Bye Bye Boomers
For all the strength of numbers and financial muscle of the Baby Boom generation, it may have gone bust, at least as far as the White House goes.
Barack Obama and now Sarah Palin can only by the biggest of stretches be included in the tail end of the Boomers; Joe Biden arrived a few years too early, and as everyone now knows, there are scores of things younger than John McCain, including Mt. Rushmore, M&Ms and the Baby Boomers.
Unless Hillary Clinton or another Boomer getting long in the tooth were eventually to wind up in the White House, the only Chief Executives from that biggest and most prosperous generation of Americans will be two presidents who have in common only the Boomer tag: Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Images by EPA/Tannen Maury and Kiichiro Sato/AP
Hubby and I have voted dem for over 20 years before voting for dubbya in a protest to the filth that has infested the dnc. We don't much like McCain, and we do kind of like Obama, but Palin's purity is too compelling. Just hope DC and the filthy liberal media don't ruin her life.
Posted by: seneca69 | August 31, 2008 at 11:06 AM
I'm writing from Anchorage Alaska, my home.
John McCain’s choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for vice president-- his first substantive decision as our potential president-- is a decision that would place this country under the leadership of someone who is ill-prepared to do so. Though well-meaning and earnest, as Governor, it has been a steep learning curve for Ms. Palin. When asked by The Anchorage Daily News about her reaction to Sen. McCain's pick on Friday, Alaska Senate President Lyda Green, expressed her view that Ms. Palin is “not prepared to be Governor,’ and questioned “how she [could] be prepared to be vice president or president?”. Lyda Green is a conservative Republican from the Wasilla, the same small town Gov. Palin calls home. Alaska’s House Majority Leader Republican John Harris, when asked about Sarah Palin’s qualifications, explained that she was “old enough and a U.S. Citizen.” Not a ringing endorsement. We need to listen to what Alaskans who work with
and know Sarah Palin have to say about her readiness, and we need to focus on how this choice reflects on John McCain’s ability to make good judgments and to safely lead the country.
Here's some track record on Palin from the local papers.
-Reaction to the choice from Alaskan politicians-
http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/510249.html
-Pending scandal, she's actually under investigation by the legislature-
http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/510080.html
-Details on the way that Palin actually dealt with the "bridge to nowhere". Note that although the earmark was rejected at least half of the 400+ million was accepted by Palin and used on other transportation projects.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/511232.html
-Editorial from Fairbanks Newsminer
http://newsminer.com/news/2008/aug/29/palin-has-much-prove/?opinion
Posted by: DL Landry | August 31, 2008 at 10:59 AM
So this Palin woman is the coming of the post Boomer generation? Sorry, don't see it. Palin is as extreme as they come, Pro ANWR drilling? Reminds me of how Enron drove up the price of electricity based on perceived scarcity then opened the floodgates of electricity flow after it got the price it wanted, so I see it going with drilling in ANWR and this pro oil company stance on ANWR, just another ploy to raise, not lower, oil prices and keep the majority of us in financial dire straits while destroying one of the last pristine places on the planet, permanently. A post destruction of ANWR apology would be too little too late and wouldn't be forthcoming from the likes of Palin I believe.
What is the problem with limited pro-choice, that limited options regarding abortion should be handled by doctors and their patients? If you are against abortion don't have one but unless you are willing to take on all the societal ills that acompany child births such as among those who provide less than acceptable child rearing situations then anti-abortion expecially in cases of high risk pregnancy women, rape, incest and genetically mutated children then you're effectively putting a "living" death sentence on hundreds of thousands of people, some from birth others from child birthing years, and financial hardship on society and many individual societal members. And of course outlawing abortion never stops abortions... Simple one-size-fits-all solutions to complex problems rarely solves the problems, it only seems to solve the problems to simple minded people with a hidden agenda who live in a mental Neverland, not the real world inhabited by all of us.
Palin as the vanguard of the post-boomer generation? Sounds like more of the same "W. Bush nonsense" that has us as a declining world power, lowering the quality of life for the many, while the few wealthy among our citizens continue to bleed the rest of us dry. Better build higher fences and walls around your ranches and compounds along with more prisons, jails and police if people like Palin are the future of our political elite. The sad thing is I hear epithets such as, "let them eat cake," as Palin and her ilk's responses to difficult situations we are experiencing and will continue to encounter.
Posted by: Avg Joe | August 31, 2008 at 05:44 AM
McCain 100% missed on this. A total miscalculation.
He fell into the silly liberal "diversity game". Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee atleast had a following and credibility. I can't believe he fell for it again. John, you must simply learn, you can't negotiate with the liberals.
You know what, I'm sitting this one out. I bet you dollars to douhgnuts, that if McCain wins he'll sell us out just like he always has.
Forget this. I'm waiting till 2012. Obama is the next Carter, but even worse. We'd be better off to let the country learn the lesson about this foolish inexperienced candidate. Trust me, this Obama is a blessing in disguise. After his presidency implodes, the democrats will be on the retreat for quite some time.
Posted by: matt | August 31, 2008 at 12:41 AM
To Patt Morrison:
Barack Obama is of the Boomer generation, but Sarah Palin is not. Not a stretch really, she just missed it by about one year and he is well within the Boomer generation.
Posted by: Max | August 30, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Some idiots will got to any length, even cut off their most vital appendage(s), simply and only to save their face. That's psycho-politics 101, in the weird land of make-believe (WEST of La Brea).
Posted by: Rose Mary Perry | August 30, 2008 at 09:21 PM
I cannot understand how someone who calls themselves a democrat could vote for McCain now that he has chosen Palin to be on his ticket. You may have agreed with some of McCain's centrist positions, but now that he has decided to sell out to the far right, a vote for him is a vote against any progressive movement. Baby boomers are aging out and now it is time for the new generation to take their place with the rest of the world, embrace it, and become a part of the future.
Posted by: maggie gibbons | August 30, 2008 at 06:16 PM
I have been voting for 22 years now and have yet to vote Republican for President. However, as of this November, I will no longer be able to make such a claim. Am I surprised? I am most definitely surprised! I am surprised because I have long touted myself to be a die-hard Democrat, in fact, I am still a Democrat. Nevertheless, this November, I will be voting for the Republican Party for the Presidency. I am surprised because I did not see it coming, and that is a fact. I am one of those middle-class women that supported Hilary Clinton that was extremely disappointed when she lost the Democratic nomination. Every other comment may claim what a mistake Sen. McCain has made about choosing Gov. Palin as his running mate; therefore, I sure wish that I could make wager on how smart his decision was picking Gov. Palin, because I know without a doubt, that I would become a very wealthy women. If I can change my mind about voting Republican, I know a whole lot of other people will too.
Posted by: Rebecca Renee Simmons | August 30, 2008 at 01:00 PM
Sarah Palin is a great pick for the McCain ticket. I can't wait to hear her debate. Old Mac can give her a few tips with all his years almost behind him. I'm sure her husband will do a good job takeing care of their baby as she is V.P..
Posted by: pdx | August 30, 2008 at 07:49 AM