In Obama, many see an end to baby boomer era »

Posted By ameliog 5 months, 4 weeks ago in Political News

When George W. Bush lifts off in his helicopter on Inauguration Day, leaving Washington to make way for Barack Obama, he may not be the only thing disappearing into the horizon.

To a number of social analysts, historians, bloggers and ordinary Americans, Jan. 20 will symbolize the passing of an entire generation: the baby boomer years.

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    mulberry5 months, 4 weeks ago

    Obama IS a boomer. The writer of this article stereotypes based on age. No one age group has the corner on selfishness or the "ruin" of America. I'm not all bent out of shape about it but it's kind of inflammatory. Further more, I'm a boomer as you can tell, but I'm more than 20 years away from retirement so I don't think I'm going anywhere too soon. Shame on the writer; not the submitter.

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    chevydog5 months, 4 weeks ago

    Like every other classification system, this one can fall down when one gets to the edges. A generation sort of implies shared experiences and a sort of shared outlook. The Boomers were generally the children of those who fought in WWII and often grew up during the Depression. They sort of grew up with television, the space race, and VietNam.

    A boy who graduated from high shool in 1944 might enlist and end up in the Pacific War until discharge in maybe October 1945. He'e come home, get his orientation back, and then get marrried to a girl typically 1-2 years younger than him. Their first child might be born in the second half of 1946. If the girl was 19 at marriage, she might have children until she was 36 or 1963. Quite a spread. But one can legitimitely question whether a child born to a returning GI/wife has the same outlook as one born in later marriage after that couple may have achieved some economic stability. The "year" criteria is there, but others are missing. Birth order makes a difference, familiy economics and stability, and other things as well.

    As it turns out, Mrs. Chevydog is only about a year different in age from me. But I was a first child to a very young and rather poor couple. They wanted economic security badly, and after they got it they settled down quickly. She was the last child to an older couple (both around 40) who by occupation (career Army) moved frequently. Either of her parents could chronologically have been my grandparents. So in spite of our being about the same age and having experienced many of the same things, we have some very different reactions to them.

    As I understand Prez-to-be Obama's background, he doesn't qualify as a Boomer. But, in spite of all external influences, people usually turn out to be what they are. Classification by age group is nice and convenient; but it can't always explain everything.

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      scott42615 months, 4 weeks ago

      "It may be technically correct to call him a boomer," says Douglas Warshaw, a New York media executive who, at age 49, is part of whatever cohort Obama is in. "And it's in the Zeitgeist to call him a Gen Xer. But I think he's more like a generational bridge."

      --

      Douglas Warshaw is correct. I like his assessment.

      I will be 48 in less than 3 months. Born in August of 1961, President-Elect Obama is four months younger than I am.

      We are what some call "shadow boomers" ...born in 1961, we fall in that window of 1961 - 1964...some older boomers would say is not a part of their generation....however, the generally accepted timespan for the baby boom generation are those born 1945 - 1964.

      Anyway, I remember when the Beatles broke up and the death of John Lennon was one of the more significant memories of my life....I guess that means I'm a boomer...

      But I digress...

      Obama is President for the entire country and I think it's only fitting that he - like I - has one foot in the baby boom and the other in Gen X.

      ------

      As I'm writing this, Bush is giving his final press conference...

      I keep muttering under my breath, "Only eight more days!"

      This seems like an eternity!

      Only 8 more days!

      Hallelujah!

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        ameliog5 months, 4 weeks ago

        I never understood how these things break out anyway. Why does it start and end in those specific years. Would the new year's baby in the year of a generational change grow up to identify with the previous generation or the newer one?

        Being born the same year as Obama, I always felt more in common with the emerging generation than those born right after WW2. It's overlap - being on the cusp - and on an individual basis we usually never resemble the broader characterization, although I personally have resembled the worst attributes of each generation, at various points along my way.

        My (small) issue was with the statement that Obama came of age in the 80's. He'd have been in the same age group as the characters portrayed in "That 70's Show" so his coming of age and influences would have come from that decade. The 80's would have shaped him too, but we can all say that about each decade we go through.

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        Poulenc5 months, 4 weeks ago

        I was born in 1945, so I'm an almost-boomer.

        But these broad generational classifications are of dubious value, I think.

        Obama's generational ID seems to me only tangentially character-defining. The class into which he was born, for example, would be more to the point.

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        4thchance5 months, 4 weeks ago

        Don't be so sure, the way I see it is, us Baby Boomers currently are the ones with all the money and power. For at least another 10 to 15 years anyway. Then we become dead or at least worthless do nothing old pharts.

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        doppich5 months, 4 weeks ago

        I feared - once the Boomers moved into the presidency - that a succession of these spoiled brats over several decades might ruin the country. Instead, it only took the second Boomer president - with a little help from his Boomer pals in corporate America - to devastate the country.

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          Ratskii5 months, 4 weeks ago

          Can't say as I take generational analysis too seriously. I'm an early boomer by this reckoning. My older sister was a WWII child. She and I have much more in common than I do with many fellow boomers. My closest friend is a Gen-Xer. Same thing. Every generation has such a variety of people in it that it is senseless to attempt to pigeon hole them.

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