"THEY'RE ALL TOO OLD": DEMOCRATS FACE A GENERATIONAL RECKONING

[sheshe2]

Over the last few weeks, a couple of Wall Street Journal reporters did what any smart political journalist should be doing in the run-up to a presidential campaign. They dialed up all 99 Democratic Party county leaders in Iowa, and quizzed them on the emerging field of 2020 candidates. It was a valuable exercise: with our elite political conversation ever more narrowed by the distorted reality of Twitter, outside-the-Beltway voices remain depressingly hard to to find in mainstream political news. Party activists like those in Iowa, the first state to vote come 2020, still matter. Not because they wield the same kind of grassroots influence that they used to, but because they’re just earnest, highly engaged voters in what might be the country’s most important political state. They pay close attention to politics without being jaded. Their opinions tell us more about the Democratic psyche than any current poll of the 2020 race can.


What did the Journal team find? The biggest emerging divide in the early field was not about ideology or race or anything directly related to President Donald Trump. The overwhelming takeaway was that Democrats want generational change. It was bad news for the three Democrats already seen as front-runners for the nomination: Bernie Sanders (age 77), Joe Biden (76), and Elizabeth Warren (69). The same can be said of former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, age 76, who toured Iowa on Tuesday as he ponders a White House bid.

“They’re all too old,” Chris Henning, the 71-year-old Democratic chairwoman in Greene County, told the Journal. “It’s not white-bread America anymore; we’ve got to get with the program.”

It’s a lesson borne out by the midterm elections, which saw a new generation of Democrats sweep into power, thanks in part to the highest turnout among young voters in a quarter century. An estimated 31 percent of eligible 18- to 29-year-olds cast ballots in 2018, and they broke for Democrats nationwide by a 31-point margin. The three splashiest Democrats on statewide ballots—Andrew Gillum in Florida (age 39), Beto O’Rourke in Texas (46), and Stacey Abrams in Georgia (44)—all narrowly lost. But among millennials, these young candidates crushed. In O’Rourke’s case, he beat Ted Cruz by a head-exploding 42-point margin among under-30 voters. It was a clear marker that new faces and innovative campaigns can deliver big results for Democrats as they look to the future.

Millennials are now the largest voting-age generation in the country, the biggest chunk of the U.S. labor force, the dominant taste-makers in our popular culture. They are not the caricature that has emerged online, painting them as woke avocado-eaters who tweet about intersectionality and Lena Dunham’s woebegone rescue dog. Yes, millennials are hardwired into the Internet and spend a lot of time on their phones. But many millennials are about to turn 40. They are Republicans and Democrats. They have kids, they live in the suburbs, and they listen to dad rock as much as they listen to Beyoncé. They are black and brown and white. They fight our endless wars, they belong to labor unions, they’re saddled with student-loan debt so crippling that an entire generation has to think twice before buying a sensible hybrid at CarMax, let alone a whole house like their parents. And they firmly believe that the vocabulary of politics is completely detached from their experience, which is now the lived reality of the American majority. It’s why Democrats in 2020 need to think carefully before nominating a standard-bearer who even comes close to approaching the same age as Trump (72).

Read More: ttps://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/12/democrats-face-a-generational-reckoning

A good read and you should read it all. Before you accuse me of being ageist, I am 66. I am firmly in the camp that believes our well seasoned politicians need to become this generations mentors. The 2020 election for President begs for change, past time to let some of the young ones prove the power of their voice.

[marylandblue]

1. Yeah, that's kind of what of think, with one exception

Sherrod Brown is 66 but seems younger to me.

[Hortensis]

56. What I think is the meme's twisted to sell. Old realities

don't attract readers. Reality is the older demographic groups are not only large but they vote in much higher numbers.

Young voters shockingly, appallingly mostly stayed home in 2016, even when the Republicans promised to hurt them and millions of others. They came out in larger numbers in 2018, but still far fewer than older voters.

And that's why this article may be pleasing to young voters but is incredibly misleading. Noise can affect reality, yes, but in itself noise is not reality.

