2016 presidential election – The Baby Boomers’ last hurrah?
Baby Boomers are once again at the top of the tickets to be president of the United States
Is this the last time Baby Boomers will win the presidency?
Generation X and Millennials are getting older too
During the 1990s and first decade of the 2000s Baby Boomers ruled politics. Baby Boomers are the generation born between 1946 and 1964. Bill Clinton was the first Baby Boomer to be elected President of the United States. His first inauguration was held on January 20, 1993. Clinton was age 46 and this ties him as the 3rd youngest president in U.S. history at inauguration. Clinton was born August 19, 1946. Al Gore assumed office at the age of 44. Currently, Gore is the 7th youngest Vice-President in U.S. history.
In 1992, the Clintons didn’t just enter the White House as a married couple. They changed the way a couple in the White House could run Washington. The Clintons stated that they were a two-for-one deal. With this said, Hillary Clinton became the most powerful First Lady in U.S. history.
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Video: 1993 Interview of Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton – “First 100 Days In The White House”
Bill Clinton states that there will be a woman president in his lifetime
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Video: 1993 ABC Nightline reports on Hillary Clinton
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Bill Clinton was followed by George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States. Bush would be the 2nd Baby Boomer to be elected to this office. At the age of 54, George W. Bush assumed office on January 20, 2001. Bush was born on July 6, 1946 and is the same age as Bill Clinton and is just one year older than Hillary Clinton. George W. Bush had earlier taken office as governor of Texas at age of 48.
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Video: George W. Bush inaugural parade 2001
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Born in the 1960s
On August 27, 2008 Barack Obama officially received the Democratic party’s nomination for President of the United States. Joe Biden would also accepted the nomination for Vice President on the same night.
This marked the first time a person born after 1960 would be nominated (Democratic or Republican) and would be elected president of the United States. When Obama was sworn in, as the 44th President, he was 47 years old. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, would be only age 44 at the first inauguration on January 20, 2009.
The Obamas are the first to represent those born in the 1960s. Gen X is generally defined as those born between 1965-1981 or (a 20 year span) 1961 to 1981 as defined in Forbes magazine). President Obama was born in 1961 and Mrs. Obama was born in 1964. Technically those born in the 1961 to 1964 period belong to the tail end of the Baby Boomers. Yet, they tend to be socially and culturally connected to Gen X.
Gen X is the smallest living population of the big 3 contemporary generations. A 2014 Pew Research Center report stated that the reason Xers are a small generation is due to the fact they span just 16 years (1965-1981), while most generations are credited with lasting closer to 20 years. How come? No one really knows. Generational boundaries are fuzzy, arbitrary and culture-driven. Also, there is not a hard-line cutoff for those straddling the cusp between one generation and the next.
One thing is for sure, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama understand Gen X and grew up during the Gen X era.
The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election
The Baby Boomres are back. When looking at the current two major political party nominees for president there is no one around who is from the younger generations. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are both Baby Boomers.
When Ronald Reagan took the Oath of office of the President of the United States, in 1981, he would become the oldest person elected president. Reagan was 69 years old. Should Hillary Clinton be elected president she will also be age 69 on inauguration day. This would tie Reagan as the old president. Should Donald Trump win the election, he will become the oldest person ever elected president of the United States of America at the age of 70.
Where were Generation X and Millennials in the primaries?
The 2016 Republican presidential primary race began with 17 candidates and had 12 by the time the primaries began. The Democratic Party had only 3 to compete when the primaries began.
Generation X was greatly absent in the Democratic Party, with the exception of one candidate. The Republican Party had 3 candidates representing GenX. Millennials were not represented by either political party.
The 2016 Republican presidential candidates born after 1960:
Ted Cruz is age 45 and was born December 22, 1970.
Marco Rubio was age 44 when he ran for the nomination and just turned age 45. Rubio was born May 28, 1971.
Rand Paul was age 53 and was born January 7, 1963.
The 2016 Democratic presidential candidates born after 1960:
There was only one Democratic candidate, born after 1960, who ran for president in 2016.
