I’m really not proud of my generation. The boomer stereotype has some basis in fact, or at least lots of anecdotes. But a *lot* of my generation is in the Trump/authoritarian camp. I’ll provide evidence via an anecdote and some data.

The anecdote is that we were sitting in the Kaiser clinic yesterday when another couple sat in the seats immediately behind us. The “lady” of the pair, a 60-ish person, was a real piece of work. She spent the entire time rattling off Faux News talking points to her partner. How evil and corrupt Biden is. How the godless (she actually used that word) Democrats are on a national baby-killing program. How the cocaine found recently in the White House must have belonged to Biden’s son. How Biden is still trying to control us all with vaccines. And so on. She would then intersperse each talking point with thanks to Jesus for being in control, and that God/Jesus would make everything right in the end.

My wife wanted to get up and move, but I wanted to stay and listen. It’s not often you get to hear what one of these low-info MAGA folks really think, unfiltered. After it was over (they left), I was just ashamed to be part of the same generation as this poor brainwashed person.

The data supporting the notion that my generation is pretty bad comes from Digby’s latest essay, describing how the GOP is getting older and super white. I resemble that remark, other than the GOP part. The GOP’s demographics are now 75% over the age of 50 (40% over 65!), 89% white and 62% with no college degree. Yikes.

The good news is that this is a problem that looks like will die off, literally. It’ll take 20-25 years, but all those white uneducated boomers will die off. The bad news is that it’s my generation, and while I only share the age demographic with these GOPers, I’ll be gone too.

Maybe The Who had it right all the way back in 1965.

People try to put us d-down (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Just because we get around (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (talkin’ ’bout my generation)

This is my generation
This is my generation, baby

Why don’t you all f-fade away (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Don’t try to dig what we all s-s-s-say (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
I’m not trying to ’cause a big s-s-sensation (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
I’m just talkin’ ’bout my g-g-g-generation (talkin’ ’bout my generation)

My generation
This is my generation, baby