Want more than the usual generational change that takes place every election? Join a national "take a friend to the polls" movement for 2020, but don't be surprised to see a bunch more older people there again anyway.

[marylandblue]

60. I don't think it's just about attracting younger voters per se

But about bringing new energy and ideas to Washington. Older people have been voting at higher rates for many years. But most recent Presidents have been in their 50s.

Trump and Clinton were the oldest pair of candidates ever, and their health was an issue for both, though Trump BSed his way through. I'd like someone who can present a sharp contrast to the Dotard. Someone who can literally run circles around his fat butt.

[Jarqui]

2. "They're all too old,"

I agree (in terms of their ability to get elected - not so much in their physical ability to do the job)

"Democrats want generational change"

I agree.
They wanted it in 2008 and got it in Obama.
They wanted it in 2016 and didn't get it

Trump offered the perception of change better than the Democrats. Even though we know what Trump offered was constant BS - he presented himself as a candidate of change by default because Hillary represented the old Washington establishment (in the eyes of many - not in the eyes of folks around here) and because Trump lied his head off.

KISS principle

Beto, Kamala, Amy, Cory, Julian, etc for example, are more representative of generational change.
A candidate for president needs to have some experience but they cannot be perceived as the old Washington.

As much as Nancy Pelosi has been great, perception of fresh leadership helps. Ditto for Schumer.

Folks are fed up with Trump. Fed up with Kavanaugh. Fed up with Congress. Fed up with Washington, etc.
They want major change and the old guard will have trouble convincing them they will do it.

Fresh younger faces are needed. I think a number of them look promising and look forward to sorting this out.

[Ace Rothstein]

30. I wish I could rec this reply.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

72. I'd rec this if I could

Agree 100%

[ghostsinthemachine]

3. Im with you.

Ill vote for a 70 something, if thats my only choice, but prefer s younger candidate. Im 63.

[disambiguation]

25. I'm with you there.

I'm 66. I'd like to have someone younger than 55 that isn't a blue dog.

[ghostsinthemachine]

63. I think Obama won big because of his youthfulness

Last edited Fri Dec 7, 2018, 12:45 PM - Edit history (1)

He is younger than I am. He appealed to Millennials and a younger group.
Trump actually made HRC seem feeble even though they are both too old if you ask me.

They all, the senior set of Dems, beling to an old school, one a lot of us find distasteful. Biden and his drug warrior, RAVE ACT, bullshit. Warrens already shown she can be bullied by Trump. Bernie ISNT A GODDAMN DEMOCRAT.
The next candidate needs to have fresh ideas, ideas that appeal to a younger group.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. I am 70 and I don't want most of the old people being held up

as our best candidate in 2020.

I do agree that Sherrod Brown seems younger. So does Elizabeth Warren. However, no one old enough for Medicare should be being considered.

The essential reason that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is setting everyone on fire is that she's very young, not at all impressed by the old white men and women who've been running the Democratic Party for a couple of generations now and who are determined to cling to power, no matter what. We need a lot more like her and fewer of the old people.

[roody]

5. Iowa County chairs have not figured out

how to win elections. I wouldn't take their advice.

[emulatorloo]

10. +1

[Golden Raisin]

6. I'm turning 70.

If necessary I will vote in the next Presidential election for a 70+ candidate (if one is selected to run) but would absolutely prefer a younger one. There are some outstanding younger Democratic possibilities out there for VP or President.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

7. Except When You Talk About Our Up-And-Comers, Then It's "They're All Too Young"

[crazycatlady]

55. The only rising star that is 'too young' is AOC

As she's too young per Constitutional requirements for the job.

[emulatorloo]

8. WAPO: Polls say Joe Biden's age isn't hurting him with young Democrats

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/05/polls-say-joe-bidens-age-isnt-necessarily-hurting-him-with-young-denmocrats/

Polls say Joe Biden’s age isn’t necessarily hurting him with young Democrats

<snip>

Beyond party officials, does early polling show that Biden has a problem with younger Democratic voters?

