This is a generational war. Re: Clinton vs Obama

[Meldread]

I am going to speak on things from my personal prospective.

I'm a 25 year old white gay male from Virginia, one of the later primary states. I normally feel like I am going against the tide of my generation when it comes to elections, but this time I feel that we're in sync. We are constantly seeing people my age come out on the side of Obama instead of Clinton, even among women. It's hard to describe how I feel about the Clinton's but when I think about it...

The first President I really remember is Bush's father. I do not remember him very well, and the only thing I really recall about him is the first Gulf War in Iraq. He became President when I was in the first grade and it was something that I did not really understand at the time. I remember watching his inauguration in a very small black and white TV in my classroom.

By the time I was in fourth grade, Bill Clinton was being sworn in as President. He is the first President I truly remember well. By the time I was in eight grade Bill Clinton was entering into his second term. After I graduated High School, just after turning 18 years old the year was 2000. George W. Bush took the White House. He took the White House again in 2004. Now we could be looking at Clinton again in 2008. If she wins the White House I will be 30 years old, and I will have seen nothing but Bush's and Clinton's in the White House for the majority of my life.

One of the things that made me angry was the sense that Hillary Clinton was somehow entitled to the White House. That it was "her turn" and that everyone should just allow her to have her turn. It makes me feel shut out of the process, because I don't feel like my generation has a turn. If Hillary gets her turn, when will I get mine?

I don't feel that many of these candidates understand my generation. We grew up during a technological revolution. Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement is something that happened in the distant past to us. The Cold War was over before some of us could even read. We learned about this stuff in HISTORY class. I'm looking to the future, and I look at many of these candidates and I don't see myself in their future. They are playing to an older crowd that does not involve me.

To my generation I see less distinction between black, white, male and female. I am happy that there could be a black President and I am happy that there could be a female President. Yet, these are not deciding factors for me. Obama inspired me because he's looking ahead. I don't know what the future will bring, but when Obama gives one of his speeches, I feel like that at the end of the day, he sees a place for me and my generation in his future.

I am not concerned with experience. It is over rated. No one person can know or be experienced in everything. That is why he has advisors and a cabinet. What is important to me is judgment. Barack Obama has proven to me that he has good judgment. It has been my generation, more so than others, that has carried the brunt of the Iraq War on its shoulders. It is my generation that will have to carry the debt created by Bush. It will be my generation who faces the possibility of there being no Social Security for us in the future. More than anything, it is my generation who has and will suffer the most in the years ahead. As the McCain generation dies of old age, it is my generation who will be left with the problems.

I have and will continue to support Barack Obama for these reasons and many others. I cannot say with certainty if things will turn out alright or if it will be a wise decision, but I know one thing: If we do not take this chance, then it may not present itself again until it is too late. If this campaign is about whose "turn" it is for the White House, then I feel I have a damn good argument: It is my turn. It is my generations turn. The others have had their chance, and we stand where we stand today because of it.

I am renewing my support for Barack Obama and embracing change in America.

[maddiejoan]

1. I'm the same age as Obama

and I'm voting for Clinton.

:shrug:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

21. Same here.

1961 RULES!

[LostinVA]

2. Oh, it is not -- look at the exit poll samples

[killbotfactory]

14. The exit polls say Obama got most of the under-40 support

That would be people who grew up or were young adults under Clinton.

[aquart]

3. Who TOLD you Hillary thought she was "entitled"?

Chris Matthews? Because it was NOT Hillary Clinton. Maybe, just maybe, you might want to step back and stop being an easily-manipulated pawn.

[Meldread]

4. Hostility won't endear you to me.

I was going to write a biting response but I won't - you are not worth the energy it would take.

Instead, I will simply say this:

You are the type of person that poisons this website, and what drives people away. You do not speak good for your candidate.

