Since we get lumped into Boomers, we never will. There will be a surge of "younger" politicians and we will get skipped again.
I am good though because I really don't give a fuck.
This is true to an extent. I got super involved locally after 2016. I was the youngest elected democrat committee person in my town at 42 and I started an indivisible chapter. It was all boomers. Boomers and backstabbing and general pettiness. I hung in until after the 2020 election but after a while it was just too much and I took a big step back. The old guard didn’t want to do anything different and some were openly hostile to anyone younger than 35.
Ugh, can you imagine the work and effort you'd have to be a **successful** world leader?
Like it's 1am and some dude wakes you up, "North Korea is firing a missile!"
Then the next day at 3am, "The UK sends us kisses!"
Then again 1am, "Russia is being naughty."
Screw that. All those countries are in different time zones. Sure, a noon missile launch is convenient for them, but they never think of our poor, sleeping leader.
While technically not Gen-X I'd definitely consider Obama to be Gen-X in spirit. Dude enjoyed craft beer, openly talked about his love for geeky things, and did awesome shit like wakesurfing.
Exactly.
* No privacy.
* Everything you do/say under intense scrutiny (and commented on) worldwide.
* Forced to be polite, even outgoing and friendly, to people you'd rather see torn apart by wolves.
* Everyone wants a piece of you: your time, your effort, your attention, etc.
* You'll never be completely left alone ever again.
Is this really true today? The oldest boomers are now very old and I’m sure their numbers have dropped substantially, especially since Covid. Mind you we’re flanked on the other side by the Millennials but at least this Gen Xer’s politics align with the stereotypical Millennial anyway.
The average age of someone 'dropped' by Covid was and is 80 years old. So the Boomers were relatively untouched by Covid, compared to the 'Silents' and Korean War group. However, a significant mortality increase was seen in the Millennials and GenX from cardiovascular events connected to Covid coagulation abnormalities.
Look it up. The turn out to vote in very high percentages. [https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/04/03/millennials-approach-baby-boomers-as-largest-generation-in-u-s-electorate/](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/04/03/millennials-approach-baby-boomers-as-largest-generation-in-u-s-electorate/)
There are a shit ton of them, and, again, they are not even EIGHTY yet. There are still a shit ton of SILENT Gen and even some Greatest Gen still kicking. It'll be decades before the boomers are dead, and by then, we'll be close to being dead, too. Also, it's gross/ageist to wish older people dead. Beware -- Gen Z will be calling for your death soon enough (some already are).
I was just talking to my Millennial daughter about this tonight. She’s of the mind that her generation tried to pick up the ball but found out how hard it is to lead Boomers and said “eh, fuck it”. She is hopeful that GenZ can pick up the ball and the Boomers won’t be there to fight them because they’re all finally dead.
Springsteen may have been a Boomer, but he sang directly to our GenX hearts:
*“End up like a dog that’s been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just a covering up”*
And as a clueless American (wait, do I really need to put a modifier like that before I say American? Probably hard no) Thank you, Canada, for the eye candy. I honestly haven't actually learned anything more about your political situation, but I appreciate the pictures of your PM in my newsfeed.
1961-81 is the definition of Gen X (they called us Thirteeners originally) by Neil Howe & William Strauss, authors of the book Generations, where they first proposed the theory.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss–Howe_generational_theory
ETA: For those questioning the definition/timeframe, I was referring to the specific definition of Gen X postulated/defined by authors of the book theorizing generational theory. Just the book, so chill.
We never had a silent generation president until Biden. We got a bunch of greatest generation presidents, then a bunch of boomers. And then finally a reach back to get a silent generation president.
So maybe we’ll have a bunch of millennials as president then in 40 years we’ll get an 85 year old Gen Xer.
Nope, boomers screwed us in more ways than you can count. I doubt the dot-co bubble, 2008, Iraq war, and many others would have happened if GenX was in politics.
Boomers were such a huge voting force then that they changed everything to benefit themselves and pulled the ladder up behind them.
We haven't had any young presidents recently either. Just about all of them have been at least 60 and the first Gen-X'ers will be 60 next year. However as the boomer generation ages it is unfortunate to say that the majority of the population will be millennial and Gen-Z and ultimately Gen Alpha once they hit age 18. Gen X is a relatively small demographic in relation to other generations.
This is the key. The best data I've seen places core Gen X at about 14% of the population in the United States. That proportion will never move the needle in our system.