<snip>

Early 2020 polls cast doubt on the idea that Biden is destined to fare poorly among younger Democrats. A Washington Post-Schar School poll of battleground congressional-district voters in the 2018 midterms found that younger and older Democrats were about equally supportive of Biden as the party’s 2020 nominee. Among voters who supported Democratic House candidates, 35 percent of those ages 18 to 34 said they would like Biden to win the party’s 2020 presidential nomination, identical to his 35 percent support among Democrats age 65 and older.

<snip>

——-

[sheshe2]

11. Good to know.

I still wish for someone younger.

However I always vote Democratic.

[xmas74]

12. My kid is 18

and she has said that people her age have mostly positive things to say about Biden. She said they like his sometimes crude and crass language-it makes him appear more honest than someone who weighs what they say.

[marlakay]

38. Wait till they find out what he thinks of pot

Joe needs to let his old fashioned drug stance go.

[uponit7771]

40. Obama's vice president does help

[LongtimeAZDem]

64. And he is known and respected by world leaders, which will be important. Really important. /nt

[Gidney N Cloyd]

70. I may sound like a broken record but I'd like to see Biden as Sec'y of State.

And whoever's on the top of the ticket should bring him on board during the campaign. It would be unusual to tip your hand that early on cabinet appointments but so what?

[cynatnite]

9. I don't care how old they are, I'll vote for the most qualified. Period. n/t

[whathehell]

23. Yes. I'm voting for the most qualified, whatever their age. n/t

[BigmanPigman]

13. Personally, I think a 50/50 mix of young and old

is the most beneficial. You need older people with experience.

[George II]

14. BS - I'm just as with it as I was 40 years ago, and MORE politically active - I'm 70 years old!

My parents were still actively campaigning into their 80s. The last time I saw my father at 87 years old, we were interrupted by a phone call from his State Representative asking for advice on an upcoming death penalty bill in Albany.

Don't throw older people in the trash just because they're "too old", dammit!

[sheshe2]

19. Woah!

My mother is 92 and politically active. I don't want her running for President.

Backing away here, Good night.

[George II]

20. I wasn't griping to you, but the idiots that think once people reach a certain age....

....they can be thrown in the garbage.

[sheshe2]

22. The article did not say that.

Nor did I.

[YOHABLO]

15. It's the millenials that Corporate America targets to sell good and services. You're compromised.

[crazycatlady]

71. It is a millennial congresswoman-elect that is calling out the corporate freshman 'training'

This features the likes of a conservative thinktank and the CEO of Goldman Sach's and is apparently a longstanding tradition. It was virtually unheard of until a millennial called bullshit and publicized it.

[jmbar2]

16. Prefer someone younger, but with deep solid experience

Trump will leave the government in shambles. We need someone with deep public service experience to rebuild. I'd like to see a former military or prosecutor in the role, since we are also dealing with a deeply embedded criminal element at all levels of government.

I like Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, and Kamala Harris.

[jmbar2]

17. And Amy Klobuchar

[saljr1]

33. Amy would be best candidate

She could win Midwest states which we need to do

[delisen]

46. Foreign policy experience? n/t

[Garrett78]

18. As I've been saying...

We should recognize and appreciate the moment we're in (Me Too and Black Lives Matter). We should recognize and appreciate the significance of the diversity (and youthfulness) of our electorate as well as that of the incoming class of Democratic members of Congress.

Not that young-ish presidents is anything new. It's the norm. The average age of the last 5 Democratic presidents was 48.6 upon taking office.

Harris-O'Rourke 2020!

Polls about front-runners are meaningless at this point. Name recognition rules. Once people start campaigning and candidates are all on stage together, it's a whole new dynamic.

[delisen]

27. How many would have been better presidents if older and wiser?

I consider both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton each would have been more effective had they been more experienced upon taking office.


I am not going to address other younger presidents because lots of dems are emotional in nays-Obama because of recency and JFK because of the assassination.

I think the future is going to require something different than we had in the past and right now lots of people are looking backwards-It is like the generals and the military academies; they fight and teach the last wars.

Vision and wisdom is not necessarily the province of the young, nor is boldness.

