Certainly one of the more encouraging developments to come out of the trench warfare that is the Democratic primary campaign is the great interest shown by young people in this campaign. More young people are voting and participating in these elections than ever before. That these new participants are overwhelmingly in favor of Senator Obama has been noted by almost all of the pundits. Neither Senator Clinton or Senator McCain inspire the young ones like Barack does.
I think I know why: These young people are sick of Baby Boomers. Actually, a lot of us are sick of them. I'm 59, so I am a Baby Boomer, and even I am sick of us. We need to go. It's bad enough that Cher has brought her Botox Tour to Las Vegas again, but this generation still wants to govern America. As journalist, Jeff Chang has noted, "Boomers seem to have had a great difficulty imagining what could come after themselves."
That young people might be searching for an alternative to the Boomer leadership is hardly surprising. We've saddled them with a broken Social Security System, inadequate health care, a deteriorating environment, a corrupt toxic political system, and an endless war.
Instead of providing the leadership and experience necessary to solve these problems, Boomers are focused on excuse-making and whining. Told all of their lives that they are so important, Boomers can't gracefully exit the stage, and let a new generation take control of the future. Sixty is not the new forty. Sixty is sixty. Old.
Think about it. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were born within 60 days of each other in 1946. Clinton personifies the "If it feels good, do it" personal credo of the Boomers, as well as its excuse-making avoiding of personal responsibility meme. Hillary's got the entitlement thing going. Finish off with Bush and his arrogance, and you've got Robo-Boomer.
We're everywhere. Who sends the food and wine back at a restaurant? Boomers. Who tries to jam the oversize bag in the overhead bin on the plane? Boomers. Who complains that the new aerobics instructor is not as good as the old one? Boomers.
We watched too much TV. We smoked too much dope. We got divorced too quick. We read too much Madison Avenue hype that we were a unique generation.
Our Boomer leader Clinton gave us Monica, Paula, Marc Rich, Gennifer Flowers, Travelgate, Whitewater and Impeachment. Our leader Bush gave us Terry Schiavo, Guantanamo, Katrina, Abu Ghraib, Rendition, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Waterboarding. Quite the legacy.
Boomer politicians, you had your chance. Please go. Volunteer. Work for a foundation. Or a think tank. Take care of your grandkids. Play golf. Something. Anything. Just get off the stage. Now.