Martin O’Malley is age 53 and was born January 18, 1963.
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The Nominees
Democratic Ticket
Hillary Clinton was born October 26, 1947 (currently age 68)
Timothy M. Kaine was born February 26, 1958 (currently age 58)
Republican Ticket
Donald Trump was born June 14, 1946 (currently age 70)
Mike Pence was born June 7, 1959 (currently age 57)
National Conventions
The 2016 Republican National Convention was held in Cleveland, Ohio at the Quicken Loans Arena July 18-21, 2016. The convention was called to order by Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, who was born on March 18, 1972. The convention featured, as its keynote speakers, the Trump children all representing Generation X and Millennial and Melania Trump, who was born April 26, 1970.
The 2016 Democratic National Convention will take place at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, July 25 – July 28. It is here that the Democratic party will formally nominate Hillary Clinton as the party’s presidential nominee and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate. The current headliners are as follows:
Outside of President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Chelsea Clinton, ….the main headlining speakers does not include, those outside the DC Beltway, who represent Gen Xers and Millennials. In fact, five of the 7 headlining speakers have lived inside the White House.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, born on September 27, 1966, Chair of the Democratic National Committee, resigned her position due to an e-mail scandal against other Democratic candidates. Donna Brazile, born December 15, 1959, will replace Wasserman Schultz as Chair of the Democratic National Committee, during the convention.
Bernie Sanders (born September 8, 1941 age 74 -will be 75 in 2 months)
Bill Clinton (August 19, 1946 age 69 -will be 70 next month)
Joe Biden (born November 20, 1942 age 73 -will be 74 in 4 months)
Hillary Clinton (born October 26, 1947 age 68 -will be 69 in 3 months)
Barack Obama (born August 4, 1961 age 54)
Was age 47 when he spoke at his first nomination at the 2008 DNC convention.
Michelle Obama (born January 17, 1964 age 52)
Was age 44 when she spoke at her husband’s 2008 DNC convention.
Chelsea Clinton (born February 27, 1980 age 36)
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The Generations -Who are they?
GREATEST GENERATION
The Greatest Generation grew up during World War I and many took part in World War II. They were born roughly from 1901 through 1924. This generation was greatly impacted by the Great Depression.
Before we discuss the Greatest Generations. Did you know that it was actually the generation born in the late 18000s, before the Greatest Generation, who served on the United States Supreme Court, as Justices, who ruled on the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954. That same generation passed The Civil Rights Act of 1957, which was signed into law by President Dwight David Eisenhower who was born October 14, 1890.
The Greatest Generation is sometimes overlooked when it comes to social change in the United States as well. It was this generation along with those from the Silent Generation that integrated the U.S. Armed Forces. With this said, many in this generation greatly resisted integration of the U.S. Armed Forces.
The Greatest Generation served in Congress when it passed the major Civil Rights laws of the 1960s. This is not to say that many in this generation were very much against social change.
This generation includes: John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan.
Some of their characteristic:
money savers
dedicated
racially divided (some greatly benefited from segregation)
industrial
committed to jobs
do what it takes
builders
fighters
SILENT GENERATION
The Silent Generation is not often spoken about by name and sometimes gets mixed in with the Greatest Generation. They were born approximately between 1925 through 1945. This generation took part in World War II and the Korean War. This generation was ambitious, and aimed for achievement and power during their youthful years.
The Silent Generation along with the Greatest Generation modernized America’s cities. They built the Interstate Highway System and built the first rockets. It was this generation that created the atomic bomb, thermonuclear weapons and the first early computers.
The Silent Generation tends to be very patriotic. Many of them grew up during the Great Depression and came of age during World War II. This generation also shares somethings in common with the Greatest Generation. They too were a major force for social change in the United States and integrated the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II.
This generation includes: Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Robert F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush.