I consider the entire age issue to bogus. It's arm-chairism, stagnant followship, the product of a citizenry that is following life on a screen and not dynamic. The western world is leaning dangerously into fascism once again and longs for that strongman leader who is going to solve it all. The god out of the machine, the hero, the savior, Lochinvar out of the west riding his steed, King Arthur......

It's gotta be a man, he must be a certain age range, he needs to inspire us (because we are not able to inspire ourselves)and he should be able to make really good speeches (which of course he no longer has to actually write himself- but let's pretend he does.

The conditions facing us change, and our future survival is not going to depend solely on a president.

[delisen]

21. Did the Brits err when they chose old pol Churchill to lead them thru World War II

Personally I think the Germans made the mistake of the Twentieth Century when they chose the dynamic youngish Adolph to be their bold leader in the 1930s-- when they were saddled with debt.

No one is stopping younger politicians. The strong will move forward; the weak will fall by the wayside.

Anyone who needs a current leader to surrender in order for they themselves to move forward just doesn't have what it takes.

Many of the reps moaning about Pelosi leading the house are actually quite conservative and are from districts electing conservatives and Republicans -they are not representative of where most younger voters are heading.

The entire age argument seems bogus to me and antithetical to democratic principles. I'll say something for a Pelosi - even when facing incredible sexism in the Democratic Party, she never whined about older pols not being willing to get out of the way of her ambition. She kelt working and she kept learning, she seized opportunities and created them. It is why she is effective.

Did JFK, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton waste time begging older pols to not run or to get out of the way of their personal ambition?
No they just plowed on through.

[Volaris]

24. I agree with your sentiment.

The gen-xers and the mills are willing to save us from our own worst impulses. At worst, we have to LET THEM, and at best we have to HELP THEM, by teaching them how things are 'supposed to work', so then they can ignore those rules and implement real change.

[jb5150]

26. I'm about to turn 56 ....

and I am not opposed to voting for someone in their early seventies, provided they appear to be in good shape for their age, and their ideas are progressive. What we need is someone with the experience of an older person coupled with the fresh ideas and energy of a younger person. Failing to find that in a single human being, we need to put together a ticket that encompasses that blend .....

I honestly think the ticket of Joe Biden/Beto O’Rourke is a winner from every angle.

[forgotmylogin]

28. This doesn't necessarily mean we need to kick veteran experienced Democrats to the curb.

They talk of it in terms of clearing out the older people, but there's room for new blood and old blood.

The more experienced politicians should welcome the infusion of new ideas into the fold.

I know it probably wouldn't happen, but the next ticket should include new and old. The vice-president slot doesn't need to be a clueless understudy. I'm thinking along the lines of Harris/Biden or Beto/Warren.

[kurtcagle]

29. Biden and Harris

Biden is evocative of the Obama era, which most Democrats view fondly. Biden would likely voluntarily be a one term president, which would springboard Harris into the White House in 2024, potentially giving us 12 years. I like Amy, but her kids are too young for a 2020 run. By 2024, she may end up as VP.

[kurtcagle]

32. Re: Beto

Beto is a fun politician, but he needs to win either a governorship or a Senate seat first. One reason Trump is so inept is that he has no real executive or national legislative experience. Also, assuming that both Trump and Pence crash and burn, expect Romney to run for president on GOP side in 2020. So experience will count.

[BannonsLiver]

39. Trump is so inept because he's a fucking dolt

Beto O’Rourke was infinitely more prepared to be president as a god damn high school student than Donnie Fuck Face was at 70.

The “experience” angle is one of the most overrated aspects of our politics. Voters don’t care about it anymore. If they did we would have had President Gore, President McCain and Hillary would have won in a landslide.

[Guppy]

51. texas

no chance

[cannabis_flower]

65. I think

Beto would be just fine..... for Vice President. Someone who has been a Senator or a Governor would be better for President.

[TexasBushwhacker]

35. Obama's kids were 10 and 7. O'Rourke's are 7, 10 and 11 n/t

[BlueStater]

31. For the record, I would be completely enthusiastic about voting for Sherrod Brown or Jay Inslee.

Both of them are currently over 65.

