Age limit for political positions- Split from: An observation on gun control

[dimreepr]

7 hours ago, npts2020 said:

Since the majority of SCOTUS seems to supposedly be "originalists"/"literalists" when interpreting the law, maybe the 2nd Amendment could be interpreted to allow only weaponry available at the time of its writing.

The problem is, most of these people think they can remember what it was like, when it was written down...

80+ year olds should NOT!!! have a political opinion, let alone a finger on the trigger...

[MigL]

4 hours ago, dimreepr said:

80+ year olds should NOT!!! have a political opinion, let alone a finger on the trigger...

That doesn't bode well for America after the next election.
No matter who wins.

[J.C.MacSwell]

1 hour ago, MigL said:

That doesn't bode well for America after the next election.
No matter who wins.

Nikki Haley's only 52...just sayin' 😁

[MigL]

1 hour ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

Nikki Haley's only 52...just sayin' 😁

Well, she does support congressional term limits and "mandatory mental competence tests for politicians over 75 years old,"

I wonder how many of those doddering old fools would pass such tests.

[StringJunky]

7 hours ago, dimreepr said:

The problem is, most of these people think they can remember what it was like, when it was written down...

80+ year olds should NOT!!! have a political opinion, let alone a finger on the trigger...

Per a comment @iNow made: Rather like not being able to hear a particular musical note. Your brain just joins the ends in the gap of the musical scale together  and carries on oblivious. Your brain papers over the sensory gaps.

Edited February 8 by StringJunky

[zapatos]

8 minutes ago, MigL said:

Well, she does support congressional term limits and "mandatory mental competence tests for politicians over 75 years old,"

I wonder how many of those doddering old fools would pass such tests.

Convenient for Nikki that she set an age limit that doesn't impact her. Plenty of people under 75 will not pass mental competency tests. If you are going to test one, test all.

[StringJunky]

37 minutes ago, zapatos said:

Convenient for Nikki that she set an age limit that doesn't impact her. Plenty of people under 75 will not pass mental competency tests. If you are going to test one, test all.

There's physical competencies as well. Slow is slow and that could impact on response times if the pres needs to be elsewhere in short order for a critical situation. Stubbornness to ones reality at this level is not desirable.

Just spotted this:

Quote

Special counsel says Biden is ‘elderly man with poor memory’ and can’t recall when his son died
21:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Special Counsel Robert Hur revealed in his report on President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents that the president has a poor memory and at times could not recall when he was vice president or when his son, Beau Biden, died.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/biden-s-poor-memory-plays-key-factor-in-special-counsel-classified-documents-finding-live-updates/ar-BB1hZTke?cvid=aafa75fe5aeb4e838c64657a65201142&ei=15

 

Edited February 8 by StringJunky

[zapatos]

1 hour ago, StringJunky said:

There's physical competencies as well. Slow is slow and that could impact on response times if the pres needs to be elsewhere in short order for a critical situation.

Like Franklin D. Roosevelt.

William Taft reportedly weighed 330 poumds.

[TheVat]

Taft required a special bathtub installed in the WH.  Not sure what could be installed there in 2025 to remedy Trump's cognitive handicaps. Perhaps a trapdoor.  Biden I'm less worried about - maybe because I know his choices of veep, cabinet and support staff are sound and informed by decades of political experience.  

[StringJunky]

2 hours ago, TheVat said:

Taft required a special bathtub installed in the WH.  Not sure what could be installed there in 2025 to remedy Trump's cognitive handicaps. Perhaps a trapdoor.  Biden I'm less worried about - maybe because I know his choices of veep, cabinet and support staff are sound and informed by decades of political experience.  

Regardless of the state of Biden, Trump must be avoided. But we can't ignore the impression he's going on Diane Feinstein's trajectory.

[iNow]

5 hours ago, StringJunky said:

Your brain papers over the sensory gaps.

It uses heuristics ✌️

4 hours ago, StringJunky said:

Just spotted this

A political gift to MAGA and nightmare for Biden’s already bad optics. 

He needs to just own it with a joke. A political commentator recently suggested Biden say, “Sure, yeah. Okay. I’m old, but he’s old AND crazy” then move back on topic 

3 hours ago, TheVat said:

because I know his choices of veep, cabinet and support staff are sound and informed by decades of political experience. 

I’ve raised this with several people expressing concerns over Biden. He’s had decades as a senator learning about these issues and forming strong relationships with key players and experts, many of whom are part of his inner circle. 

[MigL]

24 minutes ago, iNow said:

had decades as a senator learning about these issues and forming strong relationships with key players and experts

Oh yeah ?
Well D Trump has, for years, been holding vindictive grudges  with people who were allies, but later decided not to kiss his ass anymore, or decided to save their own skin 😄.

The fact that one is old, and the other is old and crazy, is no excuse.
You should be under 65 to run for President.
In my opinion.

[StringJunky]

37 minutes ago, MigL said:

You should be under 65 to run for President.
In my opinion.

Oui. If an OAP expert wants to carry on they can be consultants rather than executives.

1 hour ago, iNow said:

I’ve raised this with several people expressing concerns over Biden. He’s had decades as a senator learning about these issues and forming strong relationships with key players and experts, many of whom are part of his inner circle. 

And it can all go into oblivion with cognitive decline. I've been close to someone's parent not too long ago with Alzheimer's. It means nothing if it's not accessible anymore.

Edited February 9 by StringJunky

[zapatos]

1 hour ago, MigL said:

You should be under 65 to run for President.

 

42 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Oui.

I guess ageism is alive and well. Nothing magic happens between the ages of 64 and 65. We don't advocate prejudging people around here based on skin color, sex or religion. Why should we give up the right to be judged as individuals when it comes to age?

