What does it take to be The President of the United States? According to the Constitution anyone who wishes to become president must be:
- ·At least thirty-five years old.
- ·A resident of the United States for at least fourteen years.
- ·A natural-born citizen.
But are these the only ingredients needed to create “The Leader of the Free World?” There’s a common thread that weaves three out of four of our modern presidents together: The Year 1946.
Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump all share that same year of birth. Prior to President Trump’s inauguration, there had only been pairs of presidents to share a birth year, so what caused the trifecta in 1946?
Well, maybe it’s that 1946 marks the first year of the generation we have come to know as The Baby Boomers. If so, it would make sense that so many Boomers would rock the presidential mic. But why do we keep electing people from this decade? Is it because of the nostalgia surrounding that time? Is it because we, as a nation, are afraid of change? Is just because there are so damn many of them?
Regardless of why, with another election rounding the bend, it stands to wonder if in 2020 we’ll have another 1940’s president. Will 46 be born before 1946? Think it’s far fetched? Well, just yesterday Bernie Sanders, born in 1941, announced his bid for the presidential office once again.
I wonder just how long one generation can rule the roost.