does Gen X vote repuke?

[pstokely]

or do GenXers (or Children of the 80s) just live in Repuke areas?

[intheflow]

1. I think a lot of them do.

Reagan, as president during their formative years, shaped their little minds into warped grown up minds that vote Repug.

Not all Gen-Xers, there are some cool ones here on DU. But many of them--yes.

[pa28]

8. Some truth here.

I'm a lifelong Democrat but I agree with your idea that the formative years of others in my age-range were dominated by Reagan ideology.

Liberal = Big government, fiscal indiscretion and weak. (facts say the opposite)

Tax cuts for the wealthy = Stimulates the economy, increases overall tax revenue. (Warped and unsupported in fact, I know, but I'm just reporting things I've heard.)

Massive military spending = Helps economy, protects us from (fill in boogieman here), spurs technology in other fields.

We're down to it now. I think the people in my generation are going to have to actually suffer before they re-evaluate their position. It could be the silver lining in what the next four years hold.

[billyskank]

28. Hey, let's be fair

let's not forget all those baby boomers who were into social justice in the 60s but then turned into Reagan/Thatcher conservatives during the 80s when they had nice jobs with big fat salaries.

Some gen Xers vote conservative for sure. Some vote democratic. Most don't vote, I think, and that's the biggest problem with that generation.

[intheflow]

41. You're so right!

So many of the boomers deserted us after Vietnam. They bought into the whole grab-it-and-growl mentalistiy of the '80's and '90's. Clinton is a case in point. I know a lot of people think he's a God, but I think he's the chief suspect in why the left moved so far right--sleeping with the enemy: big business.

Again, not all boomers--thank God!--but a lot of them.

[JD Lau]

2. what are the people called between the "baby boomers" and Gen X?

Is there a group in there?

[intheflow]

3. That's me.

I hear we're called "wedgies." <Ugh!>

[Brundle_Fly]

12. nope

hippies!

n/t

[intheflow]

18. No. Sadly, hippies are part of the boomer generation.

They went out with the end of the Vietnam War. I, personally, was 9 when that happened. Not old enough by far to be a true hippie.

Though I would have been well-suited for it.

[welshTerrier2]

38. why Gen-X rejected boomer politics

While it might be a bit oversimplified, I believe there is a belief among Gen-X'ers, repeated over and over, that the boomers would drain Social Security and there would be nothing left for them ... they decided government wasn't going to help them and they better get their own (i.e. privatize everything) ... it's only anecdotal, but i've heard this many times from many Gen-X'ers ...

i also think there was a certain "my generation is better than yours" projected by us boomers onto Gen-X'ers ... there was a lack of respect for the life experiences of Gen-X'ers ... "too bad you missed out on the 60's man" ... this also could have led to a rejection of 60's values ...

it must be a pain to be a progressive Gen-X'er and hear about how wrong your generation is politically ... Kudos who those who escaped the Kool-Aid ...

[Quill Pen]

39. Doesn't bother me at all...

Progressive, born 1970. We get our revenge by watching the Baby Boomers' obsession with denying the aging process.

Case in point, the middle-aged pro-war shrew who berated Lila Lipscomb in front of the White House, as seen in Fahrenheit 9/11. I just imagine her fretfully slathering on her expensive anti-wrinkle creams and flitting from one treatment to the next: Botox, laser resurfacing, soy estrogen, glucosamine/chondroitin tabs, laser eye surgery, glycogen peels, dermabrasion, liposuction, collagen injections...oh, but do tell me again how much fun you had toking up on the beach in Monterey in '67. Delightful story!

[spooky3]

???? do you think your generation will be immune from aging?

You're going to be in exactly her position in fewer years than you think.

I thought we progressives had no use for stereotypes.

[Quill Pen]

44. Oh, no, not at all.

I won't be immune from aging. I simply won't be obsessed with taking extreme measures to extend my youth. I'm a great believer in fully appreciating all the stages of life.

[spooky3]

45. Wait till you get there and see if you feel the same way.

We're living in a youth-obsessed society where people are judged very harshly for "fully appreciating all the stages of life."

16 year olds probably see you the same way that you see the woman you described.

[Quill Pen]

46. You sound very bitter...

...about getting older. Otherwise, I doubt what I said would have bothered you.

16-year-olds were busily tormenting me when I was actually 16. I learned not to care much for their opinions then, as a survival mechanism, and I couldn't give a soft sh*t what they think now.

