Howard Dean: 'My Generation Needs to Get the Hell Out of Politics'

[Ms. Toad]

30. Pardon me while I pick my old and decrepit jaw off of the floor.

You actually need to sit down and talk with some of us "old" people.

I see a lot more younger people who have compromised values for expediency - at least as you seem to be defining expediency in your text. It is largely the younger generations I see demanding no compromise on values (i.e. 5 saved isn't good enough - we have to save them all), and the older generations who are more realistic and urging compromise where compromise will save 5 people (as opposed to demanding that we make the Republicans own this tax bill by refusing to support bills that will minimize the consequences on programs that impact people's lives (like the pay-go cuts that are likely to hit Medicare, for example).

I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with my 20-something daughter (and her peers), in which they insist that everyone should just be paid a living wage, or have access to healthcare, and who have absolutely no clue how long my generation has been working on it to get wholly inadequate ACA - which, even though wholly inadequate is the most progress that has been made in generations. Had we rejected it (as many of the younger purists did because making saving 5 wasn't good enough, we needed to save everyone), there are millions of people who would not now have access to any health care until it was too late. (Granted, there are many more who still need access - but millions have been saved by compromising values - not for expediency - but for the goal of doing the best we can now to save as many as we can, acknowledging that social progress comes with disappointment and setbacks because we aren't going to get the perfect bill, and saving some now is better than saving none while demanding the perfect.)

As for 60 being old - I dare you to keep up with my schedule. I am currently working 80-100 hours a week, implementing newer technology in my teaching methodology to suit the needs of the current generation of students (whose use of technology is vastly different than my generation (none) or even the generation I first started teaching nearly 4 decades ago. I don't plan to retire for another decade.

Finally, I agree with the OP. We need to start grooming the younger generation, largely because there will be a vacuum of leadership if the younger generations of progressives are not moving into positions of power and influence, because the older generations don't want to let go (and because there continues to be a personality cult around certain persons and families). If that happens on our side, state-wide and national positions will be filled with the likes of Trump. That's not ageist. That's just the reality that no one lives forever, and it takes time to learn political leadership. We're cutting off our noses to spite our face if we continue to elect only older people and don't apprentice and support younger progressives into the roles, there will be a gap when there is none.

Your comment, on the other hand, was extremely ageist. It categorized entire generations as having a single perspective, and suggested tossing them over becuase of it. In case you can't tell, pisses me off - and I have engaged in some ageist categorizing partly to make my point.