Should There Be Age Limits In Politics?

[Untitled]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgedpw4r5eo
 

joe biden's age is clearly a big problem... trump's grip on reality has long been weak 

is it time to prevent people from holding political office once they are past a certain age? it is much harder to be rid of them otherwise. 

[1ozzy]

Some older people are very astute, some not so.

There should be an age limit.

Kids need not apply

[davebro3]

You might think that their supporters/campaigners would realise that neither of those individuals is fit for office and step in to replace them - money talks I guess.

If the President is just a figurehead & his/her admin team really take the decisions it may not matter much. I suspect that is the case with Biden, Trump not so much.

[Old_Geezer]

The people still vote for them, so they get the government they deserve. Therefore if that's what the people want, then there's point in being ageist.

[Deskdiary]

I was listening to some of this on the radio this morning, and not only do I think the Democrats should stop him from running, I'd suggest there's a valid argument to remove him from office now (I have no idea whether there's a mechanism to do so).

 

Listening this morning, it was buttock-clenchingly cringeworthy - it was embarrasing for him. He struggled to string sentences together, he mumbled, he lost his train of thought, and it was as if he didn't know where he was. At the end he had to be helped down three steps by two people...and then presumably had his nappy changed.

 

It says an awful lot that Trump was the more coherent and compos-mentis of the two.

 

I thought in Sunak and SKS we had two crappy leaders, but Jesus-wept, I'm bloody glad I'm not American.

[jourdain2]

No, age should not count.  It is ability and experience.  There have been, and are, many highly intelligent and effective older people in all walks of life.  Attenborough for an easy example.

After hearing some of Biden's efforts on the wireless this morning, he isobviously notone of them.

[10ClarionSt]

Maybe it's time for AI and Skynet to take over. I'll be back!

[barry1010]

Old age shouldn't be a barrier but loss of mental capacity should 

[Old_Geezer]

"...there's NO point..."

 

this place still needs an editing facility

[Sinead_O]

Like Trump said, take a cognitive test- a really simple one!  

[Stableford]

What a road crash, I actually felt sorry for Biden- where he completely lost his train of thought it was pitiful- it seems unkind to let him carry on.  

[barry1010]

I think it pitiful that apparently there is not one person of sound mind in the US that can be a candidate for presidency.

There must be one.

[ToraToraTora]

Bit like driving really, some are over 100 driving fine and some kill a bus queue when they are 70 mixing up brake and throttle. Perhaps some sort of compos mentis check is in order, but not really practical. I'm not sure about putting some sort of artibrary age limit on it. I can't believe that in the US they have this awful choice. Their system needs lookig at really.

[tomus42]

What a sad spectacle it all was. God help us.

[Untitled]

there are of course lower age limits to running for president.. why not upper ones? About 70 should do it. the trouble is that once they are in they are quite difficult to remove!

[Stableford]

That's interesting, what's the lowest age to qualify for President?  I think Teddy Roosevelt was 42 when he was inaugrated.  Now we have a candidate almost twice his age!

[Untitled]

the minimum age is 35. 

[Peter Pedant]

Kennedy was the youngest ( apparently) - but um not the longest lived -  ( Truman I think, obviously you count the post presidential years too). Some  of the first leddies turn out to be indestructible

Pitt youngest PM at 24 - and then proceeded to drink himself to death - it took 20y

oh god this will make the mods go jabber jabber jabber

[Peter Pedant]

I think the idea is that the hungery young men rip them apart. Obviously hasnt happened here ( yet) - sozza that was about old men surviving or no.

Does it happen in Industry - the old men hang on so long the company goes bleeeeuh ? Usually the shareholders get their.....scythes out - Treasury analysis seventies showed that private companies rarely lasted more than three generations

christ and look at the presidential children - a motley crew if I ever I saw one - Jarn-jarn an antivaxxer, I dont think the obama kids have done much, hunna Biden, Reagan's bally dancer son he ignored....Trishuh ('My father is not a crook') Nixon disappeared without trace. Mrs Coolidge dead....

[Peter Pedant]

 I'd suggest there's a valid argument to remove him from office now (I have no idea whether there's a mechanism to do so).

yeah incapacity - one of the modern amendments that I  havent looked up. They  had a spazzie if the President were injured but refusing to pass the buck -  as happened with Reagan. 

OK I did look it up as a demon googler ( God I can do greek like er greased lightning) 25th amendment - presidential incapacity

someone asked

[davebro3]

I think Biden could give PP a run for his money!!!