Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Fate of America – In the Hands of Millennials

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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