An age old problem..

[Pope Joan]

why would a nice young person want to be a politician?

They wouldn't

Politicians are nasty by nature.

Young ones just have more hair, that's all.

[Internationalist Bastard]

True. I have a feeling, that when I will be a 60 years old, it will be pretty conservative with my beliefs too.

I am 21 and already conservative.

What's that saying about being liberal and young with no brain and conservative and young with no heart?

Someone under 30 who’s not a liberal has no heart. Someone who is over 30 and not a conservative has no brain
That’s a Churchill line

[Pope Joan]

I am 21 and already conservative.

What's that saying about being liberal and young with no brain and conservative and young with no heart?

Someone under 30 who’s not a liberal has no heart. Someone who is over 30 and not a conservative has no brain
That’s a Churchill line

A line which ages well, like a good cigar

[Kaggeceria]

So?

People can still learn and change even when they are older.

It’s a demographic thing, younger a candidate is more likely they’ll accept me
I’m not saying we should put an age cap on office, just I’d like more young politicians as I feel they are more likely to have a basic level of interest in me

I'd rather have been with more political and life experience, but you do you.

[Kaggeceria]

I am 21 and already conservative.

What's that saying about being liberal and young with no brain and conservative and young with no heart?

Someone under 30 who’s not a liberal has no heart. Someone who is over 30 and not a conservative has no brain
That’s a Churchill line

Ah, yes. Sometimes I look to myself and wonder how true it is.

[Internationalist Bastard]

It’s a demographic thing, younger a candidate is more likely they’ll accept me
I’m not saying we should put an age cap on office, just I’d like more young politicians as I feel they are more likely to have a basic level of interest in me

I'd rather have been with more political and life experience, but you do you.

Personally in a representative democracy I feel like my representatives should be selected in their interest in representing me, but then I want liquid democracy

[Ethel mermania]

i am very disappointed there is no oppertunity to vote for david hasselhoff in this poll.

if i were to make a serious comment, term limits

[Hurdergaryp]

The average age of the Soviet Politburo in the 1980s was 70. I remember reading the disparaging comments in the West about that fact. Ironic.

And the Soviet Union ceased to exist a decade later...

Certainly that will never happen to the glorious USA, unbreakable as it is.

[Ethel mermania]

And the Soviet Union ceased to exist a decade later...

Certainly that will never happen to the glorious USA, unbreakable as it is.

everything dies. it is the nature of the universe

[Bombadil]

i am very disappointed there is no oppertunity to vote for david hasselhoff in this poll.

if i were to make a serious comment, term limits

How dare you!

Option 3.

I don't think this is a partisan issue, both party leaderships are particularly old. Would seem a systemic issue.

[Yagon]

Certainly that will never happen to the glorious USA, unbreakable as it is.

everything dies. it is the nature of the universe

And with strange aeons even death may die.

If everything that dies was born, what if it turns out the order doesn't matter. To be born and then die is the same as to die and be born.

[Ethel mermania]

i am very disappointed there is no oppertunity to vote for david hasselhoff in this poll.

if i were to make a serious comment, term limits

How dare you!

Option 3.

I don't think this is a partisan issue, both party leaderships are particularly old. Would seem a systemic issue.

you fiend, you changed the poll, i cant change my vote for the hoff. i feel like i have betrayed the hoff, i am sad. i shall now log in with a few puppets to make me feel better.

agreed, whether its charles rangal or orrin hatch politics is a career and being reelected is part of extending it end it and maybe we will get statesmen again. 2 terms for a senator, 4 for a congress critter, its enough.

[Ethel mermania]

everything dies. it is the nature of the universe

And with strange aeons even death may die.

If everything that dies was born, what if it turns out the order doesn't matter. To be born and then die is the same as to die and be born.

if you take the long view, yes.

[Bombadil]

The politicians in the US are old mostly because big donors or money is very important in campaigning. Whichever candidate can spend the most money on getting elected usually has the advantage. To have money, you have to be old more often than not. Older people had more time to go through a successful career where they happen to earn a lot of money or own a bunch of assets or property via investment, entrepreneurship, or whatever else people do to become rich or economically stable.