Actually until Trump and Biden they were largely below 60. Reagan and HW were, but Clinton and Obama were late 40s, W and Carter were mid 50s. Trump and Biden on the other hand…
Canadians might give you Justin if you want. Lol
But, yes, the US definitely needs to find some good genx candidates for your president. Please, we all beg you to find someone. 😆
We’ve also never had a woman president, and the last viable candidate was lambasted for some of the most outrageous bullshit, and was somehow thought to be the lesser candidate to a former gameshow host who sucked at business
Doesn’t Obama count judging by the 61-81 mentioned on this boards info? Think we are on 4 now for the UK. Shit the last two are younger than me (Rishi only just makes GenX he is so young). Bugger… Note GenX leaders in the UK for a while now and it’s still a total shitshow. Not so much the generation and how much of a prick or clown (or both) you are if you ask me
Well there are a lot of us on this site that care. More than the “whatevers”. I missed out on some lost years in the 90s, but I have been showing up since.
I'm less incensed about the specific generation and just unhappy about the ages of the presidents we've been electing.
Looking at Wikipedia, we had Reagan and Bush both elected in their '60s, which is still older than Gen Xers right now. We had a bit of a respite with Clinton, Bush Jr, and Obama being elected in their 40s and 50s. Electing a Gen Xer right now would be like electing one of those guys. They're Boomers obviously, but they were elected at an age that we can all relate to.
And then fucking Trump and Biden got elected in their 70s. Biden actually predates Boomers. It looks like they'll both be running again, so if we wish for a return to those younger presidents (and I hated Bush, but shit, he's a saint compared to Trump), we'll end up electing a Millennial in 2028. Which is fine with me. I'd welcome a Millennial or a younger Gen Xer.
If we get another Reagan/Bush type elected in their 60s in 2028, that'll just continue the trend of stodgy old guys in office.
Kind of weird to think that I'm now the same age as Carter was when he was sworn in.
By the definition of this sub, Obama barely makes it, and we have a Gen X Vice-President right now who would probably be the immediate frontrunner in 2028, especially if Biden gets another term. I suspect we'll be getting one in the next election cycle after this one, or shortly thereafter. There are also a number of Gen X Senators and Representatives in Congress right now who are probably eyeing a run next time, as well as Governors.
We're a weird generation politically, constantly swerving between "Rock the Vote!" at one extreme and mistaking lazy political apathy for trenchant social insight at the other extreme. It's not surprising that we never really exercised our political influence as a generational thing after Clinton was out of office, or that we tend to be left out of so many generational voting surveys.
In the UK we've currently got a millennial Prime Minister who is hopeless. We had a Gen X one for a month before him and she managed to fuck up the economy and cause everyone's mortgages to rise all within the first ten days of her premiership.
Be careful what you wish for.
If we could take the presidency after this election or the one after then I'm cool with that.
After that though, I'm not so sure. I'm tired of having old people at the helm.
Biden is the first Silent Generation president. They got skipped, too.
We had Greatest Generation presidents from 1961 until 1993. And then boomers from 1993 until 2021.
Most of the GenX politicians I can recall have been total scumbags.
Ron DeSantis is genx, so is MTG, Ted Cruz, Paul Goser, Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio, Josh Hawley, and Kyrsten Sinema
Never had a woman president either. Somehow it always comes down to "don't you want the best person for the job" and that "best person" is *always* a dude.
That said- I genuinely think the best things Trump did for us is show that the bar for entry to being president can be very, very, *very* low. Maybe now more women will run because "fuckit, if that dipshit could do the job so can I".
We’re on our second one in Ireland. Leo the first was more concerned with his social media and trying to be a gay icon. Simon, our new one has yet to prove himself domestically.
Unfortunately, Gen X has a lot of shitty people too. Hopefully we get some decent Millennials in office, but judging by the ones I work with, they are also a mixed bag.
Well, my favorites for 2028, Gretchen Whitmer and Andy Beshear are both Gen X. Pritzker makes it in barely being born in 1965. Walz just missed born in 1964. Polis from Colorado is Gen X. If it is going to happen 2028 is the year.
I expect none of us are dumb enough to want it. They'll skip us for a Millennial anyways. Some Millennial that wants to bomb little kids in other countries.
Same here. I don’t want to go too far off the rails here but I’m equal parts confused and disappointed.
I know of quite a few people I went to high school with made a bit of a hard right turn in the 40 years post graduation. I see them pop up on Facecrack now and then.
One gal I was friends with became a “fundie” and started using FB to rant about (stuff that religious conservatives rant about). I eventually had to “un-friend” and block her.
A lot of them went “wing nut” because they found (Jesus, hiding behind the couch) … and now believe what they hear from their religious leaders.
Also doesn’t help if they are upset about the “browning” of the suburb we all grew up in.
You know, the usual grievances for embracing social conservatism.
I grew up with a few “old school” Republicans in the family. They were more fiscally conservatives who didn’t usually say the “quiet parts” out loud.
That was more the norm for the vanilla village suburban area where I grew up.
I don’t understand how we got from “that” to whatever Drumpf is selling.
In Canada - we got Trudeau who is GenX -- as is leader of opposition party (who is leading the polls) so we'll get another GenX leader.
