A Gen-Xer I know who’s in his late 30’s made a keen observation at a recent Sunday dinner gathering he attended. When the talk turned to politics, he reported that the people over 50 unanimously said Bernie Sanders was too old to be president. The 19-year-olds at the table were enthusiastic Sanders supporters.
That seems to be the case nation-wide. Generally speaking, college kids and young people adore this 74-year-old Jewish socialist and hang on his every word, while more mature adults are skeptical and view his pronouncements with a jaundiced eye. It’s fascinating to contemplate why that is, why young people would be attracted to a man not only old enough to be their grandfather, but in some cases, their great-grandfather. Maybe that would be a good subject for another blog.
The Gen-Xer in question accuses me of ageism because of my negative view of Bernie Sanders, and he bases it on my contempt for the Rolling Stones. I admit I can’t stand watching that cadaverous, wrinkled, rock group who have been giving concerts for a half-century, as they gyrate on stage. I didn’t make up jokes about them advertising Depends undergarments. I’ve heard musicians say they can’t even carry a beat any longer. I’m not the one who said, “After the nuclear apocalypse all that will remain are cockroaches and Keith Richards.” Mick Jagger at 73 has more wrinkles than my father had at 93. Come to think of it, my father had no wrinkles at 93. It must have been the olive oil.
I certainly don’t condemn a demographic I’m part of. I’m only a couple of years younger than Bernie Sanders. There are a whole lot of people I respect and admire that are older than Bernie. I love the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, and he’s 83. However, he looks like he’s 63. Bernie is 74 and could pass for 84. Looks are important.
It’s also what kind of music you play when you’re a particular age. I saw B.B. King in concert a couple of times. He was much older than the Stones, but he was a blues guitarist. Old and blues belong in the same sentence—old blues guy.
I love Maggie Smith, the 81-year-old British actress who was the best character in Downton Abbey. I won’t watch Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Harrison Ford reprise some of their action films from twenty or thirty years ago.
In athletics, it depends on the sport. Former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes wanted to stage boxing matches with other fighters from his era. It didn’t fly. Who wants to watch flabby fifty-year old boxers with man breasts embarrass themselves in the ring. But old golfers are fun to watch because that’s a game you can play forever.
Of course, it’s questionable whether or not golf is a sport. No doubt I’ve just pissed off a lot of people (insert smiley face here).
So I plead not guilty to being an ageist, especially when it comes to Bernie Sanders. If I thought he could win the election I’d have no problem with his candidacy. But it’s the Supreme Court, stupid, three more Scalias to plague us for a generation if the Republicans win.
That would be one time I couldn’t shrug my shoulders and say “What are you gonna do?” And the winters are horrific in Cape Breton.
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Yeah, I know. It is weird. I think part of it is just a herd instinct. Undergrads aren’t much older than high-school kids, and people at that age tend to follow their friends and stick together. Bernie’s young followers remind me of a huge snowball made in 45-degree weather. Stuck real tight, starting to melt, and rolling down the hill.
Very good imagery. Herd instinct is probably a good part of it, but a psychological study is needed to determine if it’s something more than that.
May I suggest that it could be as simple as being too youthful to know better? I’m 56, and have been beginning to feel my age for at least the last 6 years, and there are days when I feel much older than I am. Someone in their 20’s or 30’s has yet to experience what age does to a person physically (you, Carlo, being the obvious exception!). I, on the other hand, look at Bernie and wonder how the hell he manages on the grueling campaign trail after so many sedentary decades on Capitol Hill. And while he seems to be holding up well, it nonetheless leads me to wonder how he would deal with the demands of the presidency and its 24/7 level of stress. Just watch how fast HIS hair will turn white! Oh, wait a minute….
I could understand young people being enthusiastic about Obama, who was 47 when he ran and playing full-court basketball. How they can have the same enthusiasm for someone 74 is beyond me.
They think their student debt will be excused.
I’m sure that’s part of it. A lot of those kids are fairly ignorant politically, from what I’ve heard.