The only thing that does concern me about age milestones is not achieving enough of my goals.

[Baconfoot]

48. Point of information: Spooky did not sound bitter in that post. n/t

[welshTerrier2]

42. beware my friend ...

youth is a fickle ally ...

[cattleman22]

54. As a generation Xer

I too have heard other my age talk about how the boomers are going to be the ones who either destroy the ponzi scheme of social security or dramatically raise the taxes on generation x to pay for their retirement. Because of this, most of the people I know who are my age are saving for retirement themselves. Because they think they won't need SS, they are not that interested in paying more to save it for the boomers.

[mtnester]

40. Tweeners

That is me

[AntiCoup2K4]

4. I didn't know they could vote....

...considering they're British.

[MikeNY]

5. Generation X "sold out" just like their parents

Just like the baby boomers, most Gen X'ers gave up on having strong ideals and moved on with their lives. Now their decisions are based on the almighty dollar, just like the previous generation they criticized. Thats more of a social comment not a political one, but most people I know voted for Bush because "he gave me a tax break".

I find that this is quite appalling and most people that I know, who have said this, got that one rebate and did not actually benefit from his other cuts (too high a tax bracket for em). The psychological impact of receiving a few hundred bucks in the mail from the US govt maybe had something to do with their vote, who knows?

Meanwhile, billionaires are getting millions worth of tax beaks every year now

[pstokely]

7. will that happen with Gen Y?

it sounds like it

[bush_is_wacko]

32. Not if my daughters mock election is any indication!

Her HS held mock elections in a red state and Kerry won by as much as he should have won in our real elections! Seems funny that ALL the kids mock elections like Nickelodeon went for Kerry!

[texpatriot2004]

6. I am a GenXer and I NEVER vote Repug.

I do live around many repugs. I have kept my strong beliefs.

[xultar]

Me niether but, unfortunately they are right, Gen Xers do vote thug n/t

[pstokely]

49. or do GenXers just not vote

and the few that do must vote Repuke

[xultar]

24. Me niether but, unfortunately they are right, Gen Xers do vote thug n/t

[Maine-ah]

9. gen x

I thought gen x were those of us born in the 70's and gen y was the 80's. Anyone here care to clarify?

[Kber]

21. Gen x born in the 70's but became more politicallyawarene in the 80's

except for me - my first experience with tear gas was in 1972 - protesting the fire bombing in Cambodia. (For the record, I was 10 months old.)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

31. GenX were born roughly 1964-79

[bush_is_wacko]

33. I geuss that means me but...

I really don't think people born in 1964 have the same issues as those in 1979. That seems to stretch the generational issues a bit don't you think? My younger cousins born in the later 70's don't have much in common w/ me.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

37. The term GenX was first coined in the early '90s-referring to 20somethings

at that time. 1964-74 probably makes more sense.

[Zynx]

10. They vote Republican by a fairly large margin.

[RafterMan]

11. In the CNN breakdown

every age group over 30 voted Bush.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/U...

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. They have Gen X lumped together with older voters

Gen X is usually considered those born from 1965-1975 (those who are 29-39 years old).

[JPJones]

13. I think it may have had something to do with having

young children. The proverbial 'saftey' moms. GenXers are at the age where they are starting to shit out a bunch of children. Gotta protect the young ones from terrorists, Janet Jackson and Bill Clinton's penis.

They are too young to remember JFK, RFK, Vietnam and Watergate. Other than that, I remember a lot of stupid assholes in my high school, which we all do, which I think explains the Republican vote among all age groups.

[sendero]

14. It's not hard to understand..

.... why young people vote Rep. Popular culture used to (in the 70s) make fun of fundies, Reps and the like. Now Dems are the targets. "Whiny liberals" and other characterizations, some fair and some not, are tossed about with abandon. The Rep is portrayed as a decisive mover and shaker, the Dem a hand wringing simp.

It's all about cycles and pendulums. Soon, the Reps will prove to even the biggest idiot that they are not capable of handling power without abusing it (those paying attention should have already known that, but nobody ever got rich or elected overestimating the intelligence of the average American).

[insane_cratic_gal]

16. gen xer here

and I voted Kerry

If you look at those numbers from cnn it's not that huge of a jump. Appears we are equally divided.

