this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2023
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A recent health scare for Mitch McConnell has raised concerns about the age of America's politicians.

top 29 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] spider@lemmy.nz 37 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Too owned is the bigger problem.

Hell, Bernie's old, but he still has his marbles.

[–] andrew@lemmy.stuart.fun 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's both. If you don't have term limits, that considerably reduces the risk of a newbie with morals coming in, rejecting your lobbying money, and putting your whole operation in jeopardy. If you can keep them around for a long time, they gain power as they gain seniority and so do you.

[–] spider@lemmy.nz 7 points 1 year ago

In theory, yes.

In practice, look at the term-limited Florida Legislature. They're every bit as corrupt. New faces, but same owners.

[–] MossyFeathers@pawb.social 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Woohoo... A whopping four people interviewed. That said, it's interesting that the BBC has a Republican and two independents saying there should be some kind of disqualifier, like a term limit or competency tests, while the Democrat's statement seemed to amount to, "age is just a number". That doesn't seem to track with what I've seen. From what I've seen, very few people are saying, "age is just a number" in the context of politics anymore (I've legitimately been seeing republicans starting to question not just Biden, but other elderly politicians, regardless of party).

[–] Ghyste@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 year ago

Seems like the interviews were cherry-picked. Big surprise there...

What a shit sample size.

Even toothpaste surveys uses a minimum of ten dentists.

[–] Igotz80HDnImWinning@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Can’t imagine it has anything to do with all the laws that disenfranchise college students and young adults not living in the same town as their parents.

[–] Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 year ago

Seriously how the fuck do I get out this small town T-T
I was gonna go to state school, cuz I can afford it, but it's down the street like 30 minutes. And that town sucks just as badly.
So I just... didn't. 🥲

[–] deweydecibel@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Voters weigh in"

You mean like how they do every other November? When they put those geezers in office?

[–] stopthatgirl7@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

People tend to just vote for the incumbent, which is how we’ve got senators so old they’re stroking out on camera and have conservators, because they refuse to yield power or retire. This is why we need term limits.

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 year ago

If not term limits we really should have age maximums to go with the minimums that already exist. People over 70 shouldn't be making policy decisions they likely won't be alive to see tye affects of.

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago
[–] HurlingDurling@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

I don't think the issue is that politicians are old or not. You may be old but still have fresh ideas. The problem is that without term limits those fresh ideas become stagnant and start to smell of prune juice farts and old tapioca pudding.

[–] kitonthenet@kbin.social -1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

you might reasonably assume that if they were too old they'd vote for younger ones

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

The problem is demographics. Boomers have been the largest voting bloc and that’s only really changing now that they’re getting old and dying. (Currently boomers are 59-77 years. Biden and them are technically silent generation.)

Gen x is to “quiet” to make a big fuss and boomers don’t respect millennials (nevermind gen z) so they’re never going to vote for some one younger than themselves.

It was until ‘19 that boomers were finally outnumbered by a different generation.

[–] elevenfingerfrk@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Most of us GenXers gave up on trying to make any significant change in anything. Those that are still active have already sided with the enemy.

[–] kitonthenet@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

OK but even so, I don't support the disenfranchisement of boomers so like, it is not improper that they vote for candidates they think represent them

[–] Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I do. There are excellent politicians in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who have just sat on the sidelines because of this demographic bubble.

[–] kitonthenet@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That’s a fast track to social security privatization, why do you want to force my grandma to eat cat food?

[–] Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone -1 points 1 year ago

Lmfao T-T true tho ouch

[–] elevenfingerfrk@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If you let people opposed to your ideology vote, they will inevitably vote against your interests. Disenfranchisement is the only real option available to producing meaningful political change that doesn’t involve violence. It’s the same strategy used against the rest of us by conservatives and neoliberals. We’re stupid for not using it against them.

[–] kitonthenet@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

You're an idiot for thinking this way

[–] SCB@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Disenfranchisement is the only real option available to producing meaningful political change that doesn’t involve violence

Cool. No leftists get to vote.

Wait you meant just disenfranchise people you don't like?

[–] elevenfingerfrk@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago

The gerontocracy runs the political parties. The party determines the candidates. You will rarely see a candidate on your ballot that wasn’t approved by them. And they will only approve of other old people and those that agree with their policies… which are inherently conservative in nature.

[–] regalia@literature.cafe -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

John Schreiner is an independent who has voted for Republicans in roughly 60% of elections. He voted for Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

Oh you know a bad opinion is coming...

[–] TheRealKuni@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, how dare someone change their views over time instead of being born and raised with the same views as you?

[–] regalia@literature.cafe -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

That has nothing to do with how you're raised. At that age you've had more then enough time to form an educated opinion. He choose to be an enlightened centralist.

Like do you think at that age he's not capable of turning on the TV, seeing the terrible rage filled shit Republicans are doing and thinks "Oh I was raised this way, makes sense to me!".

[–] TheRealKuni@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

At that age you've had more then enough time to form an educated opinion. He choose to be an enlightened centralist.

I’m rather left (especially for the USA), but I wasn’t always that way. I was raised very conservative. My statistics wouldn’t be very different from this gentleman, and I also call myself an independent because I don’t care to be tied to a political party like some kind of sports team.

Yet you would assume I would have garbage opinions without knowing anything about me simply by hearing my voting history and party affiliation.

That’s foolishness on your part.

[–] regalia@literature.cafe 1 points 1 year ago

You changed your opinion after life experience right? I'm going to assume you moved that direction before the age of 42 and didn't stay "centrist" considering you're confidently say you're more left wing.