We Need An Age Cap On Elected Officials

[NewfieMom]

It's no more discriminatory than having a minimum age to run for office.

No one should be working past 80, even though, unfortunately, some individuals' economic circumstances require it. I guarantee economic circumstances do not require it for congressfolk.

Why not? Because you said so? You are highly unreliable.

 

[SoCal]

It’s up to the voters. If the voters think a candidate is too old, nothing says they must vote for that candidate. Besides, the Constitutions lays out the requirements for president, senators and representatives. An age cap probably would be ruled unconstitutional. It would take a Constitutional amendment to impose an age cap. Such as it took one to set the two-term limit that a president could serve. Any additional requirement other than what the constitutions places on a candidate or individual to run for office would have to be addressed as an amendment.

Personally, I’d like to see term limits set for congress along with the age requirement. But that’s not going to happen. Until enough support is gained for a constitutional amendment, we’ll just have to go with the requirements the constitution sets forth. No more, no less.

As for Feinstein, you can blame the voters of California for reelecting her. They knew she was weak and frail, they reelected her anyway.

I wish it were up to the voters when it comes to replacing old politicians past their prime. Poll after poll shows that somewhere between 55% to 75% of Democrats don't want Biden to run in '24. What keeps them in office isn't the voters, it's fearful Democratic incumbent politicians who refuse to speak out...

 

[Rexedgar]

You showed your prejudice right here. "even my...boomer parents" conceded great damage. You are highly prejudiced. I concede no damage caused by my friends or me to younger generations! I don't know your conservative parents. They certainly seem to have alienated you. But I had my child at an older age (41) and she, at age 30, is very attached to me.
Of course I was not conservative. I don't know whether that matters. All I know is that your opinion of my generation cannot be trusted.

I am a middle boomer and I thought “we” weren’t responsible for some of society’s ills. Old Nate showed me the error of my ways. I didn’t do anything, but my generation is responsible for a whole lot of crap in our society, imo!

 

[Jessie C]

Airline pilots are mandated to retire after 65, and they only are responsible for about 500 people!

GREAT POINT Rex! This isn't about offending old people, it's about doing the right thing!

 

[NewfieMom]

Airline pilots are mandated to retire after 65, and they only are responsible for about 500 people!

A legislator does not need great eyesight and quick reflexes like a pilot. He is also not going into combat so he does not need to be as fit as a soldier. He needs to be smarter than average. Biden is. He can work with Congress. He can even find France on a map. Trump never could.

 

[Geoist]

You showed your prejudice right here. "even my...boomer parents" conceded great damage. You are highly prejudiced.

They're literally boomers. I don't see what your issue is.

I concede no damage caused by my friends or me to younger generations!

I don't know your conservative parents. They certainly seem to have alienated you.

Not on this issue. It's one of the few political issues we see eye-to-eye.

But I had my child at an older age (41) and she, at age 30, is very attached to me.

Okay.

Of course I was not conservative. I don't know whether that matters. All I know is that your opinion of my generation cannot be trusted.

Conservatives tend to deny social responsibility if its aimed at a group they belong to.

 

[NewfieMom]

No one? I know some academics who are working into their 90s.

Just saw Eugene Braunwald (aka 'the father of cardiology') give an outstanding talk at the age of 93 at an international conference. Hes still doing great work at his advanced age.

Psychoanalysts are just getting started in their practices at 90.

 

[Perotista]

You may be correct on it requiring an amendment. While politicians who intend to be in office when they're 80+ may not like it, it may have a better chance than most amendment proposals as I don't see it as a partisan issue.



I'm not a fan of term limits on Congress. It would ensure only the wealthy run/serve.

Let’s face it, you must be wealthy to get elected to congress or have a billionaire backer. Then everyone in congress becomes millionaires many times over if they weren’t prior to entering congress. The framers had this notion that one would leave their job, farm, whatever, go serve a couple of terms and then return to their job or farm. Not making it a profession. Of course, the framers thought those folks would run on their own, not as a party member. Andrew Jackson did us no favor when he formed the first modern political party.

With term limits you wouldn’t have an age problem. Then too, all these far right and far left ideologues wouldn’t be sitting in safe districts being reelected time and time again. Perhaps we could return to a congress that plays that old political game of give and take, compromise.

Or perhaps we wouldn’t need term limits if gerrymandering was illegal and most congress critters had to worry about reelection along with their constitutions wishes, wants etc. What we have now is once elected those representatives and senators represent and serve their political party and not the folks back home.

 

[Rexedgar]

A legislator does not need great eyesight and quick reflexes like a pilot. He is also not going into combat so he does not need to be as fit as a soldier. He needs to be smarter than average. Biden is. He can work with Congress. He can even find France on a map. Trump never could.

I thought we were talking about Senator Feinstein?

 

[Geoist]

No one? I know some academics who are working into their 90s.

Just saw Eugene Braunwald (aka 'the father of cardiology') give an outstanding talk at the age of 93 at an international conference. Hes still doing great work at his advanced age.

Is he still doing heart surgery at 93? I don't really consider a conference talk to be 'work' in the same way I was referring to.

 

[NewfieMom]

GREAT POINT Rex! This isn't about offending old people, it's about doing the right thing!

The "right thing" may not be to shut down smart, wise, older people whose frailties do not slow them down in the jobs they are doing (academics, politics, other cerebral activities). Age may cause some parts of the body to age, but leave other parts intact. If someone suspects that an older person cannot do a job, then-or even before then-the person can be tested for mental acuity. An arbitrary age for forced retirement from jobs that do not require physical skill is just stupid. If the job requires mental acuity, maybe everyone doing it should undergo mandatory testing. If that were in the Constitution, Donald Trump would never have been President.

