2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumThe Cold War Generation versus The Internet Generation
Not to generalize too much, but that's what this election cycle seems to have come down to in a sense.
A generation of low information voters who grew up all their lives under 24/7 McCarthyism and Reagan Red Scare mongering versus the high information internet generation. Generation X was exposed to Cold War propaganda as well but to a lesser extent. Trying to scare young people - who grew up well after the end of the Cold War - with the socialist/communist boogeyman doesn't work, they'll just look at you like you're some kind of nut from another planet. Which is why they are not afraid to embrace the ideas of Bernie Sanders, ideas which they will judge on merits with an open mind because they haven't been conditioned to be afraid of their own shadow as their grandparents were.
Hey boomers, it's not the 1950s anymore the Cold War is over so get over it.
--Sincerely, Gen Xer parent of millenials
valerief
(53,235 posts)as multiple times to his presidential run. I've been for Bernie from the get-go. I'm very much a boomer, too. So, Gen Xers, watch who you insult. Boomers aren't all alike. Get over it.
gyroscope
(1,443 posts)I acknowledged their are exceptions and thank you for being one.
1monster
(11,012 posts)We have plenty of divisions in this country already. We don't need made up garbage like this again... Yeah, the boomers did the stupid "generation gap" mistake too. But by the time we'd reached the age that Gen Xers are now, we'd grown up enough to see how ridiculous it was.
There are a hell of a lot of us "exceptions" and I for one find this post incredibly condesending and insulting.
anotherproletariat
(1,446 posts)but a large number of their friends are not all that educated, and think its fun to vote for the guy who looks like he just got out of bed and wants to give them free college. Even assuming you are right, the majority of voters in the general election are older. I'm still on the fence about his electability.
VulgarPoet
(2,872 posts)then they deserve everything that will happen for the next four years.
RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)It is all about image.
Bernie has a great image and he shines with integrity and honesty. People see it.
I like this cold war - new age conflict scenario because it is intelligent. But what it comes down to is that the image Bernie projects is what inspires the masses. Then, THEN, they hear us explain WTF is going down and they sign up and vote.
gyroscope
(1,443 posts)and seem to be beyond hope
RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)Who we have not yet reached. And there are some we never will. All we need to make progress is 60% of the voters to hang with us and the sky is the limit.
gyroscope
(1,443 posts)as he goes around the country. He seems to have that power.
napi21
(45,806 posts)that Bernie is in no way like the "socialist" from the Cold War Days. I'm 72 and I've supported Bernie BEFORE he even declared his candidacy. Back when I listened to him every Friday on Thom Hartmann's show. He received thousands of calls saying "Bernie, you HAVE TO RUN!" I think it took a while to educate voters who didn't know him, maybe never even heard of him AND never heard of a Democratic Socialist! I think there's still a lot of teaching to do, but when people of ANY AGE actually listen to Bernie's message, they like it.
Ferd Berfel
(3,687 posts)Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)He is not red, he is a variation of an FDR Democrat and anybody that understands such things knows that.
He is simply a center left Capitalist that refers to himself in a way that identifies with a few Capitalist parties that are successful in other countries where they are not afraid of investing some capital in the health and educational welfare of it's citizens in a way that helps with wealth inequality and the happiness of their people.
It is really a shame how low information our electorate actually is.
Bernie is not a Socialist, period.
Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)both generations (and those in between) are working side by side to elect Bernie. The number from New Hampshire should tell you all you need to know: Hillary wins with the 65 and over crowd and with people making over $200,000 and that's it. Bernie either beats her handily or ties with her in other groups including with people of color, with men, with women, with gun owners and non-gun owners.
gyroscope
(1,443 posts)Bernie seems to have a gift of rhetoric that seems to resonate with old and young alike.
Just as important is the likability factor. When people like you they are more willing to hear what you have to say and you begin to break through ideological barriers.
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)Older voters (aka "Cold War generation" are more likely to trust TV news. I'm a young Boomer and can remember when network news and newspapers actually committed journalism on a regular basis. Then the Fairness Doctrine went away and the notion that it was okay, even laudable, for network news departments to run in the red disappeared. Now we have News to Keep You Stupid, and unless you're plugged into the internet and willing to double-check what you've been told, you won't encounter much truth outside of late night comedy shows.
So the divide isn't purely aged-based, but it is related to age. The younger you are, the more likely you are to get news from "unconventional" sources and be wary of propaganda.
in_cog_ni_to
(41,600 posts)PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE
gyroscope
(1,443 posts)thanks for dropping by!
Bread and Circus
(9,454 posts)People on the net are generally just more likely to have more information available to them.
flamingdem
(39,313 posts)their parents are boomers! Like Bernie
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)our hands over the backs of our necks. We'd wait til she walked around the room and positioned everyone just so.
Then she'd call us out from under our desks and we'd continue the lesson, whatever it was.
This Cold War Kid is ALL IN for Bernie Sanders.
Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)We boomers also know how to use the Internet. Enough with the generational division crap.