This latest in my irregular series, The Paragraph Of The Day, comes to us from Mark Bauerlein, an English professor at Emory University (a place where we left a lot of tuition money years ago).
Mr. Bauerlein has an op-ed piece in today\’s paper, which attempts to explain why so-called “millennials” (18-29\’s) are either turning away from the Democrat Party, turning to the Republican Party or both.
Bauerlein points out that, in 2008, this segment voted something like 2 to 1 for Democrats. But in 2012 – also a Presidential election year – that disparity dropped to 60%-37%. And this year? 54%-43%.
That, folks, is a very big change in a very short period of time.
How did it happen – especially given that the Republican platform on social issues is so antithetical to where most people of this age are? Here, in one key paragraph, is Mr. Baurlein\’s take:
Putsimply, the social landscape looks much different now than it didjust a few years ago. Millennials mostly don\’t remember the firstelection of George W. Bush, which frightened secular liberals intobelieving that theocratic forces were gathering. And how can theycredit a “war on women” when they see women outnumber men inundergraduate enrollments? Students at nonreligious colleges can passthrough four years without hearing a word against “marriageequality.”
That is a very, very interesting analysis.
What Mark Bauerlein is saying, in essence, is that President Bush – whatever millennials think of him – is now ancient history…
…and that two issues in which Democrats have successfully mined votes for years – the “war on women” and gay marriage – are no longer able to generate the same passion level among millennials because, regardless of the Republican stance, both are more or less settled and over with now, therefore no longer as relevant.
Put another way, Democrats and Republicans can argue over whether Republicans made war on women all they like, along with the pros and cons of gay marriage. But if millennials perceive that the war is over and legalized gay marriage is well on its way to being a fait accompli, it\’s a nothing more than an exercise in forensics.
By contrast, issues like the job market, the price of energy, whether we are safe from terrorism, etc.- all of which are areas Republican do far better with – move up the food chain/have a greater effect on who millennials will vote for.
This does not mean Republicans won\’t lose votes on the party\’s opposition to gay marriage and/or its (real or imagined) war on women (as well as a number of other social issues that hurt it with younger voters). But it does mean they won\’t lose as many…which may well be why, come January, there will be a Republican majority in the U. S. senate.
So, with a tip of my hat (if I ever decide to wear one) to his AC (Analytical Correctness) I award Mark Bauerlein Paragraph Of The Day honors.
Now: does that mean we get a rebate on our son\’s tuition?
Ok, I thought not. Can\’t blame me for trying, though.
