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Millennials started getting the vote in 2000. Many crucial elections since then have been extremely close. They had the opportunity to have the decisive say i

Millennials started getting the vote in 2000. Many crucial elections since then have been extremely close. They had the opportunity to have the decisive say in outcomes. How's their track record of choices working out?

0xFFC 8y ago
I don't understand the downvotes. But this is true. In the end, there is only one fact of life: "We get the world we deserve".
- pcmaffey 8y ago
  Except we start with "We get the world our parents leave us."
makotech222 8y ago
People born in 1982 got to vote in 2000... Millennial generation generally start around 1989ish. Also, it is well known that young people have the lowest turnout, for various reasons. I would say millenials have only just now started voting. We almost got Bernie as president. It seems likely he will be president in 2020 if he runs.
lordnacho 8y ago
Of there's more other groups, they'll get outvoted. It's hard to make the case that they've been able to decide any generational issues yet.
watwut 8y ago
The seem to participate in elections pretty much in same rate as previous generations did in same age. They also did not managed to get their way.
wool_gather 8y ago
> Many crucial elections since then have been extremely close. They had the opportunity to have the decisive say in outcomes. The one does not follow from the other. Even assuming that it's reasonable to consider a monolithic Millennial voting bloc, they may have been "extremely closely" outvoted.
- blacksqr 8y ago
  "millennials continue to have the lowest voter turnout of any age group. Only about 46 percent voted in the last presidential election; compared to 72 percent of the Silent Generation" [1] "This election [2016] was effectively decided by 107,000 people in these three states [MI, PA, WI]. Trump won the popular vote there by that combined amount. That amounts to 0.09 percent of all votes cast in this election." [2] [1] https://www.npr.org/2016/05/16/478237882/millennials-now-rival-boomers-as-a-political-force-but-will-they-actually-vote https://www.npr.org/2016/05/16/478237882/millennials-now-riv... [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-election/swing-state-margins https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-electi...
Ithildin 8y ago
Millennials have made up a smaller, but growing demographic since 2000. What about the other, larger demographics? If you wanted us to make better choices, you shouldn't have left us with the current problems without properly equipping us. Now we're trying to solve today's issues as best we can given our circumstances all while you complain and moan. A thank you is all you need to say, really. We're bailing out your lifestyle and voting choices of the past at the cost of our own. We don't always get it right, but we're learning fast. Just be sure to step aside when the time comes so we can actually make some meaningful change in the world.
- blacksqr 8y ago
  > If you wanted us to make better choices, you shouldn't have left us with the current problems without properly equipping us. We equipped you with the vote starting at age 18. Voting age was lowered from 21 in 1971. So you had a head start on many boomers and all the silent/greatest generations. > Just be sure to step aside when the time comes so we can actually make some meaningful change in the world. Oh, how I yearn for that day to come.
mbbutler 8y ago
Millennial voting choices have been the right ones. Unfortunately they continue to be drowned out by Boomers who routinely vote for the most conservative, reactionary candidates available.
jld 8y ago
Ha. In 2000, there were about 9 million Americans between 18 and 20 years old, and about 200 million people older than 20. Even now, people 20-40 are a minority of the voting populace. It is unfair to blame the outcome of all the elections, and hence the policies of the last 20 years, on a minority people eligible to vote.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- blacksqr 8y ago
  Voter turnout by 18-21 year-olds in 2000 was the lowest in recorded history. The presidential election was decided by less than 600 votes.
porpoisely 8y ago
In 2000, the millenial voting bloc would have been like 1% of the total US voting population. Are you seriously laying the blame on 18 years old and not the 19 to 120 year old that make up almost all the votes? Also decisive in what way? Between Bush and Clinton? Or Obama and McCain? Trump or Clinton? Republican or Democrat? Why didn't previous generations make the "decisive" vote? Seems like whichever side you vote for, things don't get any better. Wars don't stop. And the rich get richer. But yes, lets blame those pesky 18 years old of 2000. Also, are millenials supposed to vote as a unit? I thought we were all individuals.
- blacksqr 8y ago
  > In 2000, the millenial voting bloc would have been like 1% of the total US voting population The presidential election that year was decided by less than 600 votes. > Why didn't previous generations make the "decisive" vote? Previous generations did make the decisive vote, in their favor. Millennials turn out to vote at the lowest rate of any age group, and so have missed their chances to be the deciders. > Also, are millenials supposed to vote as a unit? I thought we were all individuals. Millennials might be expected to vote their self-interest, in the aggregate. The linked article suggests the possibility that they could have done a better job at that.
  - dragonwriter 8y ago
    > Millennials turn out to vote at the lowest rate of any age group Probably not any more, since the subsequent generation can now vote and is fully within, while leading edge Millenials are out of, the 18-29 age group that has consistently been the lowest turnout age group. People are so used to conflating “Millenial” and “young adult”...
    - blacksqr 8y ago
      "millennials continue to have the lowest voter turnout of any age group. Only about 46 percent voted in the last presidential election; compared to 72 percent of the Silent Generation" [1] [1] https://www.npr.org/2016/05/16/478237882/millennials-now-rival-boomers-as-a-political-force-but-will-they-actually-vote https://www.npr.org/2016/05/16/478237882/millennials-now-riv...
kingbirdy 8y ago
Only a small fraction of Millennials would have been able to vote in 2000, and depending on your definition of the generation (stop date of '95 or '00) the full group either got to vote for the first time in the 2014 midterms or will get to vote for the first time in the 2020 elections.
explorigin 8y ago
This is an important thing to bring up but from a different perspective. Most millennials didn't want either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in the last election. That lack of choice should not be blamed on a generation when the Clinton campaign subverted the DNC (and hence the popular candidate) and Trump was an unknown wildcard in a long list of crusty GOP candidates.

