Exploring why older, unpopular men are main candidates for the US presidency. Discusses baby boomers' political influence and societal changes. Reflects on challenges faced by this generation in American politics.
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insights INSIGHT
The Boomer Question
John Prideaux, US editor at The Economist, questions why two unpopular older men are running for re-election.
The answer lies in the unique political landscape of the baby boomer generation.
insights INSIGHT
Boomer Dominance
Since 1992, almost every US president has been a white man born in the 1940s.
This generation benefited from post-war prosperity, economic growth, and technological advancements.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Post-War Romance
A Southern Californian reflects on their teenage years, marked by freedom and coastal drives.
Post-World War II America was a romantic time of societal progress.
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How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets asked the most. And the answer lies in the peculiar politics of the baby boomers.
Since 1992, every American president bar one has been a white man born in the 1940s. That run looks likely to span 36 years - not far off the age of the median American. This cohort was born with aces in their pockets. Their parents defeated Nazism and won the cold war. They hit the jobs market at an unmatched period of wealth creation. They have benefitted from giant leaps in technology, and in racial and gender equality.
And yet, their last act in politics sees the two main parties accusing each other of wrecking American democracy. As the boomers near the end of their political journey, John Prideaux sets out to make sense of their inheritance and their legacy.
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