Red Diaper Babies
Dec 01 2004, 17:47 EST [updated Dec 07 2004, 13:02 EST]
Is the meaning of "Red Diaper Baby" still obvious to people today? Now that the CCCP is gone, "Red" usually means "US Republican" instead of "Communist" (and no, if you are a lefty you don't get to pretend Communists are right-wing). I'm reminded every time I visit my folks that me and my generation (college in the 90s) are generally more conservative than my parent's (college in the 60s). My parents and their friends were never hippies, most were in ROTC and most of those went to Vietnam. But they always comment on the comparative conservatism of their kids/me and my brothers. My uncle was over for thanksgiving (the only Republican he has ever voted for is Specter - the only Republican I have never voted for is Specter) and told tales of how his son tried to convert him to Bush right up until Nov 2nd.
The shift isn't dramatic: children of Union Democrats are white collar workers, children of hippies vote Democrat but consider themselves moderates. But the shift is all one way as expressed by national registration trends. The Democratic party used to have a major lead in party registrations that has disolved into near parity. Where was I? Oh yeah, "Red Diaper Babies." If the term wasn't already taken for a different and opposite meaning I would gladly adopt it. With that option off the table what are some alternatives?
- Red Shirt Baby - not bad, with the sports connotation it implies we were held in reseve for game day
- Red Suckle Baby - ick
- Red Letter Baby - OK, implies a watershed date
- Red Tide - has existing usage issues. Both a sports team and a fetid bacterial ocean.
- Red Moon - bad connotations of crazy, the moon also wanes.
Update: Not related to David Brooks' article of a similar name. oh well.