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The Great Gen X vs. Boomer Debate Comes for Kamala
Boomers have dominated American politics for more than three decades, and that’s not about to change
Kamala Harris, who is running for vice president alongside Democratic nominee Joe Biden, feels like a breath of fresh air. She’s crisp, dynamic, and charismatic, a youthful counter to Biden, who, if he wins this election, will turn 80 while in office. Put her smiling face next to the stale, curdled visage of Donald Trump, and the president looks all the sourer.
She’s also a baby boomer’s idea of a young person — in a country where 80% of U.S. senators are over the age of 55, and not a single one is under 40, Harris (55 herself) is practically aglow with youthful vitality. You’d barely know that Harris is a boomer. And don’t expect her to own it.
Boomers have dominated American politics for more than three decades. Dan Quayle became the first baby boomer in the White House in 1989 when he began his term as George H.W. Bush’s vice president. Bill Clinton was the first baby boomer…
