Interesting. Palin is 44, that means niether of the major party tickets have Boomers on them.

[Odin2005]

I thought this was a little interesting from the point of view of social history...

Obama is an Gen-Xer, born in 1961* (the first Gen-X birth-year according to a book on US social history I have called Generations). Biden is a War Baby, born in 1942. McCain is a Depression Baby, born in 1936. Palin is an Gen-Xer, born in 1964.

(*1961 was part of the demographic baby boom, but the book I mentioned says that people born in th early 60s are Xers in mindset and culture. Obama's childhood was also quite stereotypically Gen-Xer.)

Both tickets have one pre-Boomer and one Gen-Xer. What's the significance, if any? Anyone else find it interesting that there are no Boomers on the 2 major tickets?

[YOY]

1. I've been attacked for calling him an X-er.

By some folks' definition he is a "Boomer".

"Whatever" I say. Pass the torch to the next generation of Dems.

[Odin2005]

2. I don't like the "Demographic" definitions of the generations.

That's why I mentioned the book Generations in the OP, the book defines generations by socio-cultural means, and defines Boomers as being born between 1943 and 1960.

[LeftHander]

3. Niether Gen-X or Boomer....

'61-65 folks are sort of a transition generation.

lost between two cultural identities. Gen-X experience much different from Boomers.

And (based on personal experience) I never felt welcomed by either.

Too old for Gen-X and too young for boomers.

There are numerous things that indicate this.

1. We were the first generation to come of age post VietNam.

2. We were the last generation to come of age that still remembers
America before it's "Mallification" by greedy boomers.

3. We are the last generation to be able to recall
"where we were when" MLK and RFK were killed and Nixon resigned.

4. We were the youngest generation to watched the Vietnam war on TV, The moon landing
The RFK and MLK assasinations and civil rights bloom. All while we were so young and impressionanable.

In some ways I think what that we are "Forest Gump" metaphorically speaking. We saw the world much as Forrest Gump did, through the eyes of a child and we saw a lot. We saw our older brothers, fathers and relatives never come home from a war we watched on TV. We saw them bloody, wounded and dead in our living rooms. I think many of us withdrew and pursued lives that were greatly different from our older sibilings and parents. We politics saw exposed in all it's ugliness and the pain it had on our parents and not really understanding why until years later and seeing it only get worse, culminating in 911 and great vomitus spew that was the last 8 years.

We saw all that was great, horrible and wonderful about America in such a way it deeply effected us as we grew older. I think in many ways a lot of us are still trying to get our heads around it and one thing we know is that we must put an end to the Depression and War generations greed and racism.

Last night was a cathartic moment in American history on so many levels. It made me understand why I was drawn to Obama when I first heard him speak in 2004.

Amazing.

[Odin2005]

4. Good post! n/t.

[indie_voter]

5. BRAVO!!

Great post. I think those born in the very late 50s, 1958/9 fall in to this category too. I was born in '64, my brother in '59, my sister in '65. You crystallized what we experienced! I'm bookmarking your post to share, if you don't mind.

[Seeking Serenity]

7. WDelete

Stupid connection problems

[Seeking Serenity]

8. We are first generation who cannot remember where we were when JFK was shot.

We were either babies or not yet born.

Statistically, I'm a boomer. Generationally, I don't know what I am.

[Seeking Serenity]

9. Stupid connection problems!!!!!!!!!! Arrrrrggg.

delete

[KitchenWitch]

6. I have always heard that 1964 was the final year of the baby boom

So both Obama and Palin are boomers.

[Odin2005]

10. As I noted in the OP...

The demographic boom ended in 1964 but according to the book I mentioned the "baby boom" in the socio-cultural sense doesn't match up exactly with the demographic definition.