I'm not voting for Hillary because she is too old and out of touch and it has to stop.

[RadiationTherapy]

I, personally, am exhausted from trying keep up with what the older generations have defined as "work/life" balance; with what the older generations have defined as the "American Dream" and "Political Activism." This thought, boycotting older politicians and looking for alternatives, is inspired by an article about Gen X and their "midlife crises" which, frankly, I found to be mostly uncited assertion. However, one paragraph stood out:

"Where are the thoughtful Gen X politicians? Obama – born in the generational borderland of 1961 — campaigned on getting beyond boomer conflicts. But that hasn’t quite happened. Now the Republicans are figuring out how to keep from imploding and Democrats are trying to choose between Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden."

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/11/generation_x_gets_really_old_how_do_slackers_have_a_midlife_crisis/

So, for me, here and now, I am of the opinion that I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden or any other politician over the age of ~60. It seems to me that the goals and expectations of the "over 55" politician compared to contemporary middle aged and younger populations, in terms of what people can and want to work toward as well as the economic realities they have endured as the world has evolved in the last 20 years, are too out of line with "reality" now. As these changes continue, and of course accelerate, the window of opportunity for the younger generations - particularly "gen X" - is small and closing.

I can't vote for Hillary because she doesn't, can't, and won't "get it" when it comes to understanding where people like me "come from" and where we want to go. I think age, for me, has to now be a consideration for every vote.

[hlthe2b]

1. Ageist claptrap...

[MADem]

32. Reminds me of "Don't Trust Anyone Over Thirty!"

When everyone hit thirty, those goalposts started to shift in a big way!




But here's the bottom line:

Youth is wasted on the young!

[WhiteTara]

72. You took the words right off my keyboard!

If the poster is that serious, I suggest they get in the arena and put forth their agenda.

[MADem]

86. Yep--gotta get moving on that agenda, because time marches on!

That youthful Senator





Can turn into an Old Lion




In what seems like the wink of an eye....

[WhiteTara]

98. To what shall I compare this life of ours?

Before I can say lightning flash or dew drop, it is no more ~ Anon

And 2016 will be here in about an hour and a half!

[MADem]

119. +1,000 !!!! nt

[Skidmore]

131. That was my initial reaction.

I'd love to check back on the topic in 50 years, but I'll be damned if I hang around that long.

[okasha]

145. Oh, gods, how I love that movie.

[steve2470]

137. yep nt

[mmonk]

2. Is Bernie Sanders too old?

[RadiationTherapy]

4. For president, yes. But I am considering this standard for all of my votes.

Obviously, I don't want to hobble myself or the bigger picture with too many generalizations. There are opinions and movements that can mitigate my idea and I may vote for someone over 60 for some other reason. Sanders has a lot of interesting ideas, but I would need to know more.

[onecaliberal]

126. I prefer to base my judgements of people

Based on their character and experience. Not their age. How is this any different than racist not voting for someone based on skin color?

[RadiationTherapy]

130. It isn't very different in its dynamic. It is a matter of the unifying experiences which feed one's

political concerns. I just wonder if the spacetime during which a person lives can result in affecting their political concerns. If so, I may want to vote for people who more closely overlap my own spacetime.

[onecaliberal]

133. I Understand.

At the same time their world is very different with different concerns. They might feel as though younger people lack life experience and do not share in their concerns as well. I think they would be cautious about young people as well. I just refuse to make blanket judgements about people based on one criteria.
It's disappointing that anyone would do that. I liken it to people who vote republican because of abortion only.

[RadiationTherapy]

134. I will be sure to be dynamic in my thinking and look for the bigger pictures.

Thanks for your comments.

[onecaliberal]

139. You bet.

Trying to see all sides
.

[maced666]

42. Too unelectable

[Dustlawyer]

49. That is the problem, Bernie espouses the beliefs and policies that most of us want, but we

shy away because he is "too unelectable". We need to make him "electable" and show other politicians they will have support for these policies if they jump on the band wagon! Hillary is more electable, but much worse for the country!

[onecaliberal]

127. He's unelectable, why?

This is why we are losers, we just can't say yes to the things we want. This is patently absurd.

[Dustlawyer]

141. I don't believe he is unelectable, just repeating the crap I have seen from the Third Way crowd

that want to kill any chance Bernie would have to "steal" Hillary's chance to beat unknown Republican. I believe Bernie is the only way to go to fix what is broken with our election system. He is attacking the "Root Cause" of most of our problems, campaign contributions (bribes)!

