Some thoughts on Dionne's column

Mike already posted a link to E.J. Dionne's column in today's Washington Post. If you haven't already done so, do yourself a favor and read it. It's great to see a traditional columnist get this right.

What I want to pay attention to is the concluding paragraph. Dionne ends with a flourish, pointing out what drives most of our work and thoughts these days.

Young Americans show all the signs of being interested enough and upset enough to flock to the polls this year. If they do, they could be the most politically consequential generation since the cohort of the Great Depression and World War II. Think of these newcomers as the Engaged Generation.

Notice how Dionne leaves out the Boomers from his assessment and prediction. The Boomers were perpetually upset, and they made sure everyone knew it. And sure, the culture of the time -- when you think of the 1960s -- was chaotic. Young people fueled most of the protests and ongoing social movements. The Boomers were very consequential socially.

But think about the potential of this generation shocking everyone by lining up at the polls this November. Think about a 55+ percent turnout among 18-25 year olds. And don't just think about what the pundits -- those that have been resisting the evidence of a pattern of increased youth voting the last few years -- would do, but think about the ramifications for our political -- and social -- world. Most likely, Obama would be elected. Democrats would sweep into power, and perhaps, if there's a huge wave, into a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. But more importantly, politicians would be forced to pay even more attention to the issues we want addressed. Better infrastructure, better access to higher education, universal health insurance, an increased focus on the environment, better care and opportunities for veterans -- a plethora of policy informed by the common good.

That is politically consequential and socially consequential.

Again, great column -- must-read material.