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Generation Jones could give GOP surprise win in midterms
The Washington Times ^ | Nov 2, 2006 | Suzanne Fields

Posted on 11/06/2006 7:50:34 PM PST by politico 2006

...there's a voting cohort between Generation Xers and boomers that bears watching. They're the not-so-young of Generation Jones. If they're not "the lost generation" they're invisible to most of our culture commentators. The Joneses, who were born between 1954 and 1965, are usually included in the boomer cohort, but Jonathan Pontell, a pop culture consultant who coined the name, says that's a mistake. He thinks the Jonesers may be crucial in next week's congressional elections. "Coming of age politically in the late 1970s and early 1980s," he says, "Jonesers were the much discussed 'ReaganYouth,' and is the most conservative U.S. generation by a considerable margin." He credits Jonesers, particularly the women, with tipping the election for George W. in the swing states two years ago when they comprised approximately a quarter of the electorate. They are disproportionately represented among theme voters, such as NASCAR enthusiasts, Office Park Dads and Soccer-Security-Mortgage Moms. They cluster around issues of "moral values," and were polled as pulling away from conservative candidates after the Foley scandal. Now the latest polls show that they have conspicuously returned to the Republican base (apologies to Peggy Noonan). What makes them different from the boomers is that during their formative years, while their older brothers and sisters were indulging the hedonistic pleasures of Woodstock, they were at home watching the Brady Bunch and supping on mashed potatoes with both parents at the dinner table. They were not traumatized by the Kennedy assassination, but were terrified by Jimmy Carter's Iranian hostage crisis. They weren't interested in kicking Richard Nixon around, but were grateful to Ronald Reagan for restoring America's strength in the world... Next week we're likely to learn which candidates kept up with the Joneses. Copyright © 2006 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: generationjones; jones; midtermelections
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To: cripplecreek

LOL. Yeah, I'm sure he said that. :-) We've got Novak; they've got Caddell.


21 posted on 11/06/2006 8:07:38 PM PST by My2Cents (The Democrat Party's '06 platform: Offering a "Suicide Pact With America.")
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To: TNCMAXQ
Its always safe to go with the conventional wisdom. The sky is gonna fall, alright. The question is on whom. We'll find out the answer to that tomorrow night.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

22 posted on 11/06/2006 8:07:38 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: Right Angler; Lurker; leda

Me Dec. 62, leda Dec. 64


23 posted on 11/06/2006 8:08:47 PM PST by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: goldstategop

That would describe me, and I am safely in the R column - always have been.


24 posted on 11/06/2006 8:09:20 PM PST by SargeK
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To: politico 2006
I was born in 1960. I remember Jimmy Carter: I learned economics when he raised prices on an already scarce resource and damn near did what no enemy foreign ever had done.

I was schooled being told that we had all of these "problems" to solve: The environment, racial problems, etc. The older I got the more I realized that those were manufactured problems.

The article never mentions it either but I can remember when America was a free country: People talked to each other and not lawyers to solve problems. Perverts were afraid to approach children because the police would hurt them then arrest them. Older brothers had fast loud cars that threw up plumes of pollution but here we are (no environmental apocalypse). Shame was very real so most people were ashamed to get handouts and they worked instead. There were government agencies but they did necessary things and had little enforcement power. We could buy guns out of the back of hunting magazines and crime was no where like it is now.

Okay enough ranting here. Get out and vote tomorrow! See ya there.
25 posted on 11/06/2006 8:09:52 PM PST by samm1148 (Pennsylvania-They haven't taxed air--yet)
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To: patton
Me Sept. 1959. Never really felt like a 'boomer', and I don't like being told I'm at the tail end of anything.

L

26 posted on 11/06/2006 8:10:50 PM PST by Lurker (“A liberal thinks they can sleep in and someone will cover their lame ass.” Ted Nugent)
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To: politico 2006; aroostook war; TheRake; rogator; kellynla; redgirlinabluestate; DadOfTwoMarines; ...

+

If you want on (or off) this Catholic and Pro-Life ping list, let me know!



27 posted on 11/06/2006 8:11:12 PM PST by narses (St Thomas says “lex injusta non obligat”)
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To: SoCal Pubbie
Yeah, leda has an uncle born about then - he is now retired for life at 80% pay.

For those of us born 5 years later, there IS no retirement.

Hence the distinction.

28 posted on 11/06/2006 8:11:44 PM PST by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: patton

Ain't that nice...far as I'm concerned, we always got the shorter end of the stick...


