Legal Writing

Who's a boomer?

By Pam_Nelson

I've heard a few journalists refer to Barack Obama and Sarah Palin as part of the post-baby boom generation. In fact, Obama, born in August 1961, and Palin, born in February 1964, were born during the baby boom years, 1946-1964. The baby boom, of course, is mostly made up of the children of the people who lived through World War II. Perhaps, Obama, born to a woman born in 1942, doesn't qualify as a boomer under that criteria, and Palin was born in the very last year of the boom. (I haven't been able to find whether her father was a World War II veteran or was born too late for that generation.)

Still, it's worth noting that Obama and Palin are identified more with the post-boomer generation and that their partners on their respective presidential tickets are not boomers. John McCain was born in 1936 and Joe Biden was born in 1942 (the same year as Obama's mother).

Full post as published by Triangle Grammar Guide on September 10, 2008 (boomark / email).