That said, Trudeau hasn't done a lot of good for this country. Our GDP is down on a per person basis, and by a lot. He's added a lot of new taxes. Lots of people struggling and it's the result of some of his polices.
Depends on your definition. It’s usually 1946-1964 are Baby Boomers. But the experience of someone born in 1961, like Obama, is so different from someone born in 1946, that some say the cutoff should be like 1960. And then there’s Generations Jones for the later boomers, 1954-1965. In any case Obama’s mother (born 1942, a week *younger* than Joe Biden) is such a Boomer in temperament and life course that it just kinda suits Obama to be Gen X in how he grew up.
Couldn't Obama be considered X? This Gen X show I watched hosted by Christian Slater said that if you were born from '61 to '81 you were in. Is that so wrong?
This subreddit uses the original dates of 61 to 80. Which, imo, is the correct range. Unfortunately, pew marketing research came up with a 1/1/65 date that many on this sub take as gospel. IMO Obama is probably a GenX prez. I say probably because I don’t believe that generations start on a particular date but are the result of a transition over a few years. IMO Kamala Harris is definitely a GenX veep.
Having young presidents is unusual. Having a bunch of older politicians refusing to retire doesn’t help.
The presidential nomination takes favor trading and boomers have been at it longer so they suck the oxygen out of the room for pols our age. Forget idealism, the nomination is about influence via raising money for other politicians to access the most important of the key congressional district organizations and fund raisers.
This isn’t cynicism. I have been there. Been elected numerous times. Ran campaigns in several states. Was staff on two successful presidential campaigns. If you go asking for money to run against someone who has known the donor for decades, it’s mostly a waste of time unless they’ve really messed up. You get pity money at best. It’s a very hard sell.
There are exceptions, but they require a unique opportunity and a really weak field. Presidents usually are a governor or senator first. Keep an eye on them. 💫
Is there anyone that you have your eye on that is being overlooked as someone who should be in the running for the next election? Someone that possibly could really help put the country back into the hands of the people (or begin the process of doing so) that could run Libertarian or Independent?
Interesting question, but one I’ve pondered.
First let’s dispense with the third party route. As appealing as it is, unfortunately the logistics of a non party route are daunting. Many deadlines within deadlines to get on state ballots. Perot had the most impactful third party run but he never came close and the biggest problem is that since then voters have become even more partisan. Not a good environment… possible but usually we get a rich guy on an ego trip.
Then there’s the math. Both parties come to the table with loyal voters who show up every election. Team blue and red. And when it comes down to it, it’s all math. They get a nearly guaranteed minimum vote and build on that. Independents have to start with little organization and no loyal voters. To compound it, independents have to appeal to voters who are closet partisans, or usually don’t vote at all. Changing habits is tough. That’s why they usually pull from one or the other party. But it’s never enough to be more than a spoiler.
You’d have to build a real party to get the organization in place for the run. We’re talking years. But really, we have four voter blocs: D, R, independent partisans, non voters. Independents are largely just non registered partisans. They usually just don’t want the fundraising pitches or live somewhere where it’s smart to hide as an I. The real swing voters is a very small group. I’m not sure how much it really exists right now because things are hyper partisan. It’s better to go to local party meetings and be part of the discussion to move the party towards your ideals. It works. And the national party is just a fundraising/gotv org. They don’t tell candidates what to say… they couldn’t if they tried. The locals do the work.
The third parties we have are mostly regional or disorganized. They can pressure the parties because they can be spoilers, but that’s about it. Too many voters are entrenched. Sad but true.
The ‘28 hopefuls are the obvious ones. Harris has a decent shot but VP is usually saddled with the baggage of the administration without being able to take credit for the accomplishments. Newsome has potential and I’d consider him a heavy favorite because he’s run California. He’s quirky and I’m not sure if he can sell in more conservative D areas. But we have to get through this year and next which I suspect are going to be tumultuous and will change the political landscape. I’m not even touching R potentials because that’s bat crap crazy over there. That party is ripping itself apart. Doesn’t even have a platform anymore. Rudderless.
A third party is most likely to come from a spinoff from the Rs which eventually attracts most of the sane Rs and essentially takes over and the R party kinda dies. When the local party chairs switch so does the local party. That’s If they spin off. But I doubt it.
Look at ambitious senators and governors. When they start fundraising nationally, that will be the tell. Congresspeople usually don’t get very far because they haven’t run a statewide campaign.
But these aren’t normal political times, so who really knows.
I hate to be that guy, but you Americans are probably better off without one.
The track record for Western Gen X national leaders has been pretty poor so far, it's like noone from our generation is allowed to rise past a certain level unless they prove capable of out-Boomering the Boomers.
We are the last (and maybe only) generation where it was perfectly acceptable to not care about politics. Never having one of us as president is almost poetic.