[onecaliberal]

143. Agree 100%

[hrmjustin]

3. Who do you like now?

[RadiationTherapy]

5. For president? I do not know.

[hrmjustin]

6. Well Warren and Sanders are over 60 so you seem to be limiting yourself.

[RadiationTherapy]

8. Yes. I am adding another limiting factor to my voting assessment.

I, probably like most people, already have several. However, i try not to be too one-dimensional, and so Warren and Sanders being a VP nominee or some other influential role is very appealing to me. It seems to me that the appeal of Warren and Sanders is, in part, due to espousing beliefs that many younger people resonate with.

[Thinkingabout]

106. Then you have shot your stand "too old" right in the foot, and

BTW if Hillary is too old and you are trying to set Warren and Bernie up as VP, huh? One of the main reasons to have a VP is to take over if something should happen to the president, too old works for the VP as well.

[MFM008]

7. I will vote

For the nominee. You may change your mind after 2 years of repuke rule.

[ladjf]

9. Would you name a few of the under 55 politicians that suit your preference. nt

[RadiationTherapy]

11. No, I can't. Can you?

Is the system calcified with people and processes that keep older people in positions of power, money, and influence? Because the state university where I have worked for 12 years certainly is. I find it interesting that many people would rather believe the "slacker" myths than the, very historically repetitive, phenomenon of power for power's sake.

[ladjf]

12. No I can't. Your OP led me to believe that you were supporting candidates under the age of 55. nt

[RadiationTherapy]

13. I intend to, yes.

[MoonRiver]

41. And what if there aren't any?

[RadiationTherapy]

44. Then I will be curious as to why that is

and seek to change it. I am already curious. i already seek to change the situation.

[MoonRiver]

50. Nobody who is in your required age range is running.

[RadiationTherapy]

54. Why would that be?

I don't understand. No one younger than "around" 60 is running for president? Why not?

[MoonRiver]

55. Maybe they have not had the time to establish name recognition, donors, a solid base of support etc.

Not saying it's not impossible for that to happen again, as it did with Obama and JFK, but right now there isn't anybody on my radar screen, at least.

[RadiationTherapy]

59. I think that very well may be the case.

I think it is very difficult to add a political career to the myriad difficulties of everyday american lives.

[MoonRiver]

77. And now any candidate that runs nationally must amass tremendous amounts of cash. It's disgusting

but true. As Greg Palast said, the U.S. has "the best democracy money can buy."

[RadiationTherapy]

80. And, if we did want to explore this through an inter-generational lens, which generation

has the concentrated wealth and political capital? I just want to push back against that a little; explore it and see if there is something that needs addressing.

[Man from Pickens]

96. I think that is the problem

Who can name under 55 politicians that suit the preference of a typical grassroots Democrat?

The bench isn't just thin - it's completely barren. How did that happen, and what can be done about it?

[GeorgeGist]

10. Boomers had 3 chances and 24 years.

I think that any more would be excessive and, given the state of american government, foolish.

Disclaimer: I myself am of the Boomer generation.

[bemildred]

14. Yeah, you guys are the future, don't let us jerk you around.

And we need you in politics, you are the future there too.

[TBF]

15. O'Malley/Castro

Martin O'Malley
Governor of Maryland
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American politician and the 61st and current Governor of Maryland. First elected in 2006, he defeated incumbent Governor Robert Ehrlich, and again in a 2010 rematch. Wikipedia
Born: January 18, 1963 (age 51), Washington, D.C.

Julian Castro
Former Mayor of San Antonio
Julián Castro is an American politician who became the 16th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on July 28, 2014. Castro served three terms as the Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, from 2009 through 2014. Wikipedia
Born: September 16, 1974 (age 40), San Antonio, TX

[RadiationTherapy]

16. Thanks for these leads.

[brooklynite]

36. O'Malley blew his chance on Tuesday

republicans won in MD campaigning against his record and his Lt Governor.

[TBF]

113. Nope - Third Way Dems lost Tues

because the electorate said "no more". The electorate that showed up anyway. The youth are done with you completely - they didn't even show up.

[brooklynite]

114. Um, O'Malley is Third Way?

please elaborate.

[TBF]

117. O'Malley is more left than that -

I think he got caught up in an electorate determined to vote out incumbents.

