A Sliver of Light

In May of this year, the Center for American Progress and Campus Progress released a report titled “The Progressive Generation: How Young Adults Think About the Economy.” As the aptly titled piece reads, it becomes abundantly clear that young adults today, or at least those surveyed, are proponents of a larger government; one that furnishes more services than our current government (brought about by the typical American mantra of privatize privatize privatize).

That in and of itself was interesting, but I continued reading, hoping to be astonished again. And I was: “What’s more, Millennials are a large, politically active generation that cares deeply about economic issues. Studies have found that they are, for example, more likely to express interest in politics and elections, care a good deal who wins, try to influence others’ votes, and attend political meetings.” I stopped reading thinking the authors were just flat out lying at this point.

I often speak in rather jaded terms about my generation’s apathetic reaction to national and global events like Iraq: “Well I’m screaming mad about it, but I’m not going to fly down to DC to partake in a protest, no sir, that would make me look like one of those crazy people who protest.” And that’s the crux of it: we’re a generation paralyzed by our fear of looking a little odd or different. Or even exhibiting some intense emotion. God forbid you’re labeled a drama queen because you’re passionate about something.

And then there was Barack.

Here’s my theory, and perhaps it doesn’t hold as much water as I would like it to, but nonetheless, it’s the best explanation I can conjure: Obama is smart—and different. It’s change, yes, but more importantly, the Millennials have grown up in an environment where old white men have continued to fail on a national level.

Frankly, color has everything to do with this situation. Obama’s history, fact or fiction, has a sort of romantic connotation of struggle, disenfranchisement, and survival. In other words, he’s paid dues beyond any of the Millennial white kids still pissed off that mom wouldn’t support purchasing Pogs because she thought they were just a “fad.”

He’s real, tangible, and because he speaking to an audience largely composed of college graduates, he uses collegial language and it works. Part of Hillary’s failure to capture the nomination was from here haranguing about the same issues, tones, etc. in very conventional election rhetoric. Obama spoke differently. With greater eloquence.

More importantly, Obama captured the essence of Millennial energy, isolating the apathetic attitude toward white-haired politicians and augmenting the burning desire for something new and different. Millennials have suddenly begun caring about the direction and future of the country. And even if Obama is as empty as the rest of the candidates running the field, so be it, he did something they couldn’t and now I’m not so lonely talking politics.