But Biden and Bernie are just way too fucking old. I can accept a 70-year-old president. Hell no to an 80-year-old one.

[Puppyjive]

34. Mix it up

We are not a population of just old people. We are not a population of just rich people. Our current leaders do not represent the population well.

[quickesst]

36. I think the voters will decide

If any one of the top three oldsters are nominated the entire premise of the OP kind of goes out the window. I'll vote for whoever the eventual nominee is. Hopefully Joe Biden. If any of the younger generation can win the nomination I'll vote for them. Words you'll never hear come out of my mouth.
"I'm voting for candidate a because he or she is younger than candidate B."
That would be among the least reasons to vote for someone. Whoever earns the Democratic nomination, younger, older, or middle-aged, they will have done so by proving their worth to the voters.

[jmbar2]

37. My worry about age...

is cognitive decline.

Four years in the life of an elderly person is riskier than four years in a younger person. I say this as an old. I'm sharp now, but cannot guarantee in four years I will still be as sharp.

We have seen with Trump how perilous it is to have someone with impaired thinking, and how difficult to get them out of office. I would assume that an honest elder would voluntarily step down if they were becoming diminished. However, they may not be aware of it themselves.

The risk of health or cognitive problems occurring after election is much greater with age.

[quickesst]

41. I fully understand your concern

When you say that you would think an honest elder would step down if they were becoming diminished, but they may not be aware of themself, I believe I can safely assume that the vice president and the cabinet they surround themselves with would be able to properly deal with the situation should it become an issue. I have absolutely no problem backing and voting for a younger candidate. I simply want the person to prove they are the most qualified for the position. For me personally, it's a simple matter of logic and common sense.

[jmbar2]

62. Agree - I'd take a deeply qualified older candidate over a green but popular one.

[quickesst]

66. Yes

I have not seen anything from the potential younger candidates that sets one apart from the others. There are many more reasons to vote for someone other than how popular they are. Experience at the top level of government and foreign affairs comes to mind. If a younger candidate would be a better candidate, they will have to prove it to me first.

[dsc]

42. If a CEO or HR head said this we would call it exactly what it is

age discrimination pure and simple. Yes we elected a bunch of young Presidents and those young Presidents uniformly had major blunders that a more experienced one likely would have avoided. For JFK it was the Bay of Pigs, for Carter it was his attitude toward Congress, for Clinton it was gays in the military and for Obama it was trying to work with obviously intransigent Republicans. But apparently we are going to make the same mistake we always make and elect someone who has no earthly idea how to do the job because we are inspired. I just hope it works out as well as it did with Clinton and Obama but we can't count on it.

[NewJeffCT]

48. If they were 65 in the private sector

they would be subject to mandatory retirement in many places. So, the CEO or HR would never get a chance to call them "too old"

[dsc]

50. no you can't

https://www.ft.com/content/5bcf555a-eda5-11e0-a9a9-00144feab49a

[llmart]

43. Millennials...

What percentage of millennials voted in the mid-terms?

I really like Beto but he couldn't even win in his own state. Isn't that what they said about Al Gore?

Let's not cater to only one group of people in this country, especially a group that barely votes. Obama won because Democrats of all ages got out and campaigned for him, canvassed for him and voted for him. I will vote for whoever gets the nomination. I've never voted for a Republican. I also vote for the team of President/VP because that is important. I like the idea of the President being older/experienced with maybe a younger VP he/she can mentor.

[politicaljunkie41910]

52. I'm glad you mentioned the number of millennials who actually voted in the mid-terms. The OP seemed

to have forgotten. I recall the day after the midterms it was one of the top news items; that the millennials didn't show up at the polls. I believe their numbers had dropped from 15% from the previous presidential election down to 9% in the mid-terms, but don't quote me on it. Everyone was talking about it in the days following the mid-terms, saying that we couldn't count on them to show up at the polls and vote. Now everyone has seemed to forget it; and now they want us to vote into office a bunch of fickle millennials who can't be counted on to show up consistently at the polls, based on one of them winning an election. Say what you want about us old folks, but we can be counted on consistently to show up at the polls.

