Let’s be honest. America will probably never see another generation like the
Greatest Generation. They survived the Great Depression and fought in World War
II, changing the course of history. It was a generation of people who lived
frugally, responsibly, humbly… It’s the kind of generation most Americans hope
our millennials will become, and if we’re still being honest… a lot of them are.
But the numbers are in, and the results aren’t necessarily indicative of this
desired outcome for many.
A recent article in Time accurately echoed the thoughts of most
Americans concerning Generation Y: “They’re narcissistic. They’re lazy. They’re
coddled. They’re even a bit delusional.” Further, a National Institutes of
Health study shows that perhaps it’s not just a stereotype, either: The
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is three times higher in 20-somethings than in
the generation that’s now 65 or older.
They Love Themselves… But Not Work
The unemployment rate for those aged 18 to 29 is at 16.1% according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although over 160,000 jobs were added in the month
of July, the unemployment rate for millennials didn’t budge. In fact, a recent
Gallup poll shows that less
than 44% of 18 to 29 year-olds have full-time jobs. The lack of jobs has
more millennials crashing at their parents’ house – something like 21.6 million
still living at home, actually. The decline in employment has also caused an
increase in college enrollment as students seek more degrees and to delay loan
repayment.
The joblessness among Generation Y has the College Republican National
Committee pointing fingers. According to CRNC chairman Alex Smith, “The new jobs
report this morning only shows that stagnant economic growth is the new normal.”
He blames President Obama: “The president has the ability to work with Congress
to pass legislation like the Keystone pipeline, the Stop Government Abuse Act,
and to remove the detrimental parts of the health-care plan to create more
jobs.”
The truth is, President Obama spreads a lot of talk about the economy – this
speech after that, on and on… but his actions are screaming that he doesn’t give
a damn about our economy. And he’s destroying the economy one bad policy at a
time… Or maybe it’s one job at time. Either way, the president is failing
America and that includes millennials. But the GOP isn’t doing a much
better job when it comes to the generation.
Political Power In Numbers
There’s nearly 80 million millennials in the United States. Like or not,
that’s enough to influence any election. We saw it happen in the 2008
presidential election when 66% voted for Obama, and only 31% for McCain. The
2012 election didn’t fare much better with Obama raking in 60% of the age
groups’ votes and Romney only getting 36%.
So how does the GOP attract millennials? First, they have to stop insulting
the younger demographics. While some millennials boast self-adoration and a lack
of regard for much outside of that, there are exceptions to this observation.
Not all millennials are self-absorbed. So instead of lumping all them together
as a wasted generation, come up with policies that attract those who are
concerned about the economy, national defense, and limited government.
Secondly, a presidential candidate doesn’t have to parade around, appearing
to be one of them, on board with all things popular culture, but he should be
consistent. The younger demographics want to see party members who are confident
and know what they’re talking about. Millennials aren’t interested in
flip-floppers like McCain and Romney.
Lastly, the Republican Party should stand its ground as socially
conservative. However, millennials are concerned (and split) on issues such as
abortion, homosexual marriage and legalizing marijuana, and we shouldn’t ignore
those issues.
Baby boomers won’t be around forever, and when they’re gone, the GOP is going
to need a new generation standing in the gap. And that is generation Y. Get them
on board, and if we can just bear through the current madness, perhaps this
country stands a chance.
In pursuit of the truth,
Johnnie-Ann Campbell
Source: capitolhilldaily
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