Some of their characteristic:
dedicated
racially divided (some greatly benefited from segregation)
committed to jobs
financially responsible
risk taking
aggressive
wanting to live the “American Dream”
wanting a change
BABY BOOMERS
Baby Boomers are sometimes thought of, by those outside of their own members, as the obstinate generation. Baby Boomers have always dominant presence compared with other generations. They were for a longest time the largest generation.
This generation went to war in Vietnam and they fought on the streets for and against racial social changes. This generation witnessed the assassinations of: president John F. Kennedy, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Malcolm X and many others. As teenagers and college age students they witnessed the NASA Apollo program from 1961–1972. As young adults they witnessed the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. This was the first generation where both African Americans and white women entered corporate jobs.
This generation includes: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush
Some of their characteristic:
racially divided
Civil Rights fighting (for and against)
good music producing
Free Love era
Vietnam War impacted
space race seeing
drug experimenting
exaggerated fashion wearing
goal-oriented
workplace committed
sometimes selfish
sometimes egotistical
GENERATION X
Generation X (also known as Gen X) is sometimes referred to, by some, as America’s overlooked “middle child”. Gen X spans from about 1965 to 1981. It’s oldest population is now age 51 (or 55, if one uses 1961 as the stating year) and its youngest is now age 35. Sometimes people born between 1961 and 1964 are included as they do not related to Baby Boomers socially or culturally. The Gen X population is projected to outnumber the Baby Boomers in 2028. GenXers will not overtake Millennials.
Gen X were the “latchkey” kids, where both parents worked and they came home alone to empty houses. This generation came of age when there were no major U.S. wars. Vietnam was ending when they were kids or before they were not born. They witness the full era of the NASA Space Shuttle program. It was during their generation that the black and white TV was fully replaced by the color TV.
GenXers enjoyed the arrival of cable television and home computers during their youth. Gen X witnessed or were directly impacted by the Crack and cocaine epidemic.
As this generation began to reach college age the United States’ sphere of influence began to change. The Cold War ended and other nuclear weapons powered nations, China and India, began to expand economically. Gen X is known as the first generation that will not typically do as well, financially, as their parents’ generation. Many GenXers, during their prime working ages, were deeply impacted by The Great Recession.
This generation includes: Barack Obama (although he was born in 1961, Obama relates directly to Gen X.)
Some of their characteristic:
microwave using
products of high divorce rate parents era
first computer games era playing
cable television influenced
epic trilogy movie watching
technology using
self-reliant
results oriented
committed to jobs
angry and disappointed due to unloyal companies
fitness driven
mistrusting institutions and corporations
mistrusting government
MILLENNIALS
Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation in 2015. Millennials were born beginning in 1982. Their oldest population is now age 34. Millennials are the most diverse population in the history of the United States.
By the time the oldest Millennials reached age 9 the Internet was in full use. By 1991 and 1992 CompuServe, America Online, Prodigy and GEnie were in full force. By the mid 1990s AltaVista, Infoseek, Yahoo and Google had all arrived. The generation grew up with cell phones and laptop computers.
Millennials will be impacting the political world.
