Boomer Grannies: Soccer Moms 2.0
Hillary Clinton simply meant to respond to anti-vaxers when she wrote the following tweet.
The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let’s protect all our kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest
The reaction was instantaneous. #GrandmothersKnowBest became a trending hashtag, drawing cheers and sneers, leaving pundits to wonder if it was indicative of a larger strategy in the much-rumored Clinton campaign to distract from her age as a potential flaw and, instead, deploy it as a strength.
What Clinton’s tweet actually showed was the power of grandmothers as an American voting bloc—a fact that might not come as a surprise to anyone who’s taken an Intro to Government class. After all, the senior-citizen segment of the population reliably goes to the polls come rain or shine, and is heavily invested in the outcome of elections.
But unlike Hillary, the average first-time grandmother isn’t yet a senior citizen. Clinton, at 67, is far older than most first-time grandmothers in the United States, whose average age hovers around 50. These grandmothers aren’t driven by Social Security, Medicare, or other issues of concern to voters over the age of 65.
Say hello to the Boomer Grannies.
These grandmothers are, as the name suggests, baby boomers, part of a generation that was born between mid-1946 and mid-1964. The oldest boomers turn 70 next year, but the majority of boomers aren’t going to be eligible for retirement benefits until closer to 2030. Within this population of middle-aged boomers, women outnumber men.
Boomer Grannies transformed gender norms—by being the first in their families to get bachelor’s degrees, earning the majority of college degrees in their generation; working outside the home; raising children, often singlehandedly; and revolutionizing the concepts of modern motherhood and feminism.
This generation of grandmas is more hip than the crocheting, bingo-playing, anti-technology stereotype would suggest. They’re too young—and perhaps, too cynical—to rely on classic social-welfare programs that drive the older vote, but they are nevertheless invested in issues affecting their children and grandchildren.
.It makes a certain amount of sense that the soccer moms of yore are making a reappearance as a key voting bloc. Boomer Grannies are more world-weary than gracious, more educated than docile; their concern for posterity extends beyond the traditional “maternal” interests of education and healthcare. Today, these grandmas are just as interested in the implications of foreign-conflict intervention and tax reform as they are in paid leave and anti-poverty initiatives.
Category: Blog