Chris Matthews has no influence over me at all. The man is in love with Hillary. He would enjoy nothing more than a Hillary Presidency. His actions toward her remind me of a third grader pulling a little girls pigtails on the school yard playground. He wants her attention. He wants her to like him. I find him amusing because he embarrasses himself and does not even realize it.

Hillary Clinton is the one who turned me into such an easily-manipulated pawn. She has changed her tune since Iowa, but for the majority of this race she has projected nothing but a sense of entitlement and inevitability. Even if she somehow manages to win, I will be glad that there was someone there to really challenge her along the way.

[ieoeja]

15. Do you know the Clinton/Matthews history?

At one time Matthews thought he was going to get a White House gig under Bill Clinton. He turned on the Clintons only after getting passed over for the job.

This fits rather nicely with your, "he's just trying to get her attention," theory.

[Meldread]

17. I didn't know that.

Ha! <--- That's a Tweety laugh. :P

Seriously, though the man is totally in love with her and it's funny to watch. It was so clear for anyone to see when he asked his question at that press conference and she responded with her comment about men obsessed with her. He looked and sounded like a wounded puppy. She had to walk over, and with a big smile on her face, go "Awww... Christopher!" He kept muttering, "I'm not obsessed... I'm not." Then turned and looked at the camera after she patted him on the cheek and he was blushing.

The man is totally obsessed with her, but not because he hates her - because he loves her and is BEGGING her for any type of attention he can get. It is funny in a pathetic way.

But yeah... I did not know that.

[Little Star]

24. That has been my take on Tweety also. Tweety and Hillary..

sitting in a tree......

[Mark Twain Girl]

5. Less distinction on radical/gender lines partly because the previous generation fought for that

I'm grateful to them -- for the protests and marches and struggles, at a time when there were greater social costs to standing up and speaking out. At the time, they likely felt shut out too... and they were being drafted, to boot.

I'm especially grateful to the women of the previous generation who gave me so many choices in life. I stand on their shoulders.

[Meldread]

13. I agree.

I don't think anyone in my generation (other than bigots) don't respect what those who came before them sacrificed or accomplished. It's not a lack of gratefulness or a lack of respect. However, from our perspective - we didn't live through it. When we learned about it, it was from a history book. The more this campaign goes on the more I see the generational divide.

I also feel that here, on Democratic Underground, that the 35+ crowd seems to dominate the conversation. The younger folks (those 18-30) constantly get slammed again and again. I just don't see people here on these forums getting it, either.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. I think you should be listening more carefully to John Edwards, who seems to be the only one

that realizes what corporate America is doing to the middle class and poor. This country cannot continue to spend 50% of its wealth on war while ignoring domestic issues. By the way, I don't think there's a war on between young Democrats and older ones.

[Dawgs]

8. You mean the war Edwards supported?

I'm sorry, but that's exactly why I don't buy his "poor" talk.

Now, maybe if he didn't support that war just 5 years ago I would agree. But, I haven't seen him do anything besides talk a good game since then.

[sinkingfeeling]

11. The OP seemed more concerned with his future than with current military occupations.

You seem to be a one-issue type.

[frankenforpres]

7. IM 28- I like all the candidates (will vote Clinton)

i hate Obama's unity message, and I think Hillary is the toughest, so im going for her.

Im voting D come the general.

[SIMPLYB1980]

9. So its a war is it?

Don't think so my parents and grandparents will vote for Clinton and so will I.

[Perry Logan]

10. Another difference: young people have been exposed their whole lives to a right-biased media.

It seems to me the U.S. news media got really potty along about the 90's, as far as becoming nothing more than part of the right wing sound machine. It just went from bad to hopeless. I'm not sure how this has affected people growing up during that time. But it's certainly another big difference in their experience vs. the experience of us early Boomers.

[End Of The Road]

12. Yes, I understand.

I'm an old fogey who grew up during the Vietnam era. The "vote-19" movement era (anyone else remember that?), and I felt the same way about Bobby Kennedy that you feel about Obama.