29 posted on 11/06/2006 8:13:04 PM PST by Knitting A Conundrum (Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly With God Micah 6:8)
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To: goldstategop
As another generation Joneser, this is actually a pretty interesting theory. The early boomers often had the world handed to them because they arrived first to the world of postwar prosperity, relatively uncrowded schools and less intense competition.

Some of them (like our current President) had their time of indulgence, but grew up once they saw the later boomers coming up behind them . . . offering them both competition and a helping hand. Others of the early boomers (like Bill and Hillary and most of Hollywood), had the world handed to them and repaid it by doing drugs, sex and retreating into the make-beleive world of radical politics.

Some of the later boomers tried to emulate them, many settling for lesser positions in academia and government. Most of us, however, said screw it and got introduced to the hard knocks of the real world, some by choice, some because there were simply not enough positions left in the make-believe world of academia, media, government and law. A lot of us have grown real tired of supporting the lifestyles of those who proceeded us into the world by 10 years or less and managed to worm their way into positions by default that we've had to earn through competition. We have to be careful not to paint all government workers with the broad brush of lazy entitlement junkies because some of them have worked just as hard to get where they are as those of us who work in the private sector and support worker bee and drone alike in the public sector with our taxes.

30 posted on 11/06/2006 8:16:21 PM PST by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: politico 2006
Aww, I thought I finally had a generation to belong to (1964), but the more I read it appeared sadly not.

The first thing that terrified me as a kid was the Munich massacre.

31 posted on 11/06/2006 8:17:11 PM PST by hemogoblin (Kerry's an a$$hole! Oops, guess I botched that joke.)
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To: SoCal Pubbie
Pop culture consultants (whatever that is) stumble over each other to claim rights to the next new label or tag.

Here the Jones Gen is called "Reagan Youth", but I've also seen the Gen Xers call themselves "Generation Reagan" on FR.

32 posted on 11/06/2006 8:18:06 PM PST by stainlessbanner
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To: politico 2006

Hmm, well I was born in '52, so I guess I'm not included?

Except for the part about "indulging", it all fits me pretty well. And about that, so what. Even stoned, I'd never have voted for a liberal.


33 posted on 11/06/2006 8:18:09 PM PST by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s...you weren't really there.)
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To: Knitting A Conundrum
Yeah, well, think about all you have invested in, to prepare to retire - 2nd home? Stocks?

What happens when the boomers sell out?

The price falls.

34 posted on 11/06/2006 8:18:16 PM PST by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: politico 2006
The Joneses, who were born between 1954 and 1965, are usually included in the boomer cohort, but Jonathan Pontell, a pop culture consultant who coined the name, says that's a mistake.

Great! I'm off the hook!

35 posted on 11/06/2006 8:19:56 PM PST by FlyVet
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To: Knitting A Conundrum

Born in '55 by the way...I remember JFk's assassination, but I was in 3rd grade.'68, but I was in 8th grade...I remember stagflation and gas lines and the Iranian hostage crisis, and how wonderful it was to listen to Ronald Reagan talk about his dreams for a safer world...always it was the leading edge of teh baby boom that seemed to get the press, the news, the noteriety...we in the middle got a different experience.


36 posted on 11/06/2006 8:19:58 PM PST by Knitting A Conundrum (Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly With God Micah 6:8)
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To: politico 2006

I found this article to describe me rather well.


37 posted on 11/06/2006 8:20:22 PM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: politico 2006

I have always resented being lumped in with the boomer's.

I was born in 1955, and when Carter was Pres, boy did that idiot get my attention. I was so happy Regan was running that I remember when he campaigned near me at Mile Square Park, I went to my first political stump speech. I was noticing the bias on TV news reporting back even then.


38 posted on 11/06/2006 8:20:36 PM PST by TruthConquers (Delenda est publius schola)
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To: politico 2006

I was born in 1959 and always resented being called a BOOMER, because I'm not...but I'm not an x or Y either. I'm glad I finally have a identify ;)


39 posted on 11/06/2006 8:21:40 PM PST by Hildy
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To: politico 2006
This fits me, and I was born in 1967, I definitely do not fit with the X'rs (my sister 1974 does)and I am definitely not a Boomer. All my high school buddies were big Reagan fans, even though we could never vote for him.
40 posted on 11/06/2006 8:22:03 PM PST by aliquando (A Scout is T, L, H, F, C, K, O, C, T, B, C, and R.)
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