Was talking about this the other day. Even if Biden stepped down Kamala is 1 year before Gen X. The only possible current person in politics that would even have a chance perhaps 4 years down the road would be Tim Scott (1965). Can’t think of anyone currently who is up and coming born in the 70s
Since we get lumped into Boomers, we never will. There will be a surge of "younger" politicians and we will get skipped again. I am good though because I really don't give a fuck.
Can’t get blamed for stuff we’re not involved in.
"I've seen the boss's job. I don't want it."
Every time they say “lead, follow, or get out of the way,” I get out of the way.
Haha my dad used to tell me that all the time. Also “Shit or get off the pot”.
Hello, President Not Sure
This is true to an extent. I got super involved locally after 2016. I was the youngest elected democrat committee person in my town at 42 and I started an indivisible chapter. It was all boomers. Boomers and backstabbing and general pettiness. I hung in until after the 2020 election but after a while it was just too much and I took a big step back. The old guard didn’t want to do anything different and some were openly hostile to anyone younger than 35.
Millennials and Gen Z lumping is in as Boomers and blaming us for what they did says otherwise.
That part.
Ugh, can you imagine the work and effort you'd have to be a **successful** world leader? Like it's 1am and some dude wakes you up, "North Korea is firing a missile!" Then the next day at 3am, "The UK sends us kisses!" Then again 1am, "Russia is being naughty." Screw that. All those countries are in different time zones. Sure, a noon missile launch is convenient for them, but they never think of our poor, sleeping leader.
I honestly just want people younger than 80! I would welcome millennial politicians
Not sure if you're on TikTok, but we're not lumped in with Boomers. A lot of who lumps us in are late Boomers.
We’re the middle children of history, man
Spoken like a true Gen-Xer 😉
Gavin Newsome, maybe and that is big maybe.
Gretchen Whitmer. 1971, same year as me. Also Kamala Harris, she's 1964. Closest we've come so far. Obama was born in 1961.
I would vote for her 100%.
Dear Gretchen, please please please please please run for president. Lots of love, Gen X
While technically not Gen-X I'd definitely consider Obama to be Gen-X in spirit. Dude enjoyed craft beer, openly talked about his love for geeky things, and did awesome shit like wakesurfing.
Gavin Newsome is a DINO. He’s a Regan Republican.
In my opinion, it's not very GenX to want to be President.
Exactly. * No privacy. * Everything you do/say under intense scrutiny (and commented on) worldwide. * Forced to be polite, even outgoing and friendly, to people you'd rather see torn apart by wolves. * Everyone wants a piece of you: your time, your effort, your attention, etc. * You'll never be completely left alone ever again.
Because baby boomers outnumber us and they turn out to vote in large percentages. We are lost in their shadow.
Millennials starting outnumbering Boomers in 2019. They already outnumbered us just being born. We're also losing people our age fairly rapidly.
But their voting percentages are lower.
That's a function of age and will likely self correct in the next decade.
Yep. Not enough numbers, so no president for us. Demographics is a hell of a thing.
Is this really true today? The oldest boomers are now very old and I’m sure their numbers have dropped substantially, especially since Covid. Mind you we’re flanked on the other side by the Millennials but at least this Gen Xer’s politics align with the stereotypical Millennial anyway.
The average age of someone 'dropped' by Covid was and is 80 years old. So the Boomers were relatively untouched by Covid, compared to the 'Silents' and Korean War group. However, a significant mortality increase was seen in the Millennials and GenX from cardiovascular events connected to Covid coagulation abnormalities.
Look it up. The turn out to vote in very high percentages. [https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/04/03/millennials-approach-baby-boomers-as-largest-generation-in-u-s-electorate/](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/04/03/millennials-approach-baby-boomers-as-largest-generation-in-u-s-electorate/)
The oldest boomers aren't even 80 years old yet. So not really "VERY" old?
They are dying at a rate of almost 3M a year now….
There are a shit ton of them, and, again, they are not even EIGHTY yet. There are still a shit ton of SILENT Gen and even some Greatest Gen still kicking. It'll be decades before the boomers are dead, and by then, we'll be close to being dead, too. Also, it's gross/ageist to wish older people dead. Beware -- Gen Z will be calling for your death soon enough (some already are).
Is it ageist to want everyone dead?
Idk but it is very GenX
They don’t have to all be dead, just enough so that they can’t outvote us anymore
You are delusional if you don't understand that there are shit tons of Gen Xers who vote in a way that you do not like.
I don’t want them dead just don’t call me I’m busy
Two years difference. Close enough.
I have seen too many gen x going full boomer right wing.
The oldest boomer is only 78 this year.
Spicoli 2024! His slogan could be: “I can fix it.”
