The Millennial Election Connection (and so much more)

This paragraph from an op-ed by Frank Rich in today's New York Times is rich, rich, rich with generational content. Thanks to Prof. David Cohen for pointing me in this direction.

Whatever the potency of his political skills and message, Mr. Obama is also riding a demographic wave. The authors of the new book “Millennial Makeover,” Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais, point out that the so-called millennial generation (dating from 1982) is the largest in American history, boomers included, and that roughly 40 percent of it is African-American, Latino, Asian or racially mixed. One in five millennials has an immigrant parent. It’s this generation that is fueling the excitement and some of the record turnout of the Democratic primary campaign, and not just for Mr. Obama.

For the paragraph above, Rich pulls information from a Washington Post piece by Winograd and Hais with the simply delicious title, "The Boomers Had Their Day. Make Way for the Millennials."

Here are some of the things that are worth noting from this single paragraph:

1. The Millennial generation is the largest in history.
2. It is the most diverse in history (unless I'm extrapolating too much from the 40% non-white info).
3. It's been a while since we had so many children of recent immigrants.
4. If you combine 2 & 3 above with the Millennial generation's reputation for tolerance, that seems to bode well for the future.
5. The Millennials are fueling political excitement and turning out in record numbers in a Presidential campaign.
6. Someone has printed the words, "The Boomers Had Their Day." I'm trying to figure out what I can give Winograd and Hais that would equal what they have given to millions of Xers in saying that the Boomers have had their day. I'll have to think about that.