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When is "too old" to run for office?

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  • #31
    Originally posted by Darth Executor View Post
    letting psychologists deal with mental illness is like having Hitler planning your bar mitzvah
    You just reminded me of the time I had to fly to Atlanta to get my brother out of the loony bin. He was epileptic, and his doctor decided to change his medicines. It left John in a totally confused state, and one day he was standing on a downtown corner in Atlanta, and apparently somebody called the police because he was just standing there, looking confused. When the police contacted him, he said, "I don't even know where I am - I could just kill that doctor who changed my meds".

    They arrested him for making a terroristic threat, and locked him in the psycho ward.

    When I got there, I went to sign him out, and the attendants - particularly his state assigned "shrink", were like all super depressed and "out of it". I was concerned they were going to lock me up, too, because they weren't acting rational at all, yet they thought my brother was the crazy one.

    I actually wondered if one of the inmates had killed the warden or something, and had taken over the facility.
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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    • #32
      Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post
      More like imbibing alcoholics running your AA meeting.
      I prefer my analogy because many are outright malicious.
      "As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." Isaiah 3:12

      There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

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      • #33
        Originally posted by Darth Executor View Post
        I prefer my analogy because many are outright malicious.
        I don't think psychologists are any worse than others tempted to use sensitive information to cut down rather than build up. I don't think most are malicious, they just tend to have problems of their own, not unlike the blind leading the blind.
        Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

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        • #34
          Originally posted by Faber View Post
          That would pretty much wipe out the Democrat party.
          "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

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          • #35
            Strom Thurmond remained a senator until he was 100. While he was also pretty racist, and I don't agree with a lot of his views, I think it shows that one can remain in office for quite a long time. Wikipedia said some people thought his mental capacity had declined somewhat, but didn't provide conclusive evidence of the claim.
            Find my speling strange? I'm trying this out: Simplified Speling. Feel free to join me.

            "Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do."-Jeremy Bentham

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            • #36
              Originally posted by Starlight View Post
              People are living longer than ever and medical advances are able to keep them in better health than ever, but still a lot of US political figures are getting quite old. In many jobs people tend to retire at 60-65 but it seems like that's the age at which many US politicians are just getting started. The mean age of democrats in congress is now above 60, while the mean age of Republicans in congress is only slightly below 60.

              Is there a point at which age alone makes them 'too old' to run? Or is it a matter of physical / mental health? If you can give an hour long speech without falling over or dribbling then is that good enough? (I would like to add 'and without sounding like a total nutter', but clearly Trump, Palin, Bachmann etc prove that's not a US requirement)

              Given Trump's allegedly declining mental health, I think a lot of people would see it as reasonable that politicians had to pass standard basic mental health checks administered by professionals. But if so, what sort of level of competence should be required? The congressional pharmacist apparently commented to a reporter that he provides Alzheimer's drugs to multiple members of congress - is it acceptable to members who are receiving treatment for a progressive mental disorder?

              Should any particular level of physical health be required? Or are brain tumors (e.g. John McCain), being confined to a wheel chair (e.g. FDR) etc fine?

              My main motivations for bringing this up are: (1) Donald Trump's allegedly declining mental health, (2) Bernie Sanders' upcoming 2020 presidential run at the age of what will be 80, (3) Dianne Feinstein's choice to run again for senate this year at the age of 84, (4) ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio floating the idea of a senate run at the age of 85.

              Some ages of prominent older politicians and possible politicians:
              Joe Arpaio - 85 (currently floating a senate run)
              Diane Feinstein - 84 (currently running for another 6 year term)
              Chuck Grassley - 84
              Orin Hatch - 83 (retiring)
              John McCain - 81 (71 in 2008 when his age was mentioned as a possible issue in the race against Obama)
              Nancy Pelosi - 77
              Bernie Sanders - 76
              Joe Biden - 75
              Mitch McConnell - 75
              Donald Trump - 71
              Chuck Schumer - 67
              Steve Bannon - 64
              Oprah Winfrey - 63
              I don't see any reason for there to be any age limit, if they are healthy, feel as though they can do it, then more power to them. Age is just a number, and there are many very old people out there that are healthier both physically and mentally than many younger people are. Besides, I'm hoping B. Sanders runs again next time. What I think we should disallow is conservatives from running for office.
              Last edited by JimL; 01-16-2018, 12:33 AM.

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              • #37
                Originally posted by JimL View Post
                Besides, I'm hoping B. Sanders runs again next time.
                So am I. I'm just anticipating "He's too old!!!" to be an ad hoc excuse trotted out against him by those who disagree with his political policies.

                What I think we should disallow is conservatives from running for office.
                Well of course, and Christians should obviously be banned, naturally.
                "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
                "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
                "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

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                • #38
                  Originally posted by Starlight View Post
                  So am I. I'm just anticipating "He's too old!!!" to be an ad hoc excuse trotted out against him by those who disagree with his political policies.
                  Yep, they will use his age against him, but so long as his age doesn't look to be of any consequence I don't think the attacks would have any effect on people changing their support. If people like you and what you stand for, their not going to worry too much about age.
                  Well of course, and Christians should obviously be banned, naturally.
                  Yeah, except for my 2 sisters, 3 brothers and my mother who are all both Christians and Republicans. Go figure!

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                  • #39
                    Originally posted by Starlight View Post
                    So am I. I'm just anticipating "He's too old!!!"
                    Not necessary - he's nutty enough without the age factor.
                    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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                    • #40
                      Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                      Not necessary - he's nutty enough without the age factor.
                      I'd be willing to bet that had Sanders gone up against Trump, he'd of won going away. You're confusing ideas/policies/ideologies that you don't like, with the person who holds them. Trump is nutty, has no moral compass, but that's a different matter than his politics, which I also abhor.

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                      • #41
                        Originally posted by JimL View Post
                        I'd be willing to bet that had Sanders gone up against Trump, he'd of won going away. You're confusing ideas/policies/ideologies that you don't like, with the person who holds them. Trump is nutty, has no moral compass, but that's a different matter than his politics, which I also abhor.
                        Unfortunately, crooked Hillary made sure Sanders never had a chance.
                        The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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                        • #42
                          Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                          Unfortunately, crooked Hillary made sure Sanders never had a chance.
                          He had a chance, and he damn near pulled it off without corporate money backing him like was afforded to every other candidate in the primaries. The DNC shenanigans are way overblown.

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                          • #43
                            Originally posted by JimL View Post
                            He had a chance, and he damn near pulled it off without corporate money backing him like was afforded to every other candidate in the primaries. The DNC shenanigans are way overblown.
                            Sander's followers were rioting when he was eliminated by the DNC "shenanigans"

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                            • #44
                              Originally posted by Sparko View Post
                              Sander's followers were rioting when he was eliminated by the DNC "shenanigans"
                              Nothing to see here folks; move along.

                              ^literally the response to any negative coverage of anything the DNC or a Democrat does. Ever.
                              I DENOUNCE DONALD J. TRUMP AND ALL HIS IMMORAL ACTS.

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                              • #45
                                Originally posted by Sparko View Post
                                Sander's followers were rioting when he was eliminated by the DNC "shenanigans"
                                Yeah, so. The DNC shenanigans were still overblown. Hillary partnered with the DNC in raising money for both her campaign and the DNC which gave her some control of the monies. Sanders was offered the same opportunity and declined so he didn't have that same control. I think the DNC itself was biased toward Hillary, and the timing of the debates for instance favored her, but I'm not sure how much that effected the outcome. Sanders did far better than anyone ever expected with no corporate backing, but Hillary had a lot of longstanding support, so I'm not sure you can blame his loss on the DNC.

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