That whole 60s unpleasantness with anti-war demonstrations and civil rights struggles is dead now – thank God!So does the last phase of the post-partisan rhetoric – baby boomers are dead and he allegedly invented centrism.
The rationalizations abund for why everything worth living and fighting for is just not cool anymore.
Garrychapelhill in his analysis of the AP “generational revolution” dreg asks
So if he’s not a boomer, and not an Xer, then what? Hell, they’ve made all this other shit up, why stop now?
Why indeed? They have a new one indeed, with the help of a political consultant:
Generation Jones, as in the slang word ‘jonesing,’ or craving, and as in a generation that’s lost in the shuffle.
Jonesers are idealistic, Pontell says, but not ideological like boomers. “Boomers were flower children out changing the world. We Jonesers were wide-eyed, not tie-dyed.”
See? Idealistic, not ideologues – like those dirty hippies and their civil rights excesses. But is it new? Glen Greenwald has seen it before:
Because this election isn’t about ideology. It’s about competence. It’s not about overthrowing governments in Central America. It’s about creating good jobs in middle America.
Who said that? Bill Clinton? Nope, Michael Dukakis, in his acceptance speech :
“This election isn’t about ideology. It’s about competence.” That was Michael Dukakis’ battle-cry more than 20 years ago in order to prove that he wasn’t beholden to those dreaded leftist ideologues in his party, that he was instead devoted to pragmatic solutions, to “whatever works.”
and the media is celebrating this new fangled thinghie
celebrating as “remarkable” — that a national Democratic politician is alienating “the Left” and embracing the center-right in the name of transcending ideological and partisan conflicts — is about the least new dynamic that one can imagine. That’s what the most trite Beltway mavens — from David Broder and Mickey Kaus to Joe Klein and The New Republic — have been demanding since forever, and it’s what Democratic leaders have done for as long as one can remember.
So, those of you jonesing for social justice, ending of the war, equality – tough luck. You are passe, the idealist Jonesians want “hope” that looks good on teevee, not actual transformation.
Ideology is dead, long live tax cuts, bigotry, deregulations and unchecked executive power (psst! that would be someone else’s ideology, but don’t tell Joneses that – it’s not cool)
16 comments
January 12, 2009 at 11:59 am
ellurian
If you want to know what this generation is all about just watch “Jaywalk All Stars” segment on the Leno Show. The male contestant saying he was a Pre-Med Student was asked:”What separates your inner ear from your outer ear?” His answer: “your brain”.. doh!
January 12, 2009 at 2:15 pm
myiq2xu
Did someone watch a Star Wars marathon over the weekend?
😉
January 12, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Grail Guardian
Generation Jones has brought the current evil upon us in record time (I guess because they couldn’t wait?), and has already grown bored with it. They’ve moved on, secure in the knowledge that they elected that guy that’s all about change and hope. Yep, they did their part! After all this hard work, they now deserve a new video game, and worrying about what Obama actually does for the next 4 years is our problem, so it would seem.
I wonder what they’re going to do when we’re dead? Heaven help their children! Can you imagine a Geriatric Joneser? They’ll probably want a surgical procedure if they get constipated. And when they get Alzheimers, do they forget what they were getting impatient for?
January 12, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Coupe de Groucho
“celebrating as “remarkable” — that a national Democratic politician is alienating “the Left”
and embracing the …right (wing) in the name of transcending ideological and partisan conflicts — is about the least new dynamic that one can imagine. That’s what the most trite Beltway mavens — from David Broder and Mickey Kaus to Joe Klein and The New Republic — have been demanding since forever, and it’s what Democratic leaders have done for as long as one can remember.”
January 14, 2009 at 8:22 am
Paying the piper: diner with the media (George Will et al) « Not Your Sweetie
[…] illustration I found has obviously ironical value. It was a cartoon by someone who finds the “center” sexy and made at the time Obama was ‘repositioning” and shedding all the things he was […]
January 14, 2009 at 11:39 pm
uppity kitty
“Jonesers are idealistic, Pontell says, but not ideological like boomers”
I think we should call them FISA-ers, and give them the label of they deserve.
January 26, 2009 at 9:13 am
Sving Liberalism « Not Your Sweetie
[…] It was also the post-partisan candidate, who claims to represent a base without ideology […]
January 26, 2009 at 9:36 am
Saving Liberalism « Not Your Sweetie
[…] It was also the post-partisan candidate, who claims to represent a base without ideology […]
February 4, 2009 at 8:04 am
Obama: Playing for the other team « Not Your Sweetie
[…] to those who missed the “post partisan” real meaning. […]
April 15, 2009 at 2:33 pm
How to Get Six Pack Fast
Not that I’m impressed a lot, but this is more than I expected for when I stumpled upon a link on Delicious telling that the info is quite decent. Thanks.
April 25, 2009 at 6:19 am
It’s a desert toping, it’s a floor cleaner - all things to all people « Not Your Sweetie
[…] not being pinned down to a perspective is da shizzle…I read this before – it was marketed as “generation Jones” by a political consultant Generation Jones, as in the slang word ‘jonesing,’ or craving, and as […]
April 25, 2009 at 6:35 am
It’s a dessert topping AND a floor wax - all things to all people « Not Your Sweetie
[…] not being pinned down to a perspective is da shizzle…I read this before – it was marketed as “generation Jones” by a political consultant Generation Jones, as in the slang word ‘jonesing,’ or craving, and as […]
May 29, 2009 at 7:51 am
Being liberal means never being disgusted « Not Your Sweetie
[…] already seen Generation Jones invented by a political strategist – idealist but pragmatic, no longer wanting to change the […]
February 4, 2010 at 8:49 am
Obama: we get bogged down in ideology (and other Senate talk wackiness) « Not Your Sweetie
[…] all, he represents a base that strategists invented for him: Generation Jones Jonesers are idealistic, Pontell says, but not ideological like […]
March 29, 2010 at 7:14 am
Mr Postpartisan: Ideology is for the suckers « Not Your Sweetie
[…] chronicled this throughout this blog, most notably here about Obama’s base n Jones, as in the slang word ‘jonesing,’ or craving, and as in a generation that’s lost in […]
May 27, 2010 at 3:45 am
Damion Woodard
If only I had a dime for each time I came here… Amazing read!