0xFFC 8y ago

I don't understand the downvotes. But this is true. In the end, there is only one fact of life: "We get the world we deserve".

pcmaffey 8y ago
Except we start with "We get the world our parents leave us."

makotech222 8y ago

People born in 1982 got to vote in 2000... Millennial generation generally start around 1989ish. Also, it is well known that young people have the lowest turnout, for various reasons. I would say millenials have only just now started voting. We almost got Bernie as president. It seems likely he will be president in 2020 if he runs.

lordnacho 8y ago

Of there's more other groups, they'll get outvoted. It's hard to make the case that they've been able to decide any generational issues yet.

watwut 8y ago

The seem to participate in elections pretty much in same rate as previous generations did in same age. They also did not managed to get their way.

wool_gather 8y ago

> Many crucial elections since then have been extremely close. They had the opportunity to have the decisive say in outcomes. The one does not follow from the other. Even assuming that it's reasonable to consider a monolithic Millennial voting bloc, they may have been "extremely closely" outvoted.

blacksqr 8y ago
"millennials continue to have the lowest voter turnout of any age group. Only about 46 percent voted in the last presidential election; compared to 72 percent of the Silent Generation" [1] "This election [2016] was effectively decided by 107,000 people in these three states [MI, PA, WI]. Trump won the popular vote there by that combined amount. That amounts to 0.09 percent of all votes cast in this election." [2] [1] https://www.npr.org/2016/05/16/478237882/millennials-now-rival-boomers-as-a-political-force-but-will-they-actually-vote https://www.npr.org/2016/05/16/478237882/millennials-now-riv... [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-election/swing-state-margins https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-electi...

Ithildin 8y ago

Millennials have made up a smaller, but growing demographic since 2000. What about the other, larger demographics? If you wanted us to make better choices, you shouldn't have left us with the current problems without properly equipping us. Now we're trying to solve today's issues as best we can given our circumstances all while you complain and moan. A thank you is all you need to say, really. We're bailing out your lifestyle and voting choices of the past at the cost of our own. We don't always get it right, but we're learning fast. Just be sure to step aside when the time comes so we can actually make some meaningful change in the world.

blacksqr 8y ago
> If you wanted us to make better choices, you shouldn't have left us with the current problems without properly equipping us. We equipped you with the vote starting at age 18. Voting age was lowered from 21 in 1971. So you had a head start on many boomers and all the silent/greatest generations. > Just be sure to step aside when the time comes so we can actually make some meaningful change in the world. Oh, how I yearn for that day to come.

mbbutler 8y ago

Millennial voting choices have been the right ones. Unfortunately they continue to be drowned out by Boomers who routinely vote for the most conservative, reactionary candidates available.

jld 8y ago

Ha. In 2000, there were about 9 million Americans between 18 and 20 years old, and about 200 million people older than 20. Even now, people 20-40 are a minority of the voting populace. It is unfair to blame the outcome of all the elections, and hence the policies of the last 20 years, on a minority people eligible to vote.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
blacksqr 8y ago
Voter turnout by 18-21 year-olds in 2000 was the lowest in recorded history. The presidential election was decided by less than 600 votes.

porpoisely 8y ago

In 2000, the millenial voting bloc would have been like 1% of the total US voting population. Are you seriously laying the blame on 18 years old and not the 19 to 120 year old that make up almost all the votes? Also decisive in what way? Between Bush and Clinton? Or Obama and McCain? Trump or Clinton? Republican or Democrat? Why didn't previous generations make the "decisive" vote? Seems like whichever side you vote for, things don't get any better. Wars don't stop. And the rich get richer. But yes, lets blame those pesky 18 years old of 2000. Also, are millenials supposed to vote as a unit? I thought we were all individuals.

blacksqr 8y ago
> In 2000, the millenial voting bloc would have been like 1% of the total US voting population The presidential election that year was decided by less than 600 votes. > Why didn't previous generations make the "decisive" vote? Previous generations did make the decisive vote, in their favor. Millennials turn out to vote at the lowest rate of any age group, and so have missed their chances to be the deciders. > Also, are millenials supposed to vote as a unit? I thought we were all individuals. Millennials might be expected to vote their self-interest, in the aggregate. The linked article suggests the possibility that they could have done a better job at that.
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > Millennials turn out to vote at the lowest rate of any age group Probably not any more, since the subsequent generation can now vote and is fully within, while leading edge Millenials are out of, the 18-29 age group that has consistently been the lowest turnout age group. People are so used to conflating “Millenial” and “young adult”...
  - blacksqr 8y ago
    "millennials continue to have the lowest voter turnout of any age group. Only about 46 percent voted in the last presidential election; compared to 72 percent of the Silent Generation" [1] [1] https://www.npr.org/2016/05/16/478237882/millennials-now-rival-boomers-as-a-political-force-but-will-they-actually-vote https://www.npr.org/2016/05/16/478237882/millennials-now-riv...

kingbirdy 8y ago

Only a small fraction of Millennials would have been able to vote in 2000, and depending on your definition of the generation (stop date of '95 or '00) the full group either got to vote for the first time in the 2014 midterms or will get to vote for the first time in the 2020 elections.

explorigin 8y ago

This is an important thing to bring up but from a different perspective. Most millennials didn't want either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in the last election. That lack of choice should not be blamed on a generation when the Clinton campaign subverted the DNC (and hence the popular candidate) and Trump was an unknown wildcard in a long list of crusty GOP candidates.