2000: 65+ voters were D+4, 18-24s were tied. 2016, 65+ were R+8, 18-24s were D+21. What changed?

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

It was a mix of both I think. There were still a lot of GI Generation and even a few lost generation voters at that time that were lifelong new deal Democrats. In many areas they were some of the only Democrats left which explains the hard right swing of many counties over the next decade. Others did swing to the right and I do think a lot of the younger voters in 2000 became more left-leaning as they aged and became more educated and downwardly mobile post-2008.