[J.C.MacSwell]

3 hours ago, zapatos said:

 

I guess ageism is alive and well. Nothing magic happens between the ages of 64 and 65. We don't advocate prejudging people around here based on skin color, sex or religion. Why should we give up the right to be judged as individuals when it comes to age?

It is alive and well and part of your constitution. You already have a law prohibiting anyone under 35 from running for POTUS that no one seems to complain about. 

But IMO the real problem is your population with voting rights and their lack of respect for democracy. In a perfect world (read as "any reasonable world") neither Trump nor Biden would get anywhere near the Presidency.

[StringJunky]

6 hours ago, zapatos said:

 

I guess ageism is alive and well. Nothing magic happens between the ages of 64 and 65. We don't advocate prejudging people around here based on skin color, sex or religion. Why should we give up the right to be judged as individuals when it comes to age?

I'm 62 in a few days. I'm about 50 in my profile pick... forever young.   It should be noted that those protected characteristics cannot affect ones ability to do a job, but advancing age can and does.

Edited February 9 by StringJunky

[J.C.MacSwell]

35 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

I'm 62 in a few days. I'm about 50 in my profile pick... forever young.   It should be noted that those protected characteristics cannot affect ones ability to do a job, but advancing age can and does.

I will say that I think 65 is too young an age to young to be incorporated into law. It is certainly dependant on the individual in regard to decline vs experience at that age.

I also think with regard to INow's point Blinken has surrounded himself by very capable people for the most part. (and unlike Trump, generally for better reasons politics aside)

But that's not enough to make him Presidential material at his current state of decline IMO. (though I do think he's done better than I expected so far)

[TheVat]

10 hours ago, StringJunky said:

And it can all go into oblivion with cognitive decline. I've been close to someone's parent not too long ago with Alzheimer's. It means nothing if it's not accessible anymore.

While I agree there are legit concerns, it's worth noting that the special counsel who wrote that report on Bidens hazy memory and timeline difficulties was a Trump appointee who questioned Biden for five hours.  A tired Biden who had been handling  that day the outbreak of war in Gaza.  And Hur also lobbed powerful emotionally triggering questions in regarding a son who had died, Beau Biden. I think math and timeline difficulties, in that context, might be something plenty of younger people would have, and not be indicative of an inability to reason, weigh options and form sound judgements.   It has also been pointed out that Hur's comments on Biden's cognitive capacity in that sort of report were viewed as highly unprofessional and an inappropriate placing of his thumb on the scale.  At the very least, I would want an impartial and professional person qualified to administer a test of mental competency, before getting too worried about Joe's brain fitness for the job.  

10 hours ago, zapatos said:

guess ageism is alive and well. Nothing magic happens between the ages of 64 and 65. We don't advocate prejudging people around here based on skin color, sex or religion. Why should we give up the right to be judged as individuals when it comes to age?

Yes, and that points to the vast range of biological ages that can atttach to a chronological age.   There are areas in the world where entire populations show physical and mental markers a decade or two decades under chronological age, due to lifestyle, exercise levels built into their lives, and diets like the Mediterranean or Okinawan or 7th Day Adventist.  If you look at Biden and Trump, you see one person at the Sardinia "blue zone" end and the other in Bacon Cheeseburger Sedentary Needs Golfcart to walk over 100 feet can't remember correct name of leading primary opposing candidate rants incoherently zone.  

 

[zapatos]

4 hours ago, StringJunky said:

It should be noted that those protected characteristics cannot affect ones ability to do a job, but advancing age can and does.

But until it does affect ones ability to do a job it is irrelevant. Thus to eliminate someone from consideration for a job simply due to age is bigotry. People can show mental decline well before age 65.

Why should we allow people under 65 with mental decline to hold office while those over 65 without mental decline are denied that right? You should address the heart of the matter. If mental decline is the problem you want to eliminate, then you should ban those with mental decline. Don't pick a different category to ban just because that category has a higher likelihood of mental decline. That method seems to trade off effectiveness for expediency.

[TheVat]

What he said.  Plus freaking one.

[StringJunky]

The oldies are on the warpath.  We are talking about octagenarian level here.

Edited February 9 by StringJunky

[zapatos]

7 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

The oldies are on the warpath.  We are talking about octagenarian level here.

Are we?

12 hours ago, MigL said:

You should be under 65 to run for President.

 

12 hours ago, StringJunky said:

Oui.

 

[J.C.MacSwell]

While not generally pronounced, some mental decline starts well before 35, the minimum allowable age to be POTUS.

An optimum between mental sharpness and experience surely exists, with both Trump and Biden well past it.

[Janus]

16 hours ago, TheVat said:

Taft required a special bathtub installed in the WH.  Not sure what could be installed there in 2025 to remedy Trump's cognitive handicaps. Perhaps a trapdoor.  Biden I'm less worried about - maybe because I know his choices of veep, cabinet and support staff are sound and informed by decades of political experience.  

While Trump will be sure to fill his administration with yes-men who's only qualifications are a sworn fealty to Trump. What little reining in and push-back he got last time will be nonexistent.

[zapatos]

31 minutes ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

An optimum between mental sharpness and experience surely exists, with both Trump and Biden well past it.

What has been obvious to me with Biden is his memory issues, as opposed to, say, critical thinking skills. I don't find memory issues to be much of a problem as long as when corrected they recognize their mistake. I myself will on occasion use an incorrect name, but it in no way reflects my memory of who I was actually speaking of; it is more like a slip of the tongue.

Is Biden showing 'mental decline' (which I suppose is an inability to properly function in society) or are we primarily seeing memory lapses? I'm curious because they seem two very different things to me.