I have a 6 year old so I was more focused on getting "the evil doers" out of office for my child's saftey vs any load of crap fox news would of tried to sell me. Or fear tactics media.

Fear tactics were huge in the media this campaign, but i never feared for my child saftey from a terror attack, I fear for the sinking economy, her right to choose, my husband, her dad who is in the military. And the outrage I felt over how they tried to cast fear into the American public. that is what I carried with me to the polls when I voted for Kerry.

[sendero]

17. I agree.....

.... with your first comment. But keep in mind that when I was young there were damn near no young Republicans. We're talking 80/20 or something like that. You turned into a Rep as you got older and more conservative.

I'm glad you see through the bullsh*t, I wish more young people did.

[newportdadde]

19. Well my wife and I voted Kerry but we are 27 and 25

so I think we missed the cutoff for Gen X, not sure if we are Gen Y then or in limbo.

Ow and that is a really interesting breakdown of the voting on CNN. I love how it breaks to Bush as that income level cracks through 50k very interesting.

[greenohio]

20. Yes. Mostly because of Social Security.

Many of my GenX friends believe SS is a joke, that they are going to get taxed to high heaven, be able to retire at 99 and get 99 cents a month.

Democrats have no plan whatsoever on this issue. It is killing us.

[libpunkmom]

22. Gen-Xer here who voted KERRY

Born in 1970.. But, my parents never sold out. My dad came back from Viet Nam protesting.. I also have a 7 year old, all my votes and political activities are for HIM.. I want him to live in a better world than he's living in today.. Well, at least a better America..

[priscilla_asagiri]

23. Gen X? 50-50... Gen Y ? yikes!

I'm seeing many more YOUNG YOUNG people (like 18-28) saying some of the craziest things like :

-Heck yeahI'd go fight for oil if Bush asked me, I just don't want to fight for Iraqis

-Its all about the benjamins / bling bling / whatever (money at all costs)

-Guns and smoking are becoming "cool" again

-Anti-gay tendencies in youth, using the term "gay" as an insult, etc




Something freepish is happening with these kids today! We must educate and guide the new generation....

[Teaser]

25. Kids are always anti-gay.

I can't remember a time when young'uns weren't. That get's educated out of you, if you're lucky.

[bush_is_wacko]

36. Huh?

I have two of them. I can't honestly say they have ever been anti-gay. Maybe curious about gays, but not anti-gay. We do the AIDS walk every year and are surrounded by flamboyantly Gay men. My kids have a great time! No judgement at all!

[njdemocrat106]

52. Sadly, that's true.

It takes good liberal college professors (and your own genuine open mind, of course) to educate that out of you, IMHO.

[mattclearing]

26. For what it's worth...

I'm generation X, and I don't. Neither do family or friends of the generation. I think it tends to be inherited though.

Most people I know take on the political tendencies of their parents, with a few notable exceptions.

I wouldn't draw any conclusions regarding this generation's preference.

[pstokely]

29. or does it depend on where they live?

do they move to repuke "exurbs" and instantly become repukes?

[indigo32]

27. This Gen Xer doesn't

[bush_is_wacko]

30. I only know two gen X'ers

And both of them are Dems. We do live in an apparently red state though. Funny thing is our state didn't vote repub in any other area but Prez. OUr numbers look like a complete reversal this year. Weird!

[bush_is_wacko]

35. It's been brought to my attention that I am a Gen Xer

I have never voted Repub, My brother doesn't vote repub, none of my cousins vote repub. If I include the 1964-1979 generation in full. I know lots of Gen Xers and we are all Democrats, living in a red state. I only know a few people that are my age that might go Republican. Not even enough to count on one hand!

[catbert836]

34. Not this GenXer! n/t

[Fleurs du Mal]

43. Not this GenXer

However, I do remember quite few friends from the burbs that were thugs.

[Deep N RedLand]

47. A Gen-exer's Story and Confession

Allow me to offer my story and dispute the fact most Gen-Xers went for Bush. My first vote at 18 was for Reagan's re-election and straight ticket Republican as well as being conservative on most issues. While it's a time in my life I'm not fond of (feels good to confess my sins publicly though), as has been stated here, alot of it had to do with the times and what the 80's represented. Even today in some ways, I still feel Reagan was the best CANIDATE for the times, though now I can see how destructive some of his policies really were and I could never entertain the notion of voting for him in today's climate (even though we have his protogee times-ten in office).

