THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 12, 1994 TAG: 9412100015
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
The conventional press has stated numerous reasons for the outcome of the election of 1994, including voter dissatisfaction with gridlock, loss of confidence in the political system, a distrust of Clinton, popularity of Rush Limbaugh, and the religious right. Yet these are just the symptoms. The overwhelming cause is the basic human nature of the largest segment of our population - the baby boomers.
While the term has become almost cliche, baby boomers' impact has been underestimated. (Demographers commonly define baby boomers as those born from 1946 to 1965.) No common-sense explanations have been given as to what to expect from this group, but if you are a part of the group, a simple look at your parents and a reflection of your past can add significant insight.
As a rule, young people tend to be idealistic, theory seems to be plausible and the desire to experiment is compelling. Additionally, you usually have fewer possessions, and the desire to pool resources is appealing if not necessary.
Those traits bode well for the concept of distributing wealth, which began to take hold with Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. Remember, these policies began to take place just as the first wave of baby boomers reached voting years. In fact, it is quite easy to embrace a policy of sharing the goods of the group, especially when you have little to share.
A simple fact of human nature is that as people grow older, and for whatever reason, they tend to grow more conservative.
Baby boomers have now reached a point in their lives when they have actually accumulated some valuable possessions - perhaps a nice home; stocks, bonds and/or mutual funds; and a fair amount in their retirement accounts. With most boomers in their late 30s, 40s and some almost 50, they begin to shift to a protect-and-preserve mode.
This mind shift has the potential for tremendous changes in our country. The election of 1994 wasn't about Democrat vs. Republican but about conservative vs. liberal. To this degree, it became a pragmatic decision, not a philosophical one. It was a decision based on the fact that a large group of our population has said, ``I don't have time left for experimenting with social programs,'' ``I can't afford to pay any more taxes,'' ``I need to be concerned about how I am going to retire.''
Only in Congress do liberals or conservatives remain the same for all their lives. The rest of the population is subject to change. In this case, the electorate has changed.
GARY D. BONNEWELL
Norfolk, Dec. 2, 1994 by CNB