In a presidential race he can be a younger alternative to Ms. Clinton and he's certainly more left than she is. I think he'd have a shot against her. In the polls everyone knows who she is but they don't necessarily like her. That was the problem in '08 and I believe will remain a problem in '16 if she chooses to go forward. As much as I like Elizabeth Warren she is the same age as Clinton - and Biden is even older.

I still like Castro as VP no matter who the candidate is, but maybe he'll surprise us and decide to go for it himself. He was very popular in San Antonio.

[Vattel]

148. Maybe O'Malley is fourth way. He brought racist police sweeps to Baltimore as mayor,

shamelessly violating the fourth amendment. And as governor he wanted the mayor of Baltimore to bring them back. Luckily, she stood up to him and refused.

[LiberalElite]

17. You know there's a minimum age requirement

in the Constitution, right? A presidential candidate can't be younger than 35.

[RadiationTherapy]

22. Yes.

[Tom Rinaldo]

18. I would have supported Pete Seeger at 80 if he were a viable candidate

I do believe Nelson Mandela was just a tad over 60 when he became President of South Africa.

I can understand you taking age into consideration among other factors, but your stated opinion trumps those on the right who just love racial profiling in its over the top extremism.

[RadiationTherapy]

23. Well, at some point it becomes a matter of relativity.

From what I hear in political messages and from media outlets seems to be generationally tone deaf, particularly from the older gens to the younger ones. So I want to react to that by voting along similar lines. Do you not see and hear such dynamics in political speech and media?

[Tom Rinaldo]

97. Generalities serve some useful purpose

One would be foolish to pay no attention to trends or whatever. But I think it is far more foolish to develop hard edge rules relating to individuals based on even somewhat accurate general stereotypes.

In the case of political messages etc. there is another generality that should be factored in - which is that every age group brings unique strengths and weaknesses to the larger social table. I came from the generation that spawned the slogan "Don't trust anyone over 30" and now of course, by virtue of not having died yet, I'm well over 60.

There is something akin to the food chain involved with aging, power tends to concentrate, like mercury, over time at the top of that curve. Of course that is a social problem. But the answer isn't to do the proverbial throw the baby out with the bath water. Experience concentrates also with aging, and that sometimes offers some unique assets that can't be fully replicated any other way short of more years being lived. There is always a dance, Young Turks vs Cooler Heads etc. Each play an important role.

I know some people get too beaten down with age and lose the will to fight for what is fair and right, or in other cases they simply get bought off. But others get far more skilled at strategically knowing when and where an extra push will make the maximum difference and when to keep their powder dry for a better opening to attain an important goal.

Someone like myself sees a real advantage in supporting and elevating younger people into places of influence because I know they tend to be more attuned to understanding the implications of developing trends for the future. That is very important but it is not the only important factor. Wisdom, finely honed techniques and mastery of the political landscape are highly valuable also. Then again no one gets to master that level of expertise if they aren't given access to that playing field to learn upon. Youth has more than its share of vitality and that is a crucial ingredient for any social change movement and this country needs a strong progressive social change movement.

So all things being roughly equal, I would throw my support to a younger political candidate over an older one more often than not, but not always. I would say don't trust anyone over 50 who doesn't fully respect those under 40.

[RadiationTherapy]

122. Thanks for your excellent reply. You have given me things to think about here.

i appreciate that.

[NaturalHigh]

19. Cool story.

File this in the "whatever" folder.

[MADem]

40. It's a (not so) great excuse for staying home, certainly.

"Well, they were all ... TOO OLD!"

Talk about a paradox--ostensibly liberal bigotry! Let's punish candidates for something completely out of their control!

How about some campaign music!!!!

[RadiationTherapy]

57. Just to be clear, I do not stay home during elections.

And i would have plenty else to address with my vote if the dem pres nom is unsuited to me.

[MADem]

69. You do know that aging is not an optional exercise?

You are coming across as a bit unclear on the concept.

There will come a day when you are closer to seventy or eighty than you might like, assuming you remain in good health. I hope you remember how you dismissed the abilities and contributions of older Americans when you reach that age, and accept gracefully your societal marginalization when some not-yet-born whippersnapper denigrates and dismisses your ability to contribute to public discourse.

Because, ya know, what goes around still comes around. And it will be ever thus, even when Clinton, Sanders, and any one of us participating in the march of time is pushing up daisies.

