[LibertarianInExile]

“A. The Census Bureau ID boomers as those born 1946-1964.”

The government definition isn’t indicative of the actual boom, which began in 1939. But I’ll even give you a later date that others find acceptable, which is what I went by—1943. That’s the Strauss and Howe definition I mention upthread.

“B. In federal elections, the voting age was 21 until 1971.”

That doesn’t change the fact that the youngest Boomer by MY definition and that of many others was 21 in 1966, meaning that contrary to your assertion some Boomers certainly were able to vote for Reagan during his major national run for the White House in 1968.

“C. LBJ was elected in 1964. The youngest voters then were born in 1943.”

The youngest voters then were born in 1946. Check your state laws—there wasn’t a federal law on voting age then.

“McGovern ran in 1972. The youngest voters there were born in 1954. Most boomers were still kids, at home, living with parents. Most boomers were still kids, at home, living with parents. They couldn’t vote. Most were 8-17 years old.”

The height of the boom was in its first years. The 18-24 demographic participated at a rate similar to the rest of the voting population in 1972. But that’s all distraction anyway. As I pointed out, you certainly can’t back up an assertion that the majority of Boomers somehow were anti-McGovern. There aren’t any polls to show that.

[TruthConquers]

I wasn’t old enough to vote, never mind not being a citizen yet, but I do remember the McGovern “excitement”. The teachers at my HS were all a twitter over the “youth” vote that DID NOT materialize.

What would be more relevant is the age and voting when the boomers actually bothered to vote in big enough numbers to matter. They did not go out and vote for McGovern, as much as the libs wished they would. It seems to me for a long time, and might still be, is the elderly vote has always out voted all the other categories... and they hold the blame.

[Darren McCarty]

I never said they were anti-McGovern. I chose the words "didn't vote for McGovern" because they simply couldn't vote. If you use as the start date 1943, it changes things some with the oldest for the LBJ votes, but only slightly changes things overall. The point I was making is that a lot of the things attributed to the boomers really applied to the Silent and GI Generations. JFK. LBJ. etc. Boomers and Millennials get blamed for everything. GI gets all the credit and no blame. Silents and X'ers just get ignored. In the millennial case, the blame much deserved so far. In the Boomers case, it's much more complicated.

A lot of people also forget about the later end of the boomers, which along with the early Generation X'ers, tend to me some of the most conservative voters in this country. Generally those born in the 1960's and early 70's. It starts to wane a big with the tail end of the X'ers born in the mid-late 70's (my age) and then goes bigtime left with the Millennials from around 81 onward.