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I am 65, but I personally would not vote for anyone who is 70 or older at the time of taking office -- and that would eliminate Trump, Sanders, and Biden. In today's world, imo, the office of President should not be some kind of reward for political longevity and/or party loyalty, but it needs someone young and healthy in both mind and, hopefully, in body, too -- although being in a wheelchair did not stop FDR!
And for those who say "I'm old too!" to excuse their ageism, that's like a white person who's racist proclaiming "I have friends who are black!"
I disagree, if not voting for someone because of their age is based on sound reasoning. Would you vote for someone who is 18 for POTUS, if the laws were changed?
I disagree, if not voting for someone because of their age is based on sound reasoning. Would you vote for someone who is 18 for POTUS, if the laws were changed?
(I do know that some would.)
To answer the bolded, if I agree with their policy stances and they are of sound mind, absolutely.
Historically, only Ronald Reagan, William Harrison and James Buchanan were over 65 when they took office, although George H.W. Bush was 64.
Btw, according to the following chart*, the above candidates had an average ranking of 29 out of 44 presidents:
Reagan: #13
George H.W. Bush: #21
William Harrison: #39
James Buchanan: #43
*Of course, you might disagree with some of the rankings -- I know I do -- but this was the consensus, according to the following (most recent ranking):
P.S. On Edit: You might note that I excluded Trump (now rated #42) because I think it is too early to rank him -- but if he was included, it would push down the overall average ranking for elderly presidents even more!
Last edited by katharsis; 06-22-2019 at 09:38 AM..
I think age is a legitimate consideration to have in an election. It's a fact that both physical and mental facilities change with age. And it's also realistic to think about our presidents and how much they physically, visibly age while in office and what that means for someone who is a decade or more past average retirement age.
It just so happens that of the Democratic candidates, I don't like the two oldest contenders for reasons completely separate from their ages anyway. But the idea that either of them would be the oldest person - by far - ever elected for the first time is definitely not a point in their favor.
Yes, certainly. Bernie is too old (not to mention he’s not much better than Trump), and Biden is too old.
We need new blood, someone with a fresh outlook and fresh ideas.
I repped you because I agree with everything you wrote above, but I would disagree that Bernie is lacking in new ideas -- and I actually do like many of them! However, I just do not want to vote for anyone who might not have the mental or physical strength to end his or her term with as much vigor with which s/he started.
I repped you because I agree with everything you wrote above, but I would disagree that Bernie is lacking in new ideas -- and I actually do like many of them! However, I just do not want to vote for anyone who might not have the mental or physical strength to end his or her term with as much vigor with which s/he started.
Bernie has already stated he would likely select a younger woman in his mold (maybe Tulsi Gabbard or Nina Turner?) in the event he's unable to finish his term(s).
That being said, Bernie has been doing the most vigorous campaigning of all of the Democratic contenders. His schedule is booked every single day with rallies and speeches. And he's clearly not missing a beat from the standpoint of memory when it comes to answering tough questions and articulating his policies.
These are just some of the reasons why it's foolish to discount a perfectly good candidate over superficial reasons such as age. I would say the same for those who refuse to elect a black president, gay president a female president simply because they're black, gay or female.
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