People gravitate toward libertarian and conservative ideals as they grow older and gain real life experience. That is just the ebb and flow of things.
Home Depot Democrats?
Millennials who went for Obama are now becoming homeowners.
A customer looks at paint samples at a Home Depot Inc. store in New York in August.PHOTO: VICTOR J. BLUE/BLOOMBERG NEWS
By
James Freeman
Updated Oct. 10, 2017 3:03 p.m. ET
841 COMMENTS
The largest generation in U.S. history, which came of age in the dreary Obama economy and overwhelmingly voted for America’s 44th President, is now looking more like every previous generation. This could present a big problem for the Democratic party.
The potential problem has two parts. The first is that many elected Democrats are following the lead of Sen. Bernie Sanders (Socialist, Vt.) in embracing policies to the left of the ones that Barack Obama successfully campaigned on in 2008 and 2012. Alan Greenblatt frets in Politico today that 2020 could be a replay of 1968:
In 1968, as in 2016, Democrats narrowly lost the White House after nominating a relatively moderate, establishment candidate instead of a more liberal alternative who had inspired a raging enthusiasm among younger voters. Democrats spent much of the next four years arguing about what direction the party should take. White working-class voters—traditionally a Democratic bloc—were sluicing away, and progressives, convinced the party needed to change both its policy direction and its coalition of supporters, demanded a new approach: a “loose peace coalition” of minorities, young voters and educated white Democrats... One year later, the party’s presidential nominee, the ultra-liberal Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, went on to lose 49 states in one of the most lopsided victories in American history.
How does this compare to the party’s reaction to its 2016 defeat? “Consumed by internecine battles and the idea of opposition, Democrats run the risk of again nominating someone like McGovern who pleases progressives but steers a course too far from the country’s center of political gravity to win,” says Mr. Greenblatt.
So the party may be evolving in a much more radical direction as it prepares for 2020. How will this go over with the (numerically) greatest generation? A Journal report should give elected Democrats pause as they consider whether to join the Sandernista revolution.
Ellen Byron’s highly informative story is about millennial consumers and the unique challenges they present to makers of cleaning supplies, power tools and other goods. It seems that many members of the (numerically) greatest generation never learned to do yard work or house work as children. So before selling products relevant to such tasks, companies must first teach millennials what the products do and how to use them.
Hilarity can sometimes ensue, and this column is also interested in the political implications of Ms. Byron’s report. Due to economic conditions, many of these young voters who went so strongly for Mr. Obama had never achieved traditional milestones like moving out of their parents’ basements and getting jobs. Would they just be completely different from all earlier generations?
They are now looking more similar to their elders. While many millennials were late getting started on the path toward independent adulthood, for several years they have been moving rapidly in that direction. Reports Ms. Byron:
They make up about 42% of all home buyers today, and 71% of all first-time home buyers, according to Zillow Group . Some 86% of millennial home buyers reported making at least one improvement to their home in the past year, more than any other generation, Zillow says.
Not only are these young adults becoming enthusiastic home improvers, but they seem to particularly like high-end appliances. And they are spending a lot of money. Home Depot “credited home purchases by young adults as a factor in its 9.5% rise in net income in its most recent quarter and raised its sales and profit expectations for the rest of the year,” notes Ms. Byron.
Two years ago in the Journal, Josh Zumbrun noted research showing that after putting off marriage, millennials were increasingly embracing that tradition, too:
The trend among young parents, who are primarily the generation known as millennials, will be toward a growing majority of children born inside marriages, according to a new forecast from Demographic Intelligence, a research firm that forecasts marriage and birth trends.Demographic Intelligence predicts that ultimately about 60% of the children of millennials will be born to married parents, up from about 45% today.
Getting married, having kids, buying homes and trying to fix them up will not automatically inspire this age cohort to begin voting less often for Democrats. But the party may want to consider whether people are more or less likely to demand radical policy changes after they have created families and acquired property.
As a protest candidate in 2016, Bernie Sanders received little scrutiny regarding the details of his policy agenda. But he did propose that the government consume at least an additional $18 trillion of American wealth. In 2020, millennials may wonder how much would be left over for improving homes or anything else.
