Why America needs a Generation X president

The generation charmingly called "America's neglected middle child" could save Washington

Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Cory Gardner.
(Image credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images, Alex Wong/Getty Images, REUTERS/Lucas Jackson, Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

If some millennial manages to become the next president of the United States — say, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, who's definitely not running — Generation X may have lost its shot at the Oval Office.

It wouldn't have been for lack of trying. In 2016, several representatives of the generation born between 1965 and 1980 (give or take a few years in either direction) took running leaps in the presidential primaries: Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal, Scott Walker; Ted Cruz even gave Donald Trump a run for his money, and conservative independent candidate Evan McMullin was considered a real contender to win Utah's six electoral votes.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.