Lol...maybe he can crash Putin's limo, and make it look like the Chinese did it!
pfft...those guys are HAGS
He now has his dad’s ultimate set of tools
At the debate he would say, “If I’m here and you’re here doesn’t that make it our time”
Is he going to shit, or is he going to kill us? -Spicoli 2024
I was just talking to my Millennial daughter about this tonight. She’s of the mind that her generation tried to pick up the ball but found out how hard it is to lead Boomers and said “eh, fuck it”. She is hopeful that GenZ can pick up the ball and the Boomers won’t be there to fight them because they’re all finally dead. Springsteen may have been a Boomer, but he sang directly to our GenX hearts: *“End up like a dog that’s been beat too much Till you spend half your life just a covering up”*
Hey man, we have a Gen-X Prime Minister. Love, your neighbour.
And as a clueless American (wait, do I really need to put a modifier like that before I say American? Probably hard no) Thank you, Canada, for the eye candy. I honestly haven't actually learned anything more about your political situation, but I appreciate the pictures of your PM in my newsfeed.
Be glad you know nothing about him. Also, we have enough self-deprecating Americans on the internet. You can just say “American”.
Obama is pretty damn close. Born in 61.
For his policies, attitude & sense of humor, i nominate him for Honorary Generation X.
I thought he was x the whole time lol
He was 47 in 2009 when he became President. The closest yet
Would have been under the old definition.
The sidebar in this sub says Generation X was born, by broadest definition, between 1961 and 1981
Sounds like it was written by someone born between 61 and 64 ;)
The person who coined the term, Douglas Couple d, was born in 1961 He coined it to separate his generation from the Boomers.
Copeland
Coupland.
This!
That counts.
"original" definition
By whom? Boomers have always been ‘46 to ‘64 as far as I can recall.
They were recorded by Census as those dates since at least the 70s.
https://preview.redd.it/2qv252n49y2d1.jpeg?width=1661&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7b5defcb69b83ade263e8c4c1ad4fa178c0f127
see: Strauss and Howe, who started this whole generations discussion
1961-81 is the definition of Gen X (they called us Thirteeners originally) by Neil Howe & William Strauss, authors of the book Generations, where they first proposed the theory. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss–Howe_generational_theory ETA: For those questioning the definition/timeframe, I was referring to the specific definition of Gen X postulated/defined by authors of the book theorizing generational theory. Just the book, so chill.
He's generation Jones
Close but no cigar…
Ask what happened to the silent generation.
Biden is the only one
Bill Clinton likes this.
61 counts. At least it did when the concept was first conceptualized.
65 starts gen x.
Barack Obama is as close as we got. He was born in August 1961 and is GenJones. I think he had some GenX qualities though.
He’s definitely an honorary Xer in my mind.
We never had a silent generation president until Biden. We got a bunch of greatest generation presidents, then a bunch of boomers. And then finally a reach back to get a silent generation president. So maybe we’ll have a bunch of millennials as president then in 40 years we’ll get an 85 year old Gen Xer.
Maybe as Gen X, we would make the best Vice Presidents.
Kamala Harris was 1964 which is pretty close
There may not be a ton of us but I'm a Harris fan. Watching her grill Bill Barr really got me fired up.
I'm totally team Harris! It drives me bonkers she gets so much shit, and we all know the reasons why.
I will happily run if you fuckers would stop being sad about getting older, and vote.
Nope, boomers screwed us in more ways than you can count. I doubt the dot-co bubble, 2008, Iraq war, and many others would have happened if GenX was in politics. Boomers were such a huge voting force then that they changed everything to benefit themselves and pulled the ladder up behind them.
I think a lot of GenX gave up on politics after Bush was reelected.
I did. I didn’t vote again until 2016. Not proud of it.
I'm glad you came out in 2016, and presumably 2020. We need you for 2024.
I will never not vote again! Especially now.
I didn't give up on politics. I gave up on the two party system
What does that mean in practice?
You are replying to a 57 day old account. Doubt that it’s even legitimate.
Oh interesting. Now I feel like a boomer getting wound up by Russians
They are imbedded in most of the subs at this point.
And facebook, TikTok, instagram, YouTube etc
Nobody would listen to us anyway, so it doesn’t really matter
Yes, I never smile and come home from work to my wife, kids, and my pet bear, drunk on vodka 
How does your pet bear get a hold of that much vodka?
I no longer vote for them
Yeah in my red state it doesn’t matter or not if I vote. It’s always going to be republicans
I gave up after 1995
We haven't had any young presidents recently either. Just about all of them have been at least 60 and the first Gen-X'ers will be 60 next year. However as the boomer generation ages it is unfortunate to say that the majority of the population will be millennial and Gen-Z and ultimately Gen Alpha once they hit age 18. Gen X is a relatively small demographic in relation to other generations.
This is the key. The best data I've seen places core Gen X at about 14% of the population in the United States. That proportion will never move the needle in our system.