But the "change" theme that most of the candidates, both parties, are employing leaves me cold these days. To me it's empty campaign rhetoric that I've heard before. I need to hear substance, details, on a whole bunch of issues before I can make up my mind.

I want all of the Dems to stay in the race for as long as possible, because they will have to be more specific about the issues as time goes on. Then I might choose for Obama. But if Clinton or Edwards lays it out for me best, I'll pick one of them.

[musicblind]

16. youth and truth

I too am a 25 year old gay male and I support Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. I don't really know many people who support Obama. I am sure there are several. They had a Clinton 08 sign at the gay club where I live, and in one of the shows at the club. The club popped pretty loud for the sign when it was on stage. Most of the people in that audience were young gay males. That being said, it is probably just regional support and obviously not a sign of the vast trend. I do not buy into Obama yet, he needs to be A LOT more specific. I vote for president as though I were voting for CEO of my Dad's company. I do not vote as though I were voting for motivational speaker of the year.

Obama is a good person, and I like him a lot. I just don't know that he is really READY on day one for the job. Maybe he could convince me of this in future debates or if he retooled his approach. If he was more specific and made a change in rhetoric explaining these things.... and I really liked that change in his explanation, then I would consider voting for him over Hillary.

However, right now, I feel very strong about Hillary. I do not think she feels "entitled". I DO think she passionately cares about the country, and I feel like she has good ideas and is ready to lead. I know many youth who feel this way, Hillary just isn't pandering to the youth. She needs to fix this.

[indimuse]

18. Aren't their ENOUGH WARS going on???

please....:banghead::banghead::banghead:

[loveangelc]

19. speak on it lol.

[intheflow]

20. This is exactly why a Clinton win makes me uncomfortable.

I have no doubt that Clinton is well-qualified to be president, and I believe she will make a fine president if elected. I will certainly vote for her if she wins the GE. As a woman, I will be especially proud if America finally elects a woman to lead it.

But 24 years of two-family rule really strikes me as the U.S. moving toward having a form of royalty. I know they said the same thing about the Harrisons, Roosevelts and Adamses, too, and none of those families ended democracy by any means. But those were kept within single families, spaced out with years in between them. This back and forth between two opposing political families is a new twist on rule by party nepotism. It makes me uneasy at this delicate juncture in our history.

[jasmine621]

22. Yeah, the Clinton generation made their moms and dads rich.

I guess that's reason enough to be against them.

[ElizabethDC]

23. I'm a 21 years old, and I support Hillary

I don't buy this "generational war" stuff. I don't think Obama cares any more about my generation than Clinton does. I don't believe it's anybody's "turn." I want to elect the person who I feel will try to achieve what is best for *all* Americans. I believe that Hillary Clinton is the best person to get things done, plain and simple. It doesn't matter to me what her last name is or isn't or what her age is or isn't. :shrug:

[Armstead]

25. "Hope I die before I get old"

That was the Who speaking for My Generation way back then.

We felt like it was "our turn" too. Since our Generational War in the 60's, we've gotten older (not quite old yet, but it's around the corner) and we have a little more perpective. Youth is great. So is the perspective and wisdom that time can bring.

It's not a "war" between generations. It's an age-old cycle. True progress requires harnessing the idealism of youth with the lessons people learn over time.

At the risk of sounding like an old fart, you don't have the advantage of remembering how things were better in the past in some ways and worse in the past in others. Many of the "old battles" that some of us are fighting (including Edwards) is an effort to restore the better aspects of our collective past. Like an economy that was much more diverse and oriented towards supporting a middle class and allowing greter access to opportunity to some degree of financial security.

In other ways, things are better now. There have been many strides in moving more towards civil equality for sexual, ethnic and other minorities. However, as the last seven years have demonstrated, that progress can be undermined very easily.

In short, it's not a battle between generations. The stakes are more fundamental, and transcend chronological age.