The GOP's 2016 field will be historically young. That won't make it any cooler.

Why would a bunch of awkward, regressive 40-somethings appeal to millennial voters?

The Republican young guns.
(Image credit: (Illustration by Lauren Hansen | Images courtesy Getty Images, iStock))

When I say the words "Republican Party," you probably don't think of youth. Young people's lack of enthusiasm for the GOP — Democrats enjoy a wide advantage in party affiliation among Americans under 40 — is one of the party's most profound challenges for the future. But in 2016, voters might well be faced with a choice between an older Democratic candidate and a strikingly young Republican one.

Hillary Clinton, age 67, seems the all-but certain Democratic nominee. But look at the Republican field. With Mitt Romney's departure, the only top-tier (or even second-tier) candidates over the age of 60 are Jeb Bush (61) and Rick Perry (64). Competing against them will be a bunch of politicians in their 40s, like Scott Walker (47), Marco Rubio (43), Bobby Jindal (43) and Ted Cruz (44). Chris Christie and Rand Paul are relatively mature at 52.

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.