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With the general election all but underway, I am reminded of presumptive Democrat nominee Barack Obama’s repeated calls for – and vows to deliver – a “new politics.” Of the “post-partisan” variety. This implies there is something inherently wrong with self-identifying as a Republican or as a Democrat. Hmm. Sounds less “new” than it does “typical” of a rookie on the national stage. Obama’s words are just the sequel to Uniter, not Divider.
What America does need, is a revitalized political system. One where the Gen Xers of the world begin to assume additional responsibility – not just in the private sector. Not just as civil servants – and legislative aides on Capitol Hill. Not only as senior advisers and senior media strategists. But, instead – as real political leaders in elected office.
In the press corps, the generational turnover is more obvious. Gone from the nightly newscasts… Brokaw and Rather. CNN has fresh Gen X faces – from Anderson Cooper to Ed Henry to Suzanne Malveaux. MSNBC still relies on Chris Matthews – but David Gregory is right there in Prime Time. Rachel Maddow quares off against the political equivalent of a Jurassic era T-Rex, Pat Buchanan. On Fox news, there is scarcely a boomer to be found. Apart from Brit Hume, Jim Angle and a few panelists… FoxNews gives us Gen X love with Shepard Smith, Greg Kelley, Bill Hemmer, Lis Wiehl, Megyn Kelly, and many others.
To be certain – there are many prominent partisans of the Gen X age. With names known to insiders only – and acting as sources rather than pundits – it leaves the public with a perception that belies the truth.
Republicans and conservatives are just now embracing Web 2.0, social networking, viral video, tweeting, via their laptops and CrackBerrys. New Media matters. Listening to the voices in the field is critical to electoral success. Politics is no longer a game to be won via micro-targeting alone. Through Voip and Skype and increasingly digital lives, a few people understand the best of the “old” and “new” politics.
Patrick Ruffini, Soren Dayton, and Jon Henke are emerging as leaders for the next generation of politics. If you know them, they need no introduction. If you don’t – learn more by getting on the internet highway, and taking THE NEXT RIGHT.
—Media Lizzy
Good post. I agree that what Obama vs. Clinton represents is more of a generation shift, and the comfort that the younger generation has with technology and all its advantages (social, organizational, information, etc.).
The Right hasn’t yet experienced the internal battle of young conservatives vs. old conservatives. That has yet to play itself out. However, it may further divide your party before eventually raising it to a new level; rather, the younger generation may have to battle the old guard before establishing itself, ready to fight off the Dems in the future.
Short term, McCain loses. Long term, the right is able to fight off the influence of the traditionally organized, but somewhat divisive, extreme right(evangelicals, etc.). In its place comes those who believe in conversative principles, but will learn from the mistakes of the Bush era (i’m talking politically, not ideologically).
Excellent points. And there are some great Gen Xers in elected office on their way up in leadership.
In Congress, there’s U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (who used to sit across a cubicle from me at Empower America back in ’93-’94) and U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL). Officially, Eric Cantor misses out being a Gen X-er by about a year.
As for media, I can’t believe that back in high school I dated a classmate of Megyn Kelly’s (we grew up in the same area.)