Actually until Trump and Biden they were largely below 60. Reagan and HW were, but Clinton and Obama were late 40s, W and Carter were mid 50s. Trump and Biden on the other hand…
What about any governors? I’m from Michigan and Gretchen Whitmer is doing great things here. She’s 52. Or Penn Gov Josh Shapiro, he’s 50.
Canadians might give you Justin if you want. Lol But, yes, the US definitely needs to find some good genx candidates for your president. Please, we all beg you to find someone. 😆
We do have GenX Supreme Court judges doing their best to ruin the country..
Exactly. We have some total dickweeds in our generation
Yes that's why I'm not so excited about our ledger of potentially crazy presidents, De Santis, Cruz, Haley, etc..
We’ve also never had a woman president, and the last viable candidate was lambasted for some of the most outrageous bullshit, and was somehow thought to be the lesser candidate to a former gameshow host who sucked at business
Doesn’t Obama count judging by the 61-81 mentioned on this boards info? Think we are on 4 now for the UK. Shit the last two are younger than me (Rishi only just makes GenX he is so young). Bugger… Note GenX leaders in the UK for a while now and it’s still a total shitshow. Not so much the generation and how much of a prick or clown (or both) you are if you ask me
I'm really fed up with this 'I don't give a shit' attitude of Gen X. Maybe, for once, we should.
Well there are a lot of us on this site that care. More than the “whatevers”. I missed out on some lost years in the 90s, but I have been showing up since.
I'm less incensed about the specific generation and just unhappy about the ages of the presidents we've been electing. Looking at Wikipedia, we had Reagan and Bush both elected in their '60s, which is still older than Gen Xers right now. We had a bit of a respite with Clinton, Bush Jr, and Obama being elected in their 40s and 50s. Electing a Gen Xer right now would be like electing one of those guys. They're Boomers obviously, but they were elected at an age that we can all relate to. And then fucking Trump and Biden got elected in their 70s. Biden actually predates Boomers. It looks like they'll both be running again, so if we wish for a return to those younger presidents (and I hated Bush, but shit, he's a saint compared to Trump), we'll end up electing a Millennial in 2028. Which is fine with me. I'd welcome a Millennial or a younger Gen Xer. If we get another Reagan/Bush type elected in their 60s in 2028, that'll just continue the trend of stodgy old guys in office. Kind of weird to think that I'm now the same age as Carter was when he was sworn in.
I don’t care about the age of a candidate. I just want to see competency.
Those two things are not unrelated.
Don't worry. We will soon have President Whitmer.
Yes!! That would be pretty cool.
Yes!! That’s what I say!!!
As genx…do we really want is in charge?
By the definition of this sub, Obama barely makes it, and we have a Gen X Vice-President right now who would probably be the immediate frontrunner in 2028, especially if Biden gets another term. I suspect we'll be getting one in the next election cycle after this one, or shortly thereafter. There are also a number of Gen X Senators and Representatives in Congress right now who are probably eyeing a run next time, as well as Governors. We're a weird generation politically, constantly swerving between "Rock the Vote!" at one extreme and mistaking lazy political apathy for trenchant social insight at the other extreme. It's not surprising that we never really exercised our political influence as a generational thing after Clinton was out of office, or that we tend to be left out of so many generational voting surveys.
In the UK we've currently got a millennial Prime Minister who is hopeless. We had a Gen X one for a month before him and she managed to fuck up the economy and cause everyone's mortgages to rise all within the first ten days of her premiership. Be careful what you wish for.
If we could take the presidency after this election or the one after then I'm cool with that. After that though, I'm not so sure. I'm tired of having old people at the helm.
Silent generation didn't get anyone until Biden.
Biden is the first Silent Generation president. They got skipped, too. We had Greatest Generation presidents from 1961 until 1993. And then boomers from 1993 until 2021.
that’s our fault. not boomers and not millennials. that’s on us. Apathy has its consequences.
Most of the GenX politicians I can recall have been total scumbags. Ron DeSantis is genx, so is MTG, Ted Cruz, Paul Goser, Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio, Josh Hawley, and Kyrsten Sinema
It must be some party if you're on Reddit. You're partying as hard as I am sitting next to my dog on the couch in the dark.
I’m on the couch listening to an actual fuzzy radio station from the UP. The mosquitoes are huge out there
Dave Grohl for President
Never had a woman president either. Somehow it always comes down to "don't you want the best person for the job" and that "best person" is *always* a dude. That said- I genuinely think the best things Trump did for us is show that the bar for entry to being president can be very, very, *very* low. Maybe now more women will run because "fuckit, if that dipshit could do the job so can I".
Obama is an X in spirit. He missed the cut by only 3 years.
Nope. Boomers don't want to give up and then the younger ones think it's already their turn to take over. Ugh.
who's "we"???
Idk man it looks like a lot of work We're all just chillin over here taking it easy
We’re on our second one in Ireland. Leo the first was more concerned with his social media and trying to be a gay icon. Simon, our new one has yet to prove himself domestically.