Some of their characteristic:
forward thinking
impatient acting
freedom wanting
action oriented
uncommitted to one workplace
tech-savvy
civic oriented
entrepreneurial
health conscious
multi-tasking
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Ages of U.S. Presidents at inauguration
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#
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President | Date of birth | Date of | Age at |
| inauguration | inauguration | |||
| 26 | Theodore Roosevelt | October 27, 1858 | September 14, 1901 | 42 |
| 35 | John F. Kennedy | May 29, 1917 | January 20, 1961 | 43 |
| 42 | William “Bill” Clinton | August 19, 1946 | January 20, 1993 | 46 |
| 18 | Ulysses S. Grant | April 27, 1822 | March 4, 1869 | 46 |
| 44 | Barack Obama | August 4, 1961 | January 20, 2009 | 47 |
| 22 | Grover Cleveland | March 18, 1837 | March 4, 1885 | 47 |
| 14 | Franklin Pierce | November 23, 1804 | March 4, 1853 | 48 |
| 20 | James A. Garfield | November 19, 1831 | March 4, 1881 | 49 |
| 11 | James K. Polk | November 2, 1795 | March 4, 1845 | 49 |
| 13 | Millard Fillmore | January 7, 1800 | July 9, 1850 | 50 |
| 10 | John Tyler | March 29, 1790 | April 4, 1841 | 51 |
| 30 | Calvin Coolidge | July 4, 1872 | August 2, 1923 | 51 |
| 32 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | January 30, 1882 | March 4, 1933 | 51 |
| 27 | William Howard Taft | September 15, 1857 | March 4, 1909 | 51 |
| 21 | Chester A. Arthur | October 5, 1829 | September 19, 1881 | 51 |
| 16 | Abraham Lincoln | February 12, 1809 | March 4, 1861 | 52 |
| 39 | James “Jimmy” Carter | October 1, 1924 | January 20, 1977 | 52 |
| 25 | William McKinley | January 29, 1843 | March 4, 1897 | 54 |
| 8 | Martin Van Buren | December 5, 1782 | March 4, 1837 | 54 |
| 19 | Rutherford B. Hayes | October 4, 1822 | March 4, 1877 | 54 |
| 43 | George W. Bush | July 6, 1946 | January 20, 2001 | 54 |
| 31 | Herbert Hoover | August 10, 1874 | March 4, 1929 | 54 |
| 36 | Lyndon B. Johnson | August 27, 1908 | November 22, 1963 | 55 |
| 29 | Warren G. Harding | November 2, 1865 | March 4, 1921 | 55 |
| 23 | Benjamin Harrison | August 20, 1833 | March 4, 1889 | 55 |
| 24 | Grover Cleveland | March 18, 1837 | March 4, 1893 | 55 |
| 37 | Richard Nixon | January 9, 1913 | January 20, 1969 | 56 |
| 28 | Woodrow Wilson | December 28, 1856 | March 4, 1913 | 56 |
| 17 | Andrew Johnson | December 29, 1808 | April 15, 1865 | 56 |
| 1 | George Washington | February 22, 1732 | April 30, 1789 | 57 |
| 6 | John Quincy Adams | July 11, 1767 | March 4, 1825 | 57 |
| 3 | Thomas Jefferson | April 13, 1743 | March 4, 1801 | 57 |
| 4 | James Madison | March 16, 1751 | March 4, 1809 | 57 |
| 5 | James Monroe | April 28, 1758 | March 4, 1817 | 58 |
| 33 | Harry S. Truman | May 8, 1884 | April 12, 1945 | 60 |
| 38 | Gerald Ford | July 14, 1913 | August 9, 1974 | 61 |
| 2 | John Adams | October 30, 1735 | March 4, 1797 | 61 |
| 7 | Andrew Jackson | March 15, 1767 | March 4, 1829 | 61 |
| 34 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | October 14, 1890 | January 20, 1953 | 62 |
| 12 | Zachary Taylor | November 24, 1784 | March 4, 1849 | 64 |
| 41 | George H. W. Bush* | June 12, 1924 | January 20, 1989 | 64 |
| 15 | James Buchanan | April 23, 1791 | March 4, 1857 | 65 |
| 9 | William Henry Harrison | February 9, 1773 | March 4, 1841 | 68 |
| 40 | Ronald Reagan | February 6, 1911 | January 20, 1981 | 69 |
*George Herbert Walker Bush was born June 12, 1924 and was age 56 when he was inaugurated Vice President on January 20, 1981.
