Show HB1 c 1 Generation II: The (non) party animals let’s generalize OK about generations to vote on issues not Tuesday expect and often at odds with their elders party lines - Adults 35 The author of a new book says she and fellow Xers will vote issues Tuesday not party or personalities BY Will vote for MICHELE MITCHELL their representatives on the basisofJ IMPROVING PUBLIC EDUCATION 39 50 GUARANTEEING SOCIAL SECURITY T WAS MY FAULT When the passenger next to me asked what I did for a living I said I worked on Capitol Hill Most Hill staffers lie especially if they’re trapped on a flight because inevitably the reply is “Oh really? You know what’s wrong with this country'?" And then any number of things could be cited: Congress the president: once I was told the country was mapped wrong But this time the passenger next to me said “Young people are so apathetic and cynical when it comes to politics that I don’t have much hope for the future" That stopped me cold The six-ho- passenger hurriedly added that he wasn't referring to me because I worked for a congressman But didn’t I see I was an exception? “No” I replied Well political involvement meant protests and activism didn't it? Where were my peers in all this? The passenger's opinion wasn’t that unusual But it is untrue Just as World War II veterans didn't grasp why their kids protested against segregation and the Vietnam War older Americans do not understand what is going on with us They interpret our actions through their experiences If they took to the streets they slick TV 14 USA WEEKEND Oct 1 1998 48 34 other Today we see muMumm —i what Monica Lewinenvironment or eduall top concerns for young people As it ends up we base our vote on issues unlike baby boomers who base their vote on image and older Americans who loyally vote the party line A 1996 study by Global Strategy Research and Luntz Research found that more than 48 percent of Gen consider a candidate’s position on issues most important The criticism that we don't have a rallying cause is well placed: We don't have a Cold War or Vietnam to galvanize us Our concerns are diffused: Young people in coastal areas want to ' LOWER TAXES 23 35 GUARANTEE SOCIAL SECURITY 47 32 EXPANDIMPROVE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS 13 5 X-e- Writes Mitchell 27: “After growing up inundated with hear about the environment Young people in cities want to hear about crime Young people in the Midwest want to hear about education And they all want to hear about the job mar- ket and the economy With no single dominant issue politicians have a difficult time pandering to us Packaging candidates is not likely to work After growing up inundated with slick TV ad campaigns we're a tough sell “I can’t afford to make pop generalities” a consultant for BKG Youth once said giving up after an exhaustive study “I can’t boil it down to ’Don’t smile’ ” And when it comes to politics we are more likely to wonder “Did he say that or did his PR guy?” ad campaigns we’re a tough sell” expect us to do the same No generation really comprehends or trusts the one coming up behind it Each generation leaves its stamp on politics These are rites of passage What then are we passing into? Generation X is marked by a basic lack of party affiliation Compared with other age groups we are less likely to identify with the Democratic or Republican parties This isn’t because we’re apathetic We’re reactive Growing up we watched our parents shrug their shoulders every election cycle and say the — not choice was between the lesser of two evils watched as both parWe motivation exactly positive fell into scandal after scandal all the ties repeatedly while trying to scapegoat each more of the same and wonder sky has to do with crime or the cation or the global economy this political world there are no personal problems only marketing opportunities How do we know President Clinton is against drugs? He discusses his brother's addictions How do w'e know A1 Gore opposes cigarettes? He testifies about his sister's death from lung cancer We are much more likely to focus on what we can feel their lives are" iffected Tgreaf deal byS THE STOCK MARKET 35 29 WHAT'S ON TV 18 22 POUTICSWHICH NATIONAL PARTY CONTROLS CONGRESS 15 27 MORAL VALUES 48 45 September survey for NBC Newsite Street Journal Kart and Robert Teeter Adapted for USA weekend magazine Margin of error: plus or minus 225 percentage points SOURCE by Peter D see with our own eyes While boomers talked about “saving the world” we talk about saving one block Once that's accomplished we move on to the next block Gen believe community involvement can make a genuine difference Young people offer up 21 billion hours of volunteer service each year in their neighborhoods more than any other age group That is our brand of activism We’re fixated on facts It’s not enough for a politician to say “I am against crime” We demand precisely what the candidate plans to do about crime Too bad my fellow airplane passenger didn’t feel hopeful about the future because generational polls show more than 80 percent of Gen are optimistic about their future and that of the country X-e- X-e- a Adapted from Michele Mitchell's A New Kind of Party Animal: How the Young the American Political Landscape (Simon & Schuster $23) Are Tearing Up |