 

[NewfieMom]

I thought we were talking about Senator Feinstein?

Thread drift.

 

[VySky]

This shit is not okay...

I support term limits

 

[VySky]

Strom Thurmond was my Senator, this is not a new problem.

They should of had an age cap on the Dems favorite racist.

 

[Perotista]

I wish it were up to the voters when it comes to replacing old politicians past their prime. Poll after poll shows that somewhere between 55% to 75% of Democrats don't want Biden to run in '24. What keeps them in office isn't the voters, it's fearful Democratic incumbent politicians who refuse to speak out...

The latest poll I seen show 53% of democrats want Biden to run again, 29% do not with the rest unsure. Question 21. All of America, 30% want him to run again, 55% do not, 15% unsure or undecided.

https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/nujlm70ly6/econTabReport.pdf

I see your point though. Only RFK Jr. has decided to challenge Biden, all others acquiesce to Biden running again. Then too, the democrats have decided on no primary debates. It’s a done deal. Which probably is a good thing. A sitting president running for reelection, he and his party hasn’t faired well if challenged. Estes Kefauver challenged Truman in 1952, Truman dropped out, Eisenhower beat Stevenson. McCarthy challenged LBJ in 1968, LBJ dropped out, Nixon beat Humphry. Reagan challenged Ford in 1976, Ford prevailed only to lose to Jimmy Carter in 1976. Edward Kennedy challenged Carter in 1980, Carter prevailed, but lost to Reagan. Buchanan challenged G.H.W. Bush in 1992, Bush prevailed only to lose to Bill Clinton.

Even if 55% of all of America don’t want Biden to run again, it’s better for the democrats to let him do it considering the history of challenging a sitting president who wants a second term. But I fear that running Biden gives Trump the opening he wants to regain the presidency. I see 2024 being more like 2016 when the major parties nominate candidates most Americans didn’t want to 2020 when most Americans just wanted to be rid of Trump. Biden gives in my opinion Trump a 50-50 shot since most Americans don’t want neither one. ALA 2016.

 

[JMB802]

They should of had an age cap on the Dems favorite racist.

Do you have a decoder ring for that comment?

 

[noonereal]

Even my conservative boomer parents agree the boomer generation has done great damage to the younger generations.

Oh my ****in God. Do tell, how?

By cleaning up the environment?

By giving you the world's accumulated knowledge at your finger tips?

By eliminating hunger in the USA?

By making the country safer and more prosperous than ever?

Do tell. Thanks

 

[Rexedgar]

Thread drift.

There is a picture of the Senator in the OP!


WTF?

 

[Rexedgar]

Oh my ****in God. Do tell, how?

By cleaning up the environment?

By giving you the worlds accumulated knowledge at your finger tips?

By eliminating hunger in teh USA?

By making the country safer and more prosperious than ever?

Do tell. Thanks

Take your pick……

Google Search

 

[NewfieMom]

@Geoist, I apologize for bringing your family into this thread. It was wrong of me.

 

[noonereal]

Take your pick……

Google Search

Stupidity. Real clown stuff.
Speak to this trash yourself. Do tell how aggrieved you were.

Speak to my points too.

 

[Geoist]

Oh my ****in God. Do tell, how?

By cleaning up the environment?

By giving you the worlds accumulated knowledge at your finger tips?

By eliminating hunger in teh USA?

By making the country safer and more prosperious than ever?

Do tell. Thanks

The boomers, according to Gibney, have committed “generational plunder,” pillaging the nation’s economy, repeatedly cutting their own taxes, financing two wars with deficits, ignoring climate change, presiding over the death of America’s manufacturing core, and leaving future generations to clean up the mess they created.

How the baby boomers — not millennials — screwed America

“The boomers inherited a rich, dynamic country and have gradually bankrupted it.”

www.vox.com

There's so much more than the above, too. Cuts to education (which helped drive up college costs), repeatedly driving up the housing market, resisting raises to minimum wage, refusing to remove the cap on social security tax, etc.

 

[noonereal]

The boomers, according to Gibney, have committed “generational plunder,” pillaging the nation’s economy, repeatedly cutting their own taxes, financing two wars with deficits, ignoring climate change, presiding over the death of America’s manufacturing core, and leaving future generations to clean up the mess they created.

How the baby boomers — not millennials — screwed America

“The boomers inherited a rich, dynamic country and have gradually bankrupted it.”

www.vox.com

There's so much more than the above, too. Cuts to education (which helped drive up college costs), repeatedly driving up the housing market, resisting raises to minimum wage, refusing to remove the cap on social security tax, etc.

Speak to all the positive I posted. Speak to women's rights and blacks advancements.

This is beyond believable.

This Gibney is a true asshole. But, if he is your idol, what can I do or say.

 

[Threegoofs]

Is he still doing heart surgery at 93? I don't really consider a conference talk to be 'work' in the same way I was referring to.

Cardiologists dont do surgery.

Not sure if he’s actively seeing patients, but I dont doubt he’s consulted on some.

And he’s writing and researching and speaking - basically the work he’s done the last 60 years. And if you dont consider that work…well… I have no idea what to tell ya

 

[Geoist]

@Geoist, I apologize for bringing your family into this thread. It was wrong of me.

All good.

I understand the whole issue can be touchy. I'm not trying to hold any boomer personally responsible. Some of my favorite political thinkers are/were boomers (e.g. Thom Hartmann, Fred Harrison, etc).