Next US president will be oldest in history. Why
do voters keep electing aging leaders?
McClatchy Newspapers,
by
Andrew Malcolm
Original Article
Posted By: SurferLad,
10/13/2020 2:45:44 PM
Americans cannot agree on much these days, but one source of unanimity is that aging is better than the alternative. However, one of the most striking yet less-noticed facts of contemporary politics is that Americans have also shown a striking affinity for selecting — and keeping — old people in political office. Really old people.
[Snip] The median age of all Americans is 38.2 years, less than half Joe Biden’s. The coincidental advanced ages of the nation’s current political leaders have raised all kinds of serious new questions, including ideological rigidity, stale policies and mental and physical
Why? Because the next generation after the boomers have very little commonsense?
25 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Quigley 10/13/2020 3:00:38 PM (No. 571330)
I think obummer was young. Clitton too. George bush too.
So what exactly are you talking about. Where’d you get the premise?
I wonder why Americans keep reading newspapers instead of online products. I got that premise from the same place.
17 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Jethro bo 10/13/2020 3:04:37 PM (No. 571331)
Gee, the navel gazing is strong in this one, it is! Americans are getting older. Remember that Baby Boomer thingy? Median ages has been increasing for decades. Survival is lasting longer (we live longer). Imagine someone about to retire voting for a ' like' where's my participation trophy, snowflake.
12 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
earlybird 10/13/2020 3:05:33 PM (No. 571332)
Because there aren’t any younger ones who are ready.
Back to sleep, Andrew.
17 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Jennie C. 10/13/2020 3:06:34 PM (No. 571333)
Look what happened when they elected a Boomer. Gen x and the millennials would be even worse.
9 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
stevendm 10/13/2020 3:10:55 PM (No. 571337)
Acquired wisdom?
8 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
spacer 10/13/2020 3:15:46 PM (No. 571343)
We keep electing our elders because the two youngest were disasters. Kennedy and Obama.
16 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
red1066 10/13/2020 3:16:49 PM (No. 571344)
The vast majority of younger people don't have any knowledge of U.S. or world history. Plus they don't have the knowledge of what REAL freedom is like having grown up in the control freak government of the last forty years.
13 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
davew 10/13/2020 3:35:15 PM (No. 571357)
Many of the Democrat party Presidential nominees were young including Pete Buttigieg and Andrew Yang but they haven't been in politics long enough to establish the network of loyalty that Joe Biden cultivated over decades of influence peddling and wealth transfer.
Its the same reason Don Corleone was the "Don". He did favors for people including judges and politicians that could rely on his use of violence and extortion to enforce their will and get around the rule of law. The reason the political class really hates Trump is that he "jumped the line" and became the President without paying for their loyalty through money or power. This cut them off from power and exposed them as the frauds they are.
12 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
LC Chihuahua 10/13/2020 3:43:02 PM (No. 571362)
Don't think it has anything to do with age. It has all to do with money. After that, honesty and competence.
4 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
TJ54 10/13/2020 4:00:50 PM (No. 571382)
Well the media is trying to shove the first Dementia candidate on us. Talk about evil
6 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
stablemoney 10/13/2020 4:01:48 PM (No. 571387)
Because you have to be over 70 to be wise, but there is no guarantee.
4 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 10/13/2020 4:16:42 PM (No. 571407)
It's because younger leaders still want to have a life before it is turned into a living hell.
3 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
BGray2 10/13/2020 4:22:02 PM (No. 571411)
Because theoretically, with age comes wisdom. Unfortunately, for some , it also comes with senility.
8 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
Justcurious 10/13/2020 4:28:10 PM (No. 571418)
"The coincidental advanced ages of the nation’s current political leaders have raised all kinds of serious new questions, including ideological rigidity, stale policies and mental and physical..."
I can see that the reason PDJT won in 2016 was...wait for it...ideological rigidity.
The same old stuff.
Right.
2 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
WhamDBambam 10/13/2020 4:32:48 PM (No. 571421)
Because sometimes older actually is wiser.
7 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
TexaTucky 10/13/2020 4:36:28 PM (No. 571423)
In a society so obsessed with youth and beauty, it's an ironic given that we long for the wisdom and safety we sense in the elders we are afraid of becoming.
6 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
TNVolunteer 10/13/2020 4:56:22 PM (No. 571436)
Everyone alive is aging.
3 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
kdog 10/13/2020 5:07:04 PM (No. 571450)
The three presidents before Trump were young men, Obama. W Bush and W Clinton. Old presidents isn't a trend.
5 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
ROLFNader 10/13/2020 5:22:53 PM (No. 571465)
Gee , I dunno, Mr Malcontent . Next question.
2 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
Faithfully 10/13/2020 6:21:11 PM (No. 571529)
Elder statesmen usually have impulse control, a good attribute when the leader has his finger on the nuke button.
1 person likes this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
anonymous 10/13/2020 6:27:27 PM (No. 571541)
The younger ones tend to want to be Governor or Mayor. Maybe they also lack the personal connections to get to the very pinnacle of leadership in the country. Younger ones also tend to be naive and ideological. Older candidates are more likely to be understanding of the horrors that zealots such as Stalin and Hitler imposed on their countries and the world.
3 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
Rumblehog 10/13/2020 6:42:44 PM (No. 571575)
Because Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were idiots.
2 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
NYbob 10/13/2020 7:02:52 PM (No. 571602)
I hope Andrew gives thanks to God every night that there is someone stupid enough to pay him for this drivel.
1 person likes this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
czechlist 10/13/2020 7:44:33 PM (No. 571634)
I recall Ronald Reagan was 69 when running in 1980 (70 shortly after inauguration) and the dims and media howled that he was too old.
1 person likes this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
DVC 10/13/2020 11:45:02 PM (No. 571796)
Because almost all of the younger ones are literally insane leftists.
1 person likes this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
JimBob 10/14/2020 1:26:42 AM (No. 571848)
Ronald Reagan answered this brilliantly during one of his debates with Walter Mondale.
Please see Youtube clip "Reagan and the age issue"
A little over one minute long..... it'll make your day.
1 person likes this.
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