The results are in, the election is in the books, and a Baby Boomer has been elected to be the next president of the United States. Campaign 2016 will go into the books as one of the most divisive campaigns and elections in modern history. Is the result what you expected? Did your candidate win? Did the country win? As you examine the results, you will in some ways be glad that this election season is over — at least for a while, until you actually start to miss the constant day-for-day coverage on the cable news networks.
Thus far, maybe because the results are so fresh, it is hard to know what impact of November 8, 2016, will have on our future as Americans. It will be interesting though to see if any actions actually get taken related to the major issues and concerns covered during the protracted campaign season.
And what about the campaign season itself — was it too long? For Baby Boomers this election season has been an eye opening experience. In some ways, Baby Boomers have watched the 2016 campaign with a longing for something more like the previous campaigns that they have experienced. In some ways, Baby Boomers have come to the realization that they may never again follow a campaign the way that they have followed this one. The two Baby Boomers who ran for the highest office were both reflections of their fellow Baby Boomers. In some ways Baby Boomers have lived through the life and times of the two candidates, and now they will move on with their lives. Baby Boomers are ready to return to their own life and times. They will return to things like focusing on caring for their elderly parents and attempting to pay off the student loans of their children. They will return to their own paths forward, which will include a financial plan for their retirement years. And Baby Boomers will place heavy emphasis on the path forward for their golden years.
But at the same time, many Baby Boomers will continue thinking about campaign 2016 and its impact. Baby Boomers will wonder if society has lost its civility, for no civil behavior existed in campaign 2016. Baby Boomers will wonder if expressing themselves on Social Media will now be the new norm, replacing the visit with their neighbor or having coffee with a friend. Baby Boomers will wonder if what they read in the newspaper (for those who actually read a newspaper) is really objective journalism — or is it infiltrated with the media bias so talked about in campaign 2016?
With every election, change does occur and winners and losers are indeed formed. We are a democracy, but make no mistake, politics is still a contact sport. Government does serve the people, but the debate is not for the faint of heart.
So congratulations to our new president-elect. You have won a real nail-biter. The question being asked this morning is: “Will you be able to govern?” We hope so. You are now an elected official whose warts are well-known by the American citizens. The question now becomes: “Can you overcome heated rhetoric, can you overcome charges and counter charges, and can you form a governing coalition?”
Congratulations to you, Donald J. Trump, and to your family. We as Baby Boomers will be watching you closely to see your management style in action. Now that you have been elected to serve as President of the United States, most Baby Boomers will be supporting you, regardless of who they supported during the campaign. Baby Boomers want to see America succeed.
Rick Bava founded and was CEO of the Bava Group, which became the premier communications consulting firm serving the Fortune 500 community. Bava became known for his popular blog columns “Rick Bava on the Baby Boomer Generation.” He is the author of "In Search of the Baby Boomer Generation." For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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