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Age cap on presidential candidates? Why not? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter eoMMan
- Start date
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Founders were concerned about too little, not too much, experience. And Dr. Alzheimer didn't come around for another century.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Should probably do away with all eligibility requirements. Don't see how voters can't take all those considerations into account. If 51% of the country is fine with the possibility that President Schwarzenegger is an Austrian sleeper agent, what's the big deal?
Tom Servo
Nittany Beavers
Chadstroma
Footballguy
Founding Fathers were concerned about not having enough experience and someone trying to stay in office too long.
On the other side, life expectancy was around 35 at the time so a cap would be kind of redundant.
On the other side, life expectancy was around 35 at the time so a cap would be kind of redundant.
Joe Summer
Footballguy
Honestly I think it was kind of self-serving because a lot of those guys wanted to be president someday and they didn't want to include any language that could disqualify them.
Ditkaless Wonders
Footballguy
Cap it with your vote at whatever age you see fit. Allow others the freedom to do likewise or otherwise.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Skoo
Footballguy
Even as a Bernie supporter, I agree.
Being POTUS is an incredibly challenging job, both mentally and physically.
Also, there are exceptions of course (Bernie being one), but most people over 70 years old are pretty out of touch, especially when you consider that a President needs to be looking at the future.
Being POTUS is an incredibly challenging job, both mentally and physically.
Also, there are exceptions of course (Bernie being one), but most people over 70 years old are pretty out of touch, especially when you consider that a President needs to be looking at the future.
Zow
Footballguy
Completely agree. It's dumb that the President must be a natural born citizen and at least 35 years old? Why limit the talent pool with arbitrary rules?
Chadstroma
Footballguy
I saw a meme....
First picture was Bush before office and then next to that was leaving office.
Second picture was Obama before office and then the next was him now.
It was very obvious you could see the wear and tear of the office and how it accelerates aging.
The final picture was of Bernie now and next to it was the Crypt Keeper.
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sho nuff
Footballguy
That one is good...hard to imagine how he would look after office.I saw a meme....First picture was Bush before office and then next to that was leaving office.
Second picture was Obama before office and then the next was him now.
It was very obvious you could see the wear and tear of the office and how it accelerates aging.
The final picture was of Bernie now and next to it was the Crypt Keeper.
The shots of Bush, Clinton, Obama are pretty crazy on theor own.
IvanKaramazov
Footballguy
Those rules may be dumb, but they're certainly not arbitrary. There's a reasonable case to be made that it isn't realistically possible to acquire the wisdom and judgement needed to credibly govern the US before reaching 35. Aristotle made essentially the same argument two millennia ago. The "natural born" part of the citizenship requirement is harder to defend (international carpet-bagging?), but it's pretty easy to see why a person might want citizenship required.
As for why to write that into the constitution instead of leaving it up to voters, its for the same reason that lots of stuff is in the constitution. Sometimes its better to collectively decide to tie our hands in advance rather than rely on the good graces of 51% of the population down the road.
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Chadstroma
Footballguy
I honestly don't think he would make it through his full first term.That one is good...hard to imagine how he would look after office.I saw a meme....First picture was Bush before office and then next to that was leaving office.
Second picture was Obama before office and then the next was him now.
It was very obvious you could see the wear and tear of the office and how it accelerates aging.
The final picture was of Bernie now and next to it was the Crypt Keeper.
The shots of Bush, Clinton, Obama are pretty crazy on theor own.
johnnycakes
Footballguy
Airline pilots usually get hit with mandatory retirement around age 60, iirc. Too shaky to captain an airliner with a few hundred souls aboard but not too shaky to have your finger on the button for the nukes.
Ditka Butkus
Footballguy
Reagan was playing with his toes by the time he left office.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
E Street Brat
Footballguy
SacramentoBob
Footballguy
I don't see why everyone is making a big deal about his age. If he dies while in office, we can have a real life Weekend at Bernie's. win-win
jonessed
Footballguy
Mister CIA
Footballguy
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Because we may never see another Constitutional Amendment?
Chadstroma
Footballguy
The Constitution wasn't written with term limits on the Presidency. That didn't come around until after FDR served 4 terms in the last century. In fact, the FFs wanted to make George Washington king. So staying in office too long was not a concern.
apalmer
Footballguy
Section 4 of the 25th Amendment:
Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
Don Quixote
Footballguy
That's including the higher infant mortality rate though. if would be a lot higher if you limit just to those reaching adulthood.WHH was 68 when elected (second oldest behind Reagan). So, some older types were running for President even back then. Sam Adams got some electoral votes as a VP candidate as an old fart pretty early on too.
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chauncey
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
I'm not that old but I don't think they were doing that initials thing for celebrities in 1840. That started after WHH died and was replaced by J-Ty.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Good luck with that considering who actually votes these days. And while you are at it, make sure to make cuts to Social Security.