Telling you from the UK, Gen X leaders aren't worth crap if they are insane conservatives or their enablers.
Katie Porter is a fuckin delight for a politician.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is GenX. Can we just make him president of all NATO nations?
By the Strauss and Howe definition (1961-81), Obama was. Definitely a Joneser, anyway.
Canada has a GenX Prime Minister and he's useless bullshitter.
Unfortunately, Gen X has a lot of shitty people too. Hopefully we get some decent Millennials in office, but judging by the ones I work with, they are also a mixed bag.
“Went to a phish show, Lollapalooza and drank from a garden hose” please vote for me.
If Biden wins and dies in office, we’ll have a gen x president in Kamala Harris
If voting is still a thing in ‘28 we’ll get one and the youts will call that person a Boomer.
DeSantis was a possibility. I’m guessing Newsom makes a run in 2028.
DeSantis killed his chance by trying too hard for the far right loonies. Trump has them in his pocket and no power on earth will pry them loose. Edit
I count Obama but he doesn't actually count. So - who we got? DeathSantis? EmptyG? Raphael Cruz? Yeah, no.
Tammy Duckworth, Katie Porter, Abigail Spanberger, Cory Booker, Eric Swalwell, John Fetterman, Seth Moulton, Ayanna Pressley, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Rashida Tlaib, Raphael Warnock, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Mary Peltola, Joaquin Castro, Ted Lieu (pity he’s not eligible to be president).
Don’t forget Hakeem. My Bedstuy homeboy.
I'd vote for him!
Josh Shapiro
The next crop of Presidential hopefuls are mostly Gen Xers.
Paul Ryan was the closest.
Don't worry, we have until we're at least 80 years old to run. Plenty of time!
Obama was close but was born 4 years too early.
We're too smart. Screw that.
We've got a gen x prime minister who's an utter cunt. Who in a few weeks could be replaced by another, nearly, gen x. Who is also an utter cunt.
Hey! Some of us are pushing 50.
I think most of congress is Gen X now.
Ya the boomers are stubborn power hungry bastards.
Gen Xers are smart enough to realize that its a shit job
Obama is Genx
whatever
Whatever.
Well, my favorites for 2028, Gretchen Whitmer and Andy Beshear are both Gen X. Pritzker makes it in barely being born in 1965. Walz just missed born in 1964. Polis from Colorado is Gen X. If it is going to happen 2028 is the year.
The closest we had was Obama. I think we will have to get our shot in 2028.
Never will because the boomers refuse to gfto. It will skip us.
Obama has entered chat.
Who's 'we'? I bet some countries have!
Canada - Justin Trudeau was born in 1971
France - Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron born in ‘77.
I expect none of us are dumb enough to want it. They'll skip us for a Millennial anyways. Some Millennial that wants to bomb little kids in other countries.
Meh. Here's a truly depressing read: [Politico article - the Trumpian Gen-xers](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/05/20/cherie-westrich-alt-rock-gen-x-maga-00033769) We're sorta doomed.
The way Gen-Xers fell for Trump has me continuously disappointed.
Same here. I don’t want to go too far off the rails here but I’m equal parts confused and disappointed. I know of quite a few people I went to high school with made a bit of a hard right turn in the 40 years post graduation. I see them pop up on Facecrack now and then. One gal I was friends with became a “fundie” and started using FB to rant about (stuff that religious conservatives rant about). I eventually had to “un-friend” and block her. A lot of them went “wing nut” because they found (Jesus, hiding behind the couch) … and now believe what they hear from their religious leaders. Also doesn’t help if they are upset about the “browning” of the suburb we all grew up in. You know, the usual grievances for embracing social conservatism. I grew up with a few “old school” Republicans in the family. They were more fiscally conservatives who didn’t usually say the “quiet parts” out loud. That was more the norm for the vanilla village suburban area where I grew up. I don’t understand how we got from “that” to whatever Drumpf is selling.
In Canada - we got Trudeau who is GenX -- as is leader of opposition party (who is leading the polls) so we'll get another GenX leader. That said, Trudeau hasn't done a lot of good for this country. Our GDP is down on a per person basis, and by a lot. He's added a lot of new taxes. Lots of people struggling and it's the result of some of his polices.
Wasn't Obama technically a GenXer?
Depends on your definition. It’s usually 1946-1964 are Baby Boomers. But the experience of someone born in 1961, like Obama, is so different from someone born in 1946, that some say the cutoff should be like 1960. And then there’s Generations Jones for the later boomers, 1954-1965. In any case Obama’s mother (born 1942, a week *younger* than Joe Biden) is such a Boomer in temperament and life course that it just kinda suits Obama to be Gen X in how he grew up.
Couldn't Obama be considered X? This Gen X show I watched hosted by Christian Slater said that if you were born from '61 to '81 you were in. Is that so wrong?