So far as who people vote for, the incumbent has an advantage in that if people approve of the job they're doing, people know their policies or platform more so than for any challenger. Term limits aren't ideal in that it could cause too many inexperienced people to come into political power who can't get anything done or don't know what they're doing. But on the flip side, the lack of it could mean the same people being in power for too long and nothing changing.

The US has some age requirements for its politics. 25 years of age or older to qualify for House of Representatives, 30 years of age or older to qualify for the US Senate, and 35 years of age or older to be US president or Vice President.

I think there's some truth in this, I think the amount of money spent on elections in the US is insane. It accrues advantage to the incumbent who already gets more airtime regardless. That leads to people staying in their position for far longer.

Also, I tend to note more authoritarian regimes will have older leaders in general. However again I wonder if there's a generational changeover coming. A lot of people who started their careers/dictatorships in the 70's will be dropping off. I should look at age replacement numbers.

[Northern Syria]

It's definitely concerning, but I'm more concerned about the wealth gap between politicians and their constituents than the age gap.

[LimaUniformNovemberAlpha]

You know, in 2008, I might've considered supporting retirement age if only for its effectiveness against McCain and/or to stick it to people who associate experience with wisdom as though people always learned the right lessons from experience.

Now I realize the same kind of thing could've been used against Sanders, and that wouldn't be too good.

Rather than obsessing over the ages of politicians we should focus on the ages of those who elect them. Instead of voting being an automatic right at 18, you should earn it by graduating from high school.

[Bombadil]

You know, in 2008, I might've considered supporting retirement age if only for its effectiveness against McCain and/or to stick it to people who associate experience with wisdom as though people always learned the right lessons from experience.

Now I realize the same kind of thing could've been used against Sanders, and that wouldn't be too good.

Rather than obsessing over the ages of politicians we should focus on the ages of those who elect them. Instead of voting being an automatic right at 18, you should earn it by graduating from high school.

I really don't see it as a partisan issue, and 2008 is part why I question whether it's an issue given one president in their 40's handed over to another in their 40's.. but the average has still risen by some 15%, or 10 years, since 2001. I guess that's a natural result of incumbency and I question whether being led by a bunch of 70/80 year olds is a good thing.

[The Blaatschapen]

You know, in 2008, I might've considered supporting retirement age if only for its effectiveness against McCain and/or to stick it to people who associate experience with wisdom as though people always learned the right lessons from experience.

Now I realize the same kind of thing could've been used against Sanders, and that wouldn't be too good.

Rather than obsessing over the ages of politicians we should focus on the ages of those who elect them. Instead of voting being an automatic right at 18, you should earn it by graduating from high school.

How many people drop out of high school. And are certain minorities not more affected by this? And wouldn't this not be another case of vote suppression?

Also, what about home schooling?

[USS Monitor]

Just because you're old doesn't mean you can't be a good leader.

I believe this is what you leftists would call ageism.

This isn't a left-right issue. You can stop trying to turn everything you touch into an anti-leftist smear campaign any time now.

[Big Jim P]

i am very disappointed there is no oppertunity to vote for david hasselhoff in this poll.

if i were to make a serious comment, term limits

I fully support term limits.

[Dahon]

why would a nice young person want to be a politician?

They wouldn't

Politicians are nasty by nature.

Young ones just have more hair, that's all.

Because they wanna see things done, because they wanna help people, and if possible make money on the side.

[The New California Republic]

And the Soviet Union ceased to exist a decade later...

Certainly that will never happen to the glorious USA, unbreakable as it is.

Yup, the USA is eternal, it takes after the Roman Empire in that regard.

...

Wait...

[Knights Templar Order of Solomons Temple]

Wow! People will make everything a problem nowadays.. I'd say let more old people in high positions, I've seen enough of my generation..

[The New California Republic]

Wow! People will make everything a problem nowadays.. I'd say let more old people in high positions, I've seen enough of my generation..

Turning The Senate into a retirement home isn't a viable solution.

[Firaxin]

Wow! People will make everything a problem nowadays.. I'd say let more old people in high positions, I've seen enough of my generation..

"I dont like popular things for my age group, therefore that age group deserves no power!"

Besides, people change over time, nobody is going to act like they do now 10 years from now.