The political climate a generation experiences in its twenties generally affects the outlook of that demographic.
For example, those born in the latter period of the post-war baby boom reached adulthood during the Reagan era. They perceived many problems with the political order dominant for decades, and so switched to the candidate and party long considered the minority.
Now, a quarter-century later, their children seem to have done the same. The generation whose main experience was the conservative Bush years committed its support to the leader of progressive America. And he succeeded.
The job of our generation now is to keep Barack Obama on a progressive course and oppose what may throw the nation off that road: mainly, escalating our military presence in Afghanistan and giving in to Republican demands.
However, we must also face cold hard reality and realize the dangerous world our President has inherited. Two terms of Republican rule have left America roiling from economic and social negligence. Restrictions on corporate power were sacrificed because of mere philosophical disagreements. Now we are paying in the form of financial turmoil.
Overly idealistic foreign policy and incompetence were combined to lead us into two “small” wars. Bush’s tax cuts and his administration’s knack for privatizing even the military only magnified the cost. Now we are paying in the form of deficits that are anything but small.
These failures, compressed into an eight-year timeframe, turned an entire generation away from the political and social values of its parents. Voters who generally supported conservatism 25 years ago are now behind the times.
Perhaps Michael Steele should cease trying to be “da man” and face the fact that his party lost Generation Y. They must acknowledge that they lost the future; all they have at this point is the past.
The future of American politics winds leftward, guided by the newest generation of voters.
For more of Nigel Alcorn’s opinions, visit the Feb. 25 column, Conservatives ignore past failures.