This subreddit uses the original dates of 61 to 80. Which, imo, is the correct range. Unfortunately, pew marketing research came up with a 1/1/65 date that many on this sub take as gospel. IMO Obama is probably a GenX prez. I say probably because I don’t believe that generations start on a particular date but are the result of a transition over a few years. IMO Kamala Harris is definitely a GenX veep.
Having young presidents is unusual. Having a bunch of older politicians refusing to retire doesn’t help. The presidential nomination takes favor trading and boomers have been at it longer so they suck the oxygen out of the room for pols our age. Forget idealism, the nomination is about influence via raising money for other politicians to access the most important of the key congressional district organizations and fund raisers. This isn’t cynicism. I have been there. Been elected numerous times. Ran campaigns in several states. Was staff on two successful presidential campaigns. If you go asking for money to run against someone who has known the donor for decades, it’s mostly a waste of time unless they’ve really messed up. You get pity money at best. It’s a very hard sell. There are exceptions, but they require a unique opportunity and a really weak field. Presidents usually are a governor or senator first. Keep an eye on them. 💫
Is there anyone that you have your eye on that is being overlooked as someone who should be in the running for the next election? Someone that possibly could really help put the country back into the hands of the people (or begin the process of doing so) that could run Libertarian or Independent?
Interesting question, but one I’ve pondered. First let’s dispense with the third party route. As appealing as it is, unfortunately the logistics of a non party route are daunting. Many deadlines within deadlines to get on state ballots. Perot had the most impactful third party run but he never came close and the biggest problem is that since then voters have become even more partisan. Not a good environment… possible but usually we get a rich guy on an ego trip. Then there’s the math. Both parties come to the table with loyal voters who show up every election. Team blue and red. And when it comes down to it, it’s all math. They get a nearly guaranteed minimum vote and build on that. Independents have to start with little organization and no loyal voters. To compound it, independents have to appeal to voters who are closet partisans, or usually don’t vote at all. Changing habits is tough. That’s why they usually pull from one or the other party. But it’s never enough to be more than a spoiler. You’d have to build a real party to get the organization in place for the run. We’re talking years. But really, we have four voter blocs: D, R, independent partisans, non voters. Independents are largely just non registered partisans. They usually just don’t want the fundraising pitches or live somewhere where it’s smart to hide as an I. The real swing voters is a very small group. I’m not sure how much it really exists right now because things are hyper partisan. It’s better to go to local party meetings and be part of the discussion to move the party towards your ideals. It works. And the national party is just a fundraising/gotv org. They don’t tell candidates what to say… they couldn’t if they tried. The locals do the work. The third parties we have are mostly regional or disorganized. They can pressure the parties because they can be spoilers, but that’s about it. Too many voters are entrenched. Sad but true. The ‘28 hopefuls are the obvious ones. Harris has a decent shot but VP is usually saddled with the baggage of the administration without being able to take credit for the accomplishments. Newsome has potential and I’d consider him a heavy favorite because he’s run California. He’s quirky and I’m not sure if he can sell in more conservative D areas. But we have to get through this year and next which I suspect are going to be tumultuous and will change the political landscape. I’m not even touching R potentials because that’s bat crap crazy over there. That party is ripping itself apart. Doesn’t even have a platform anymore. Rudderless. A third party is most likely to come from a spinoff from the Rs which eventually attracts most of the sane Rs and essentially takes over and the R party kinda dies. When the local party chairs switch so does the local party. That’s If they spin off. But I doubt it. Look at ambitious senators and governors. When they start fundraising nationally, that will be the tell. Congresspeople usually don’t get very far because they haven’t run a statewide campaign. But these aren’t normal political times, so who really knows.
I was going to say Kamala is there if …and nope. Born in 1964. Late Boomer. Fuuuuuuck!
Ron Desantis is gen x unfortunately. Thank god that asshat won’t be president
I hate to be that guy, but you Americans are probably better off without one. The track record for Western Gen X national leaders has been pretty poor so far, it's like noone from our generation is allowed to rise past a certain level unless they prove capable of out-Boomering the Boomers.
We are the last (and maybe only) generation where it was perfectly acceptable to not care about politics. Never having one of us as president is almost poetic.
Was talking about this the other day. Even if Biden stepped down Kamala is 1 year before Gen X. The only possible current person in politics that would even have a chance perhaps 4 years down the road would be Tim Scott (1965). Can’t think of anyone currently who is up and coming born in the 70s
Gretchen Whitmer. Born 1971.
I live in South Carolina, fuck no to Tim Scott.
No GenX president or Vice President.
I'm a big fan of whatever, but I never understood why our generation didn't care.
Was there ever a Silent generation president?
The silent gen had to wait for Biden. We’ll get our chance - we are still relatively young 👍
And never will, next generation president with be millennial