[RadiationTherapy]

71. I am 40. I welcome the advice and support of everyone both personally and politically

but the system seems stuck. It seems to be clogged with similar people who clamor about issues that do not resonate with younger people or reflect the world they grew up in and strive to thrive in. It seems to me, based on political speeches and media commentary, that there is a generational gap in wealth and political power. I want to push against that.

[MADem]

92. You'll be fifty in a blink of an eye, and before you know it, you'll be looking south from seventy

or eighty.

Age is not the issue. Ideas are.

Ideas can come from young people or old people. To suggest that advancing age mandates "stale" ideas is -- to put it kindly -- naive.

To someone who is twenty, you might be regarded as an old fart with nothing to contribute. Does that mean you should crawl off, disgraced, because someone regards you as "too old?"

My attitude is this--those that can, DO. Those that can't, or won't, or are too lazy, will instead gripe. If you don't like the ideas you're hearing, maybe you need to enter the political fray and put forward better ones?

[RadiationTherapy]

121. I am working on my master's thesis in communication

and media. And then, yes, I would like to explore politics a bit.

[LondonReign2]

20. Pffftttt

Has nothing to due to age, has everything to do with her corporatism.

[RadiationTherapy]

24. I believed that for a long time, but, as I mention above

I just hear so little relating from the older generations toward the younger and so I am ready to embrace that division and promote my own side. I think.

[True Blue Door]

21. I won't vote for Hillary because she's a sociopath with no values.

But I can easily vote for older candidates - Jerry Brown is my current favorite. I hope he chooses to run.

[RadiationTherapy]

26. i won't be a hard liner,

but I would need to hear more. And then I will listen carefully for inter-generational implications because I am now of the opinion that that is a more relevant division than many may like to acknowledge or admit. It seems obvious to me; the topic appears in so many online media outlets and comment threads.

[True Blue Door]

28. Generation is irrelevant to me.

Don't care if someone is the minimum wage (35) or rolling around in a Captain Pike box, speaking through a Stephen Hawking computer about the time they beat Kaiser Wilhelm at checkers.

[KingCharlemagne]

29. Jerry Brown as Governor allowed police in Oakland and Los Angeles to bash in the

heads of Occupy activists and didn't say one word. Those Occupy activists were his constiuents too, even though they don't count as far as the Glitterati are concerned. Back when Brown was Mayor of Oakland, his police bashed in the heads of anti-war demoonstrators at the Port of Oakland and again Brown maintained total radio silence. Those anti-war Oakland residents were Brown's constiuents too.

What is wrong with him?

I don't think using 'sociopath' as a value by which one picks or rejects candidates is going to to be too useful is all I'm saying.

[True Blue Door]

46. He "allowed" it did he?

Could you maybe link to some objective reports that cast light on what you're referring to?

[KingCharlemagne]

51. He certainly maintained absolute radio silence about it while it was going on. (Thinking

specifically about the police riots in Oakland and the various casualties suffered by Occupiers like Scott Olson there.)

As for links, I have none. I paid very close attention at the time -- was involved peripherally with Occupy Los Angeles and was watching and reading the news obsessively, b/c I mistakenly thought Occupy heralded the Revolution.

I remember at the time though being struck by Brown's silence and then remembering how he had also stayed silent during the anti-war protests at the Port of Oakland when he was Oakland's Mayor.

Let's put it this way. Brown 'allowed' it insofar as he remained silent. A few words from the Governor on behalf of his constituents might have made a difference in how they were treated. But it left a very bad taste in my mouth about Governor Brown.

[True Blue Door]

61. Politicians can't win with protesters. That's politics 101.

If officeholders speak on behalf of protesters, they're accused by the protesters of trying to "co-opt the message" and treated as suspicious or hypocritical while insiders accuse them of cheaply trying to exploit zeitgeist.
If they say nothing, they're "ignoring the voice of the people."
If they criticize the movement, even constructively, they're "trying to silence the voice of the people."

Jerry Brown is a competent leader. If you use that fact against him, you'll get the kind of leader you deserve.

[KingCharlemagne]

68. I get your point, I really do. But contrast Brown's total silence with the

decency President Obama displayed in saying a few words at one of his press conferences about the protesters in Ferguson. President Obama made it clear to the cops down there that the eyes of the Justice Dept were on them and that protesters had certain inalienable rights to protest. There was none of that with Brown, not one word, not even any indication that he was even aware of what was going down. (IIRC, Brown took a foreign trip while the cops were bashing Occupy Oakland.)

