AOC spoke at the DNC last night and now the airwaves and cable are awash in the usual talking heads lamenting about how the “generational divide” is destroying the Democratic Party.
Bullshit.
First, let’s consider why we have a “generational divide” in the Democratic Party.
- No one lives forever. Older leaders move on and are replaced by younger leaders. These younger leaders bring their generation’s world view with them and eventually that world view shapes the Party.
- Young people who want to change the world have a choice: They can choose from Democrats, Republicans, Communists, Libertarians, or any number of other persuasions.
These two facts, then, lead me to two conclusions:
- We have gone through generational change before and every time we emerged stronger in spite of predictions that the younger generation would be the death of the Party.
- The fact that most young people are choosing the Democratic Party — especially young people of AOC’s quality — is something to celebrate. (As an aside: I monitor several Republican blogs in Virginia. One of them recently featured appeals from four young Republicans who were running for seats on the Republican Party of Virginia Central Committee. Three were Liberty University grads. All four were dedicated to: (1) Re-elect Trump; (2) “Defend the Second Amendment”; (3) End “abortion on demand”; and, (4) Support “school choice.” With young Republicans like this, the GOP is mired in the distant past and is not likely to escape.)
I was born in 1944, reared in rural SW Mississippi as a Southerner, a Baptist and a Southern Jim Crow Democrat. One day I learned to read. I’m still a Democrat.
We young Democrats frightened the hell out of the older generation, especially in the South when we sided with King, Lewis, Abernathy, SNCC and the “outside agitators”. We won and the Democratic Party is better off for it.
I’m glad we have a “generational divide.” Welcome the young folks, listen to them, help them negotiate the roadblocks, and for God’s sake do not put up any more roadblocks for them. They are our future.
