Friday, May 11, 2007

"Nuts and Gum, Together at Last!"

If you're not a Simpsons addict, you may not recognize the above quote. It's the punchline to a scene in which little Lisa Simpson complains that no one listens to her because she's young, and then Grandpa Simpson complains that no one listens to him because he's old, and then Homer pipes up: "I'm a white male between the ages of 18 and 35 -- everyone listens to my ideas!" And then Homer reaches for the product created for his age group's needs -- nuts and gum.

Why do I bring this up? Well, it looks like the invasion of Iraq is another brilliant idea only embraced by the Homers of the world. Courtesy of Rising Hegemon, here's an interesting breakdown of a recent Gallup Poll:
Did the United States make a mistake in sending troops to Iraq?

Age:

18-29 Yes - 56% No - 41%
30-39 Yes - 48% No - 50%
40-49 Yes - 52% No - 47%
50-59 Yes - 61% No - 38%
60-69 Yes - 62% No - 37%
70-79 Yes - 70% No - 28%
80+ Yes - 69% No - 26%
As someone who is currently dead-center in the 30-39 age group, let me take this moment to praise my fellow thirtysomethings for the newest in nuts-and-gum creativity. Bravo.

5 comments:

Mike said...

I am not what I am.

And I'm actually about 8 months away from the next group.

Tick, tick, tick . . .

Anonymous said...

How interesting that the 60-and-beyond segments are so overwhelmingly negative on the war. They are the ones who've seen it all before, and more than once.

They're also people who've tended to remain stubbornly hawkish in past wars.

That they are so down on this war makes an especially powerful statement.

Otto Man said...

That was the demographic that surprised me the most, SWA. I can't remember where I saw the states (and I'm too busy to Google it) but I seem to remember a poll from 2002-2003, where the elderly were the *most* supportive of the invasion. Maybe it was the Pearl Harbor memory.

Isaac Carmichael said...

Re: the old folks.

As you mentioned Otto, they were perhaps the most supportive group pre-invasion. Maybe part of the problem is there are too many Abes, as well as Homers, voting....stupid
Constitution!!!

Otto Man said...

I can't remember where I saw the states

Uh, stats.

I remember where I saw the states, but I only saw 49. I'll be dead in the ground before I recognize Missourah!