Hillary is a competent leader, if that is to be our sole guide.

Look, the vast majority of Californians came to view Occupy as just a bunch of homeless and mentally ill riff-raff. Police can bash the heads of society's disposables with nary a consequence, as Ferguson has most recently demonstrated. But 'sociopathy' is a broad knife that cuts a broad swath.

[True Blue Door]

79. Hillary is an Iraq War accomplice and torture apologist.

If you would compliment the likes of her while denouncing Jerry Brown for simply not getting involved in the Occupy protest, that's a bizarre prism through which to be approaching liberal politics.

[KingCharlemagne]

90. Nah, I'm not complimenting Hillary by saying she's 'competent.' Hannibal Lecter was

'competent' (see how I avoided Godwin there? . I will not cast a ballot for Hillary in the primary under any circumstances for exactly the reasons you lay out (barring some on-the-road-to-Damascus apology and expression of sincere remorse from her for Iraq).

And I understand why you can like Brown. Compared to Schwarze-Nazi (Godwin, get thee hence! , Brown is like Jesus' Second Coming. And maybe in the final analysis all we can do is compare political figures against one another before reaching our verdict. After all, Lincoln was not a firm abolitionist like John Brown. And I think Lincoln may be our greatest president ever. So I'm hoist with my own petard somewhat methinks.

[True Blue Door]

94. Well, just to narrow the focus, I disagree that she's competent as a political leader.

She's a competent manager of bureaucracies, but in the harsh personal exposure of political leadership she is a soulless weakling who instinctively clings to whatever power is nearby - even if it's her own enemies. In the Senate she was basically Mr. Smithers to the Senate Republican leadership, treating her own party as an afterthought that owed her homage. We wouldn't even know this person's name if not for her husband's political career, that's how weak she is as a person.

[KingCharlemagne]

99. Yeah, I agree with you about her moral depravity. Back in October 2002, as

Gebhardt and Daschle were reaching their Rose Garden Concordat with the Boy King, I spent about 30 minutes researching Iraq online, long enough to convince me beyond a reasonable doubt that the claims of Iraqi ties to Al Q'aida and Iraqi WMDs were just so much bullshit. If I could figure it out in 30 minutes, Hillary with her access to vastly superior resources, should have been able to also. That she did not -- or maybe she did, which would only make her look far worse -- brings her competence or lack thereof into sharp relief. So I definitely appreciate your distinction between various types of 'competence.'

[True Blue Door]

107. I watched the lies evolve on TV, so I was never deceived.

They would make a claim, it would get shot down, then they'd make another, and another, and another. And eventually they'd circle back to the original, discredited claim and just repeat it until people believed it from having heard it so often. They shotgun-blasted lies at the public. One would have had to either have a brain the size of a vole's or else be in on the plot to have bought into it.

The fact is Hillary Clinton believes America is a conservative country, believed we were on board with the Bush regime, and thought that she would have to be on his side to be politically viable. All she had to do was stand up for the truth in a moment where it was vital for the nation, and she would have been President in 2008. But her ambitions ironically, and justly, destroyed themselves. She should never be President, and luckily she's enough of a self-destructive weakling that we're in no danger of that ever happening. All we would be doing by nominating her is choosing to lose the election.

[KingCharlemagne]

110. Truth that! I think I may hear the voice of John Brown echoing in your words. Bravo! - nt

[demwing]

25. "Ageism is the last acceptable prejudice in America..."

"...that and Asian drivers"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017225474#post10

[RadiationTherapy]

27. I don't say ageism isn't a prejudice, it is.

But it certainly is not a one-way street. It seems to me that ignoring the student loan crisis, the housing crisis, the wage-depression and price-inflation crisis as well as many other issues that seem to be inordinately - but certainly not exclusively - oppressive to the younger generations and beneficial to the older is also ageism. So I am going to acknowledge it and engage it.

[MADem]

43. He WAS snarking.

And by calling them prejudices, he wasn't "endorsing."

