4 ms·

It was handed to Obama (gen X) and then we went back to the boomers again!

rootusrootus 2y ago
And then to the silent generation. And all we know now is that it won’t go back to gen x or later for at least another four years.
nytesky 2y ago
Obama is a tail end boomer (‘61) GenX starts ‘65 https://guides.loc.gov/consumer-research/market-segments/generations https://guides.loc.gov/consumer-research/market-segments/gen...
spamizbad 2y ago
Trump is technically Silent Generation (edit: Nope, im wrong, he's a boomer), but I feel like he's very much a "Gen-X" president in how he sort of encapsulates that generations id. He rose to prominence in public consciousness during Gen-X's formative years. His TV career likewise took off as Gen-X grew as a share of the adult TV viewing audience, with his shows doing well in that demographic. And finally, during the 2016 and 2020 election his support was extremely strong with them in 2016 and 2020[1], tracking closer 65+ voters than Millennials or Zoomers. Romney did not enjoy the same support from Xers in 2012[2]. Long story short, Trump has tapped into Gen-X in a way even Gen-X politicians have been unable to. [1] https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2016 https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2016 https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2020 https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2020 [2] https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2012 https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2012
- gedy 2y ago
  > Trump is technically Silent Generation Isn't he a Baby Boomer? Born June 14, 1946
- saulpw 2y ago
  1946 is absolutely the beginning of the Boomers. The Boomers are the babies born after soldiers came home from WWII in 1945. If anything, Biden (1942) is technically the Silent Generation. Gen X are the children of the Boomers. So starting ~1965 or so. Trump may have a connection with Gen Xers, just like Reagan had a connection with Boomers, but he's not a Gen X president. Not in any way.
  - lupire 2y ago
    His father is a draft dodger real-estate robber-baron, so I don't think the post-WWII zeitgeist matters too much. He's certainly not Silent either.
pixelmonkey 2y ago
Birth years of last 5 presidents: 1946, 1946, 1961, 1946, 1942. And, assuming no one drops out and they both survive to election day, 1942 or 1946 will be the next one. Obama, being born in 1961, is on the edge of Boomers and Gen X, since generational boundaries are always a little poorly defined. He was 47 years old when elected to his first term in 2008, so we definitely think of him as a "young president." Plus, he was only a US senator for 3 years before winning the presidency. Bill Clinton, a definite boomer, was 46 when he was elected in 1992.
bediger4000 2y ago
Amusingly, "the baby boom" used to be counted from 1946 to 1965. I believe the largest annual cohort was born in 1960 or 1961. Looks like "Gen X" has subsumed what used to be late baby boom.
- lupire 2y ago
  The Baby Boom is a real effect, but it doesn't make everyone born during the boom a shared culture.
knallfrosch 2y ago
Trump (1946) is 9 years older than the average boomer (1946—1964.) Biden (1942) isn't even boomer anymore, he's Silent Generation (1928—1945)

And then to the silent generation. And all we know now is that it won’t go back to gen x or later for at least another four years.

nytesky 2y ago

Obama is a tail end boomer (‘61) GenX starts ‘65 https://guides.loc.gov/consumer-research/market-segments/generations https://guides.loc.gov/consumer-research/market-segments/gen...

spamizbad 2y ago

Trump is technically Silent Generation (edit: Nope, im wrong, he's a boomer), but I feel like he's very much a "Gen-X" president in how he sort of encapsulates that generations id. He rose to prominence in public consciousness during Gen-X's formative years. His TV career likewise took off as Gen-X grew as a share of the adult TV viewing audience, with his shows doing well in that demographic. And finally, during the 2016 and 2020 election his support was extremely strong with them in 2016 and 2020[1], tracking closer 65+ voters than Millennials or Zoomers. Romney did not enjoy the same support from Xers in 2012[2]. Long story short, Trump has tapped into Gen-X in a way even Gen-X politicians have been unable to. [1] https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2016 https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2016 https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2020 https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2020 [2] https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2012 https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2012

gedy 2y ago
> Trump is technically Silent Generation Isn't he a Baby Boomer? Born June 14, 1946
saulpw 2y ago
1946 is absolutely the beginning of the Boomers. The Boomers are the babies born after soldiers came home from WWII in 1945. If anything, Biden (1942) is technically the Silent Generation. Gen X are the children of the Boomers. So starting ~1965 or so. Trump may have a connection with Gen Xers, just like Reagan had a connection with Boomers, but he's not a Gen X president. Not in any way.
- lupire 2y ago
  His father is a draft dodger real-estate robber-baron, so I don't think the post-WWII zeitgeist matters too much. He's certainly not Silent either.

pixelmonkey 2y ago

Birth years of last 5 presidents: 1946, 1946, 1961, 1946, 1942. And, assuming no one drops out and they both survive to election day, 1942 or 1946 will be the next one. Obama, being born in 1961, is on the edge of Boomers and Gen X, since generational boundaries are always a little poorly defined. He was 47 years old when elected to his first term in 2008, so we definitely think of him as a "young president." Plus, he was only a US senator for 3 years before winning the presidency. Bill Clinton, a definite boomer, was 46 when he was elected in 1992.

bediger4000 2y ago

Amusingly, "the baby boom" used to be counted from 1946 to 1965. I believe the largest annual cohort was born in 1960 or 1961. Looks like "Gen X" has subsumed what used to be late baby boom.

lupire 2y ago
The Baby Boom is a real effect, but it doesn't make everyone born during the boom a shared culture.

knallfrosch 2y ago

Trump (1946) is 9 years older than the average boomer (1946—1964.) Biden (1942) isn't even boomer anymore, he's Silent Generation (1928—1945)