What Will Generation Y Do In 2012?

In yesterday's post, Will This Long Recession Alter Generation Y, I wrote about an article which discusses the dim economic outlook for the Millennial generation. As the 2012 election nears, and Republicans search for someone to battle Obama for the White House, I would expect the politican who wins with Echo Boomers to win the presidential nomination. However, how will the individual achieve that?

Note what Don Peck asserts about Echo Boomers:

"Trained throughout childhood to disconnect performance from reward, and told repeatedly that they are destined for great things, many are quick to place blame elsewhere when something goes wrong and inclined to believe that bad situations will sort themselves out — or will be sorted out by parents or other helpers."

[Emphasis mine]

In other words, a political figure which promises to correct the problem and states that it is not the citizen's fault will sell a stronger message than a political figure who claims that people have failed to take responsibility in their own lives (the latter may be more accurate than the former, depending on the individual in question).

In other words, Echo Boomers don't want to hear that they are responsible for their own destiny - they want a leader who will "change" their destiny. Add this to the fact that Echo Boomers have also learned that you can receive awards for losing (ie: trophies for finishing last place) and that others control what you do (ie: parents constantly putting their kids in one activity or another without allowing the kids to provide their own direction in life), and you can see what a generation will find appealing in a political candidate: a new mommy or daddy.

Sadly, I don't think Echo Boomers will value freedom and independence like former generations, and I expect the size of government to grow. What this means is that political candidates, who oppose big government and favor personal responsibility, will face opposition among Echo Boomers.