Older people running for President

[neverlandsky]

We have age requirements written into the Constitution at a time when life expectancy was very low, 30-40 years old. Given this fact, I wouldn’t mind seeing age cutoffs and term limits added to the Constitution.

 

[Toolulu22]

Our county just voted in term limits on local positions. Hallelujah!

 

[amberpi]

I would love term limits but I’m not really hearing ageism/ableism on either side. I think term limits would ensure much better policy making though.

 

[ronandannette]

Most people have exceeded their sharpest and most productive years by age 80. I would not vote for an elderly national leader, nor would I choose treatment by an 80 year old surgeon, want to book a flight flown by an 80 year old pilot, have my taxes done by an 80 year old accountant or hire an 80 year old painter to paint my house. If that makes me an ageist, so be it.

 

[Anastasi]

It doesn't matter, if they have a qualified VP

I agree. Several elections ago, I was excited to cross party lines and gasp, vote for a member of a different party than the one I usually voted for. Until he chose his running partner. Even if he young and not already up there in age, I would not have voted for him due to his choice of VP candidate. I so disagreed with any and all of her politics that I wouldn't take any chance that there was even the remotest chance she would ascend to the presidency. So, I slunk back across the line and did my duty and voted for what I believed was an almost equal, but not quite equal, candidate.

If he had a VP candidate that was at least in the same ball park as his positions, I would have voted for him even though he was up there in age.

 

[tvguy]

We are behind the rest of the world in having older leaders. It seems to be working for other nations. Maybe we should make 80 the MINIMUM age.

The Prime Minister of Malaysia was 92 when we was elected THIS year, and he is 93 now.
The President of Tunisia was 88 when he was elected in 2014 and he is going strong in office at 92.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_state_leaders_by_age

 

[DisneyOma]

Then again...

The oldest person elected US President is Donald Trump, the second oldest was Ronald Reagan. Reagan's son did indicate he noticed early sings of Alzheimer's while the elder Reagan was in office.

The third was William Henry Harrison and he died in office (due to pneumonia).

Reagan's Alzheimer's was a big state secret, until it wasn't. It explains a lot of what went on at the end of his presidency, that's for certain.

 

[tvguy]

Reagan's Alzheimer's was a big state secret, until it wasn't. It explains a lot of what went on at the end of his presidency, that's for certain.

Just like John F. Kennedy's numerous health issues. At only age 46, they may have interfered in him doing the job. And they were also a state secret.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=125593&page=1

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Age itself really wouldn't matter to me. If mental competency was an issue, I'd definitely reconsider, but frankly, that can happen at any age. There are lots of issues that the elderly are more prone perhaps to have that would make me think twice about voting for them, like Alzheimer's, debilitating health, difficulty connecting with/understanding younger populations/concerns, but there are also older folks who are in great health and and knowledgeable about current culture and issues. It all really depends on the person.

 

[tvguy]

Age itself really wouldn't matter to me. If mental competency was an issue, I'd definitely reconsider, but frankly, that can happen at any age. There are lots of issues that the elderly are more prone perhaps to have that would make me think twice about voting for them, like Alzheimer's, debilitating health, difficulty connecting with/understanding younger populations/concerns, but there are also older folks who are in great health and and knowledgeable about current culture and issues. It all really depends on the person.

Well put.

 

[Callie]

It shocks me that Donald is the oldest president. I think it's because he has such a young son and wife.

 

[low-key]

I think its an individual thing, some people just age better then other people. And it should be up to each voter tod ecide if it matter to them. But I will say this, I hate when a political party, a work place or what ever is controlled by all old people and they dont let the young blood in and given some authority

 

[goofyernmost]

It doesn't matter, if they have a qualified VP

So true... the age of the candidate isn't really a concern if during the process the person is clear thinking and able to state his or her positions in an intelligent manner. However, with that said, a person of advanced age is still more likely to become sickly or just plain die then a younger one. So it then becomes very important what age, mental capacity and stands on issues the running mate has. They are going to be the next in line to be president until the next election at least. That also goes down to the third in line and that is the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Any of those three are possible Presidents and they should all be taken seriously. The general public doesn't have the say in the Speaker, but, for sure on the Pres. and the V.P.

 

[disykat]

I am already starting to feel scrutiny in my career field before I'm even 60. Am I up to date? Am I energetic? Am I ambitious or just looking towards retirement? Am I set in my ways? Do parents want an old teacher for their child?

I think it's ridiculous that we ex]ect retirement from almost any other career, but it's okay to elect people beyond normal retirement age to the higest office in the country?

I definitely look at a candidate's age.

 

[Disney Doll]

I consider but wouldn’t rule out a candidate based on age alone. I know some very wise older people and some very unwise younger people.

For 8 years my town had a young mayor...i think he was 28 when he got elected. Suffice it to say that by the end of his 2nd term when he announced that he wouldn’t run again, most people in town were doing backflips.

 

[DisneyOma]

Just like John F. Kennedy's numerous health issues. At only age 46, they may have interfered in him doing the job. And they were also a state secret.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=125593&page=1

Back issues are a lot different than Alzheimer's. While Kennedy 'may have' had to take some pretty strong pain meds, who can forget (if you were alive then) all of Reagan's "I don't recollect" statements?

It shocks me that Donald is the oldest president. I think it's because he has such a young son and wife.

trump is on wife #3 - first wife is 69, oldest son is 40 (old enough to be Barron's dad). trump has grandkids about the same age as his youngest son. trump dyes his hair (that really awful color) and I'm betting he gets botox, etc.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Back issues are a lot different than Alzheimer's. While Kennedy 'may have' had to take some pretty strong pain meds, who can forget (if you were alive then) all of Reagan's "I don't recollect" statements?

We all know he was faking

 

[ronandannette]

I consider but wouldn’t rule out a candidate based on age alone. I know some very wise older people and some very unwise younger people.

For 8 years my town had a young mayor...i think he was 28 when he got elected. Suffice it to say that by the end of his 2nd term when he announced that he wouldn’t run again, most people in town were doing backflips.

FWIW, I wouldn’t vote for a person who was too young to have had a reasonable amount of life and career experience either. There are few 28 year olds that have raised families, owned property, been personally concerned about school districts and garbage collection and road maintenance and whatnot to really have a grasp of the concerns of civic government.

 

[tvguy]

Back issues are a lot different than Alzheimer's. While Kennedy 'may have' had to take some pretty strong pain meds, who can forget (if you were alive then) all of Reagan's "I don't recollect" statements?
.

I was only 6 when JFK was assassinated, but I was alive. The documents that were released in 2013....that were sealed for 50 years after his death, kind of reveal that JFK was pretty heavily medicated. Reagan remember, was very big on delegating responsibilities, and tended to defer to the thinking of those who may have had clearer minds.

 

[kdonnel]

We have age requirements written into the Constitution at a time when life expectancy was very low, 30-40 years old. Given this fact, I wouldn’t mind seeing age cutoffs and term limits added to the Constitution.

Life expectancy is a statistic that many do not understand.

The numbers were much lower in the past not because people lived much shorter lives but because infant mortality was so high. If you made it past age 3 or 4 you were expected to live into your 70s or 80s. So many children died that it drove the life expectancy down.

Something similar just happened this year. There has been a dramatic rise in suicides and drug overdoses in the US that has actually caused a drop in the US life expectancy for males.