I was talking to my dad on the phone the other night. I’ll get to the conversation I had with him, but first, a little about him for context: He’s almost 70 years old, a lifelong Traditional Catholic — participating in the choir in solemn, Latin High Masses every Sunday. Even if he couldn’t be part of the choir, he would go out of the way on vacation to find such a place. He’s that kind of Catholic. He’s a lifelong conservative — not Republican. He was a huge fan of Reagan, and still thinks of him as the standard for what a Republican should be. He didn’t like the Clinton’s when the were in the White House and he still doesn’t. He never supported the whole Lewinski thing… he thought they should have been going after Clinton on campaign contribution/finance issues. He thought that whole thing was just a circus.
I was talking to him on the phone, and we got to talking some about politics. He thinks that most of the people fielded by the right this year are a complete joke and/or dangerous. He believes Trump to be a dangerous maniac and no one like Cruz or Rubio have really resonated with him either. Nor does he have any desire for more Bush. Most people in this country have tired of the Bush name. Someone like Kasich could possibly interest him, but there is perhaps no one else that he would even consider voting for, which is where we get to this part of the conversation “If they nominate one of those clowns, I might cross party lines for the first time in my life”. I did not know what to say.
This did not even sound like the dad I grew up with at all… my dad is from a generation of Republican voters that thought of socialist as a dirty word. And he’s considering switching sides to vote for Bernie Sanders. He’s heard the guy talk… he likes him. He may not be a Republican but he doesn’t sound like a typical Democrat either. He speaks the truth very plainly and clearly and he doesn’t talk down to you — he keeps his word and isn’t a hypocrite. In today’s age with how people distrust politicians, this gives him a real crossover appeal. Many people in both parties do not feel the candidates are properly representing them anymore, and here comes Bernie — speaking the truth plain as day without holding anything back. He doesn’t take you for a fool, he doesn’t try to trick you. He just tells you exactly how things are.
This means that Bernie has a real chance to get crossover votes in the general election. He would be able to not only excite the base, and get the independents, but if the Republicans choose someone extreme enough, he could even pull some oft the Republican vote over. This could truly be one of the greatest wave elections ever.
And this is why he resonates so well with young and old people alike. Because he is honest and straightforward. There is a new generation coming up that people are not even talking about yet because they are so young. You see, I am almost 28 years old. I am a millennial if you ask most people. Most people would also say today’s current 18-24 year old’s are millennials, but I would not. People around 18-24 are part of an entirely new generation — of course there is some crossover between the two — but a new generation is starting to define itself very clearly. This new generation is constantly connected and active. You think millennials weren’t active voters? They might not have been, but I guarantee you this new generation will be and they will blow you away with their enthusiasm.
This new generation is constantly connected almost from birth. To each other. To information from every source imaginable from all around the world. They can spot bullshit from a thousand paces with their eyes closed and they don’t even have to get out of bed to do it. They want honesty and they respect transparency and straightforwardness more than anything else. These kids are engaged and you risk writing them off as “young kids who won’t come out to vote” at your own peril. They are excited and ready to go and they will surprise you.
Many of the millennials, my own generation, have been too apathetic and not voted despite the system grinding them down so hard. The new generation have watched that closely and they have been preparing for this fight their whole lives, knowing the world is on the line and if no one else will step up, they might as well step up and fight for their own futures. These kids will come out to vote. And anyone who thinks otherwise has completely missed a brand new generation that is ready to take the world by storm.
I work with several of the new generation, almost all girls. They are all in for Bernie. This is a conservative area, but the times are changing. All of them would love a woman president, but they see barriers like that as a bonus, not something that should even be one part of your consideration in terms of voting. One of them is in highschool and won’t quite be old enough to vote in the election and that disappoints her. She has made sure to get her boyfriend registered to vote — he wasn’t getting around to getting it done — although they are both in for Bernie Sanders. She will make sure he doesn’t forget to make it to the polls in November.
Steinem’s comment is very silly considering the previous example — in my friends case it’s the young woman deciding to ensure her boyfriend votes for the right candidate, and goes to get him registered so he can vote for Sanders! I will add they are all feminists, and they all think that Bernie is the right candidate for the job this time around. They new generation is well read, well researched, well connected and very engaged. The future is bright. There is hope for the world.
Thanks for the rec list ya’ll! Never thought it would end up on here, but the more visibility for Bernie’s positive message, and his appeal to voters from all walks of life and ideologies is always a good thing! Go Bernie!
I also edited to add a few more paragraph breaks, as a couple people suggested it for better readability. Cheers!