Home Depot Democrats?
Millennials who went for Obama are now becoming homeowners.
A customer looks at paint samples at a Home Depot Inc. store in New York in August.PHOTO: VICTOR J. BLUE/BLOOMBERG NEWS
By
James Freeman
Updated Oct. 10, 2017 3:03 p.m. ET
841 COMMENTS
The largest generation in U.S. history, which came of age in the dreary Obama economy and overwhelmingly voted for America’s 44th President, is now looking more like every previous generation. This could present a big problem for the Democratic party.
The potential problem has two parts. The first is that many elected Democrats are following the lead of Sen. Bernie Sanders (Socialist, Vt.) in embracing policies to the left of the ones that Barack Obama successfully campaigned on in 2008 and 2012. Alan Greenblatt frets in Politico today that 2020 could be a replay of 1968:
In 1968, as in 2016, Democrats narrowly lost the White House after nominating a relatively moderate, establishment candidate instead of a more liberal alternative who had inspired a raging enthusiasm among younger voters. Democrats spent much of the next four years arguing about what direction the party should take. White working-class voters—traditionally a Democratic bloc—were sluicing away, and progressives, convinced the party needed to change both its policy direction and its coalition of supporters, demanded a new approach: a “loose peace coalition” of minorities, young voters and educated white Democrats... One year later, the party’s presidential nominee, the ultra-liberal Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, went on to lose 49 states in one of the most lopsided victories in American history.
How does this compare to the party’s reaction to its 2016 defeat? “Consumed by internecine battles and the idea of opposition, Democrats run the risk of again nominating someone like McGovern who pleases progressives but steers a course too far from the country’s center of political gravity to win,” says Mr. Greenblatt.
So the party may be evolving in a much more radical direction as it prepares for 2020. How will this go over with the (numerically) greatest generation? A Journal report should give elected Democrats pause as they consider whether to join the Sandernista revolution.
Ellen Byron’s highly informative story is about millennial consumers and the unique challenges they present to makers of cleaning supplies, power tools and other goods. It seems that many members of the (numerically) greatest generation never learned to do yard work or house work as children. So before selling products relevant to such tasks, companies must first teach millennials what the products do and how to use them.
Hilarity can sometimes ensue, and this column is also interested in the political implications of Ms. Byron’s report. Due to economic conditions, many of these young voters who went so strongly for Mr. Obama had never achieved traditional milestones like moving out of their parents’ basements and getting jobs. Would they just be completely different from all earlier generations?
They are now looking more similar to their elders. While many millennials were late getting started on the path toward independent adulthood, for several years they have been moving rapidly in that direction. Reports Ms. Byron:
They make up about 42% of all home buyers today, and 71% of all first-time home buyers, according to Zillow Group . Some 86% of millennial home buyers reported making at least one improvement to their home in the past year, more than any other generation, Zillow says.
Not only are these young adults becoming enthusiastic home improvers, but they seem to particularly like high-end appliances. And they are spending a lot of money. Home Depot “credited home purchases by young adults as a factor in its 9.5% rise in net income in its most recent quarter and raised its sales and profit expectations for the rest of the year,” notes Ms. Byron.
Two years ago in the Journal, Josh Zumbrun noted research showing that after putting off marriage, millennials were increasingly embracing that tradition, too:
The trend among young parents, who are primarily the generation known as millennials, will be toward a growing majority of children born inside marriages, according to a new forecast from Demographic Intelligence, a research firm that forecasts marriage and birth trends.Demographic Intelligence predicts that ultimately about 60% of the children of millennials will be born to married parents, up from about 45% today.
Getting married, having kids, buying homes and trying to fix them up will not automatically inspire this age cohort to begin voting less often for Democrats. But the party may want to consider whether people are more or less likely to demand radical policy changes after they have created families and acquired property.
As a protest candidate in 2016, Bernie Sanders received little scrutiny regarding the details of his policy agenda. But he did propose that the government consume at least an additional $18 trillion of American wealth. In 2020, millennials may wonder how much would be left over for improving homes or anything else.