While growing up in a largely Democract Philly and to pretty-much liberal parents, alot of my views were influenced by my future in-laws whose family I felt closer to at the time than my own. Even in retrospect it amazes me that my father-in-law still thinks Republican despite the fact he has almost always been dirt-poor and would still today vote for canidates against his own interest.

Though I can't put the exact moment, somewhere my views changed. Maybe it was the responsiblity of starting a family, moving to a state that hated and exploited working class people more, my growing freethinking beliefs on religion while the right embraced fundalmentalism more and more or just opening my mind and willing to think for myself. While for the longest times I abhorred politics and became an apathy "non-voter" (I didn't vote at all during Daddy Bush or Clinton's time), as these growing Left ideas took hold and seeing the way things were going I decieded I had to do something.

My first vote was unsuccesfully trying to prevent King George's bone-head brother from lording over this state and after seeing the results I knew there was no way in hell I would support the King himself winning in 2000. At the time I admitt, while most of my support was for Democrates since they were closest to my views, I still voted by the canidates rather then the party. Time for more confession...yes, I voted for that bitch Katherine Harris who I thought was the right canidate at the time and I guess you could say I might indirectly bear responsibility for Bush's win as a result. But the result of that election and seeing the last four years and fearing the next, my feelings have again changed.

Though I still choose not register to a party affiliation, this election past and future ones, I will always vote against every Republican canidate regardless of who the Democrat opponent is. While I can no longer agree or even at times tolerate right-wingers, a small part of me and my now open-minded ability can at least try to respect their views knowing that I once thought like them.

I think I also am an example against the view that all people are liberal in their youth and later become more conservative not the other way around. I know several twenty-something Generation Y's today who are also ignorantly Republican. Despite much right-wing vilifying of the "L word", this is one Gen-exer who is proud to now call himself a Liberal, a Red state Blue voter and washed of the sins and ignorance of the past.
I am happy that of all my views and memories that formed during those zeitgeist years, conservatism is the one I have left behind.

[Cats Against Frist]

50. I'm pretty sure that I'm a "Gen X-er"

On the low end -- I'm 30 -- but I was in college when "grunge" was the thing. Oh, how I miss those days.

At any rate, what happened, as an above poster suggested, was the 90s -- "womyn" turned into Britney wannabes, political gangsta rap turned into P. Puff Diddly Fluff, and grunge-sters turned 30 and started listening to Creed, and it all went downhill from there. Anthony Kiedis and Metallica got their hair cut, the SUV and cell phones and computers roared into the mainstream, flannel was out, pink shirts that showed off my boobs were in -- I started brushing my teeth and jogging, stopped doing drugs...

Oh, sorry.

Anyway -- I, and most of my friends remained liberal throughout, even though we did get caught up in the roaring late 90s -- I'm now a libertarian, but I'm NO conservative, and I really dislike materialism and religious magical bullshit dogma, and I support unionization, cooperatives and communes -- however, I do support guns, the shooting and eating of wild game, decentralization of government and more "personal responsibility."

I didn't switch to conservatism, but my beliefs got more sophisticated. I would not be where I am, however, without the plethora of identity and nonwestern politics classes that I took in the early and mid-90s, when I started smoking, and wearing Salvation Army sweaters that had previously been worn by old men.

[Guaranteed]

51. Yes, a lot of them are disallusioned by the PC shit.

I wasn't pleased with it myself, after a long while.

[Withywindle]

53. Born 1969, solidly Gen X (and newbie)

And my first ever Pres vote was for Dukakis! Inspiring stuff, eh? Man, was that a terrible time to be growing up a flaming liberal (like my parents before me -- drank it in with mama's milk!).

I'm not a real big believer in "generations" as a way of determining voting patterns, opinions or anything else: not when I see location, religion, class, race, experiences, etc. having a way bigger influence.

I don't know a single person in my day-to-day life (circle of friends, co-workers,etc) in my age cohort who voted for Bush. But that's got nothing to do with when I was born, it's because I live in Chicago and have an arts-media-related job! On the other hand, plenty of my classmates from high school did, I'm sure -- but that's because they live in rural Virginia and are mostly white Southern Baptists!

I do agree that Gen X'ers might be less likely to vote at all than older people, and that there very likely is an increasing disconnect: people don't see voting as a responsibility anymore, or as anything that's going to make any difference in their lives at all.