Also, no one says that those older Democrats mentioned in the OP would have to serve two terms. I'd rather have Joe Biden or Michael Bloomberg for ONE term than many on that prospective list given to us by that Iowa Poll. Iowa and New Hampshire should not be dictating to the rest of us (I'm from California) who our next president should be.

[crazycatlady]

57. First of all 18-22 are not millennials

They're Gen Z and their voting patterns are too soon to tell. But they'e found their issue, and I can think of a few Gen Z people I'd vote for when they come of age (they all go/went to the same high school).

What younger voters want is a candidate who understands the issues facing them (student debt, climate change, guns).

When someone like Trump doesn't give a shit about climate change because he'll be dead when the consequences happen. A candidate who runs on protecting Grandma's social security won't get much love from a generation that's paying into it and might not get a dime back from it. A Boomer who thinks that you can pay for college by flipping burgers over the summer is out of touch with the current cost of college. But they'll be the first to point out that a dorm that is nicer than a prison cell is excessive.

The millennial generation does not have it better off than their parents. Politicians need to understand that before they pick on avocado toast.

[llmart]

67. I don't recall saying that age group was millennials.

I can see both sides of the issues that some boomers have with the youngest voters (not the millennials). I'm a boomer myself. I also just retired from working in a university and prior to that another post-secondary educational institution. Some of the students worked for me. I interacted with them on a daily basis and got to know many of them. There were both ambitious, conscientious, hard working students and then there were the others. I saw how they spent their student loan money, how they could be picky about what they would and would not do for me when requested, etc. etc. Some of them still send me the occasional email asking me how I am or asking me for a reference. The ones that were lazy get no reference from me.

I expect all generations to respect other generations too, and that includes caring about Grandma's Social Security. I was rather vocal at the university about the top-heavy corporatelike structure they had, but in that department I had no sway over the President and the Board. Most people don't. Public universities are oftentimes run like corporations these days. I could go on and on about that and it infuriated me. As a Grandma myself, I have already made provisions for my one grandchild so that she'll be able to go to college or whatever she wants to do, and I know many grandparents who are doing the same.

I care about climate change, guns and student debt as much as they do and even though I've lived the majority of my life, I still am active and informed politically. Let them get out and vote because they have their whole lives ahead of them and these issues will not be going away overnight.

[duforsure]

44. I'll vote whoever wins

The Democrat primaries, but we need to get younger people into our leadership roles, and more women , and more minorities representing us all now. Its time we change instead of this cycle of voting into office people who've been there for decades and haven't stopped this slow leaning towards less progressive people leading the party. We need more progressive people now , not less.

[delisen]

45. OMG! There are older people in some power positions! Should we lock 'em up or

throw them out!

Doom's upon us!

[elocs]

47. I'm 66 and I want a generational change.

It's time to pass the torch to a new generation as JFK said.

[milestogo]

49. Amy and Beto, in that order.

[dawg day]

53. I'm a boomer too-- and I think it's time to pass the torch.

There are good younger candidates, and Biden et al should graciously cede center stage now. I agree with that idea-- the role of the elder statesman/woman now is mentoring and campaigning for the next generation of candidates.

Clinton and Obama were two of the youngest presidents... the Democratic Party should be focusing that same way on the newer talent.

[Loki Liesmith]

54. Meh

Doesn’t matter to me.

[Joe941]

58. The amount of ageism is astounding coming from progessives.

[treestar]

59. The millennial got used to Obama

a "young" President. Then they went for Bernie. Go figure.

[dem4decades]

61. There's a reason Captain Sullenburger landed that plane in the Hudson. Experience matters.

The country needs to be landed safely after an out of control trip at the hands of Trump. People should want the best at the helm to safely get there, no matter what their age.

[Renew Deal]

68. Pretty much anyone 65 and up doesn't provide enough contrast with Trump.

And it would probably be a mistake to nominate them barring they are a superstar. I don't see that from the current list of names. Different people impress different factions, but I don't think any really stand out.

[GeorgeGist]

69. I'm 71 ...

I believe it's time to pass the baton.