets so far. McCain ad Biden are both from the elderly Silent generation, while Obama, though technically a Boomer, missed out on many of the seminal experiences of the largest portion of the cohort. And perhaps most importantly, he is not a culture warrior itching to re-fight the campus battles of the 60s like Hillary or President Bush.
All of this leaves a significant percentage of the Boomer vote (particularly independents and former Hillary voters) up for grabs, and opens a opportunity for McCain with a savvy VP pick.
But please, G-d, don't let it be Mitt Romney.
|
I do think think that the selection offers a very interesting opening for McCain, though. From a generational politics perspective, it's pretty extraordinary that the largest generation living -- those pesky Baby Boomers -- are completely essentially unrepresented on the national tickets so far. McCain ad Biden are both from the elderly Silent generation, while Obama, though technically a Boomer, missed out on many of the seminal experiences of the largest portion of the cohort. And perhaps most importantly, he is not a culture warrior itching to re-fight the campus battles of the 60s like Hillary or President Bush.
All of this leaves a significant percentage of the Boomer vote (particularly independents and former Hillary voters) up for grabs, and opens a opportunity for McCain with a savvy VP pick.
But please, G-d, don't let it be Mitt Romney.