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Ages of U.S. Vice-Presidents at inauguration
| # | Vice President | Date of birth | Date of inauguration | Age at inauguration |
| 14 | John C. Breckinridge | January 16, 1821 | March 4, 1857 | 36 |
| 36 | Richard Nixon | January 9, 1913 | January 20, 1953 | 40 |
| 44 | Dan Quayle | February 4, 1947 | January 20, 1989 | 41 |
| 25 | Theodore Roosevelt | October 27, 1858 | March 4, 1901 | 42 |
| 6 | Daniel D. Tompkins | June 21, 1774 | March 4, 1817 | 42 |
| 7 | John C. Calhoun | March 18, 1782 | March 4, 1825 | 42 |
| 45 | Al Gore | March 31, 1948 | January 20, 1993 | 44 |
| 3 | Aaron Burr | February 6, 1756 | March 4, 1801 | 45 |
| 17 | Schuyler Colfax | March 23, 1823 | March 4, 1869 | 45 |
| 29 | Calvin Coolidge | July 4, 1872 | March 4, 1921 | 48 |
| 42 | Walter Mondale | January 5, 1928 | January 20, 1977 | 49 |
| 12 | Millard Fillmore | January 7, 1800 | March 4, 1849 | 49 |
| 39 | Spiro Agnew | November 9, 1918 | January 20, 1969 | 50 |
| 8 | Martin Van Buren | December 5, 1782 | March 4, 1833 | 50 |
| 10 | John Tyler | March 29, 1790 | March 4, 1841 | 50 |
| 20 | Chester A. Arthur | October 5, 1829 | March 4, 1881 | 51 |
| 15 | Hannibal Hamlin | August 27, 1809 | March 4, 1861 | 51 |
| 33 | Henry A. Wallace | October 7, 1888 | January 20, 1941 | 52 |
| 37 | Lyndon B. Johnson | August 27, 1908 | January 20, 1961 | 52 |
| 11 | George M. Dallas | July 10, 1792 | March 4, 1845 | 52 |
| 24 | Garret Hobart | June 3, 1844 | March 4, 1897 | 52 |
| 26 | Charles W. Fairbanks | May 11, 1852 | March 4, 1905 | 52 |
| 27 | James S. Sherman | October 24, 1855 | March 4, 1909 | 53 |
| 1 | John Adams | October 30, 1735 | April 21, 1789 | 53 |
| 38 | Hubert Humphrey | May 27, 1911 | January 20, 1965 | 53 |
| 2 | Thomas Jefferson | April 13, 1743 | March 4, 1797 | 53 |
| 16 | Andrew Johnson | December 29, 1808 | March 4, 1865 | 56 |
| 9 | Richard M. Johnson | October 17, 1780 | March 4, 1837 | 56 |
| 43 | George H. W. Bush | June 12, 1924 | January 20, 1981 | 56 |
| 23 | Adlai E. Stevenson | October 23, 1835 | March 4, 1893 | 57 |
| 19 | William A. Wheeler | June 30, 1819 | March 4, 1877 | 57 |
| 28 | Thomas R. Marshall | March 14, 1854 | March 4, 1913 | 58 |
| 30 | Charles G. Dawes | August 27, 1865 | March 4, 1925 | 59 |
| 46 | Dick Cheney | January 30, 1941 | January 20, 2001 | 59 |
| 40 | Gerald Ford | July 14, 1913 | December 6, 1973 | 60 |
| 34 | Harry S. Truman | May 8, 1884 | January 20, 1945 | 60 |
| 18 | Henry Wilson | February 16, 1812 | March 4, 1873 | 61 |
| 32 | John Nance Garner | November 22, 1868 | March 4, 1933 | 64 |
| 22 | Levi P. Morton | May 16, 1824 | March 4, 1889 | 64 |
| 21 | Thomas A. Hendricks | September 7, 1819 | March 4, 1885 | 65 |
| 4 | George Clinton | July 26, 1739 | March 4, 1805 | 65 |
| 47 | Joe Biden | November 20, 1942 | January 20, 2009 | 66 |
| 41 | Nelson Rockefeller | July 8, 1908 | December 19, 1974 | 66 |
| 13 | William R. King | April 7, 1786 | March 4, 1853 | 66 |
| 5 | Elbridge Gerry | July 17, 1744 | March 4, 1813 | 68 |
| 31 | Charles Curtis | January 25, 1860 | March 4, 1929 | 69 |
| 35 | Alben W. Barkley | November 24, 1877 | January 20, 1949 | 71 |
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