[Bluenorthwest]

30. I spent my 20's as part of a generation that was defined not by when we were born but by when

we lived and by how we might die. So the whole age based divisions thing is utterly laughable to me. My people were 19 and they were 90. I feel sorry for those folks who feel connection only with a limited subset of humanity.
Do you also only like people who are of your own race? Is it just age? Do you need candidates that are of the same faith and height as you as well?
You relate more to a billionaire who is your age than to a person who lives like you but who is 45? Really? You think that billionaire feels that some bond?
Hilarious shit.

[mahina]

37. +1

[RadiationTherapy]

39. As I stated above, ageism is not a one-way street.

And the nature of politics is, obviously, far different from one's individual interpersonal relationships. It seems ageist to me to have to choose between sets of politicians who seem to ignore problems of younger generations to the benefit of older generations - a generation to which they, coincidentally enough, also happen to belong. Generational privilege exists in the same systemic ways other forms of privilege exist and I am going to push back against it however small such a push may be.

[Bluenorthwest]

45. Respect is also a two way street. I offered you very specific ideas and you did not speak of them

you just repeated what you'd already said. Did not respond to anything I said. That defines what you are about.

[RadiationTherapy]

56. Sorry, but I meant my comment about interpersonal relationships to be a response

to your litany of questions. So, to be clear, no, I do not discriminate in my interpersonal life. I do discriminate in my political support. I also decline to be defined by an internet chat. hahaha.

[Bluenorthwest]

66. Oh, I did not mean that it should define you in your precious mind.

It's just that it defines you to me. As a person not interested in discussion or in learning but in preaching and kvetching. For the purposes of discussion, you have no worth, for you are here to carry out a sermon.
Carry on. It's amusing.

[RadiationTherapy]

73. I am comfortable with my comments here. And, since I appreciate irony,

I absolutely love your comments in this post. Particularly this one.

[BeyondGeography]

31. You're getting at something else that's important here

When the top job keeps going to older people, younger people get discouraged. I'm talking younger politicians in this case. In the case of the Democratic Party, everyone could see the potential for the Clintons in 2016 eight years ago. You can't tell me that hasn't hampered the development of younger Democrats. It's a function of the Democratic Party, too, which runs like a tired old university, with candidacy slots going to tenured losers like Martha Coakley.

This was one of the beautiful things about Obama in 07-08. It wasn't his turn, but he was promising enough to win in the end. But it took a once-in-generation talent to do that. It shouldn't be that hard, but it is.

[RadiationTherapy]

33. Thank you for pointing that out. That is an important point that I was reaching for

in my admittedly flawed post.

Along those lines, I also wonder how much the "conventional wisdom" about democrats not turning out for midterms combined with the second term of every contemporary president having an oppositional congress kept young democrats out of races. They may have had messages and communication skills that young voters crave.

[Midwestern Democrat]

81. Hillary Clinton's a special case - the "inevitability" of her nomination since 2005/2006 has indeed

blocked other figures in the party from getting a national profile as a credible candidate for president. Obama broke through only because he was a phenom - everyone else in the party knew they'd fare no better than John Edwards did in 2008, so they didn't even bother - the same is true for 2016.

I think the situation will get back to normal after Hillary wins or loses in 2016 - the presidential primaries always managed to attract a variety of candidates before 2008 (1972, 1976, 1984, 1988, 1992, 2004).

[joeybee12]

34. I'd actually prefer someone even older than Hilary, say about 80...

Who has lived through the Depression and could get this party back to its roots where they work for the common good, not for Wall Street.

No one around, though.

[Quackers]

100. I hear McCain is thinking about running again

[joeybee12]

112. Isn't he younger than Hilary???

Yeah, maybe he'll pick Join Ernst...get some other crazy on the ticket with him.

[JustAnotherGen]

35. Posted to read on laptop - Gen X cynics

Salob isn't friendly on my iPad - will read full article later.

[kentuck]

38. I don't want one person...

I want a whole team of junkyard dogs.

[kiva]

47. The young didn't vote,

the old shouldn't run...sounds like a song in there somewhere.

[Little Star]

53. lol

[RadiationTherapy]

60. I think you are on to something there.

[Generic Brad]

63. The young didn't run either

We need more than new packaging and rebranding. We need to run on policies that actually affect the young. Things like student loan reform. Mortgage relief. Infrastructure revitalization. Wi-fi for all Americans. Addressing climate change with action an not just lip service. Single payer health care.

Address those things and act on those things - we don't lose ever.

[RadiationTherapy]

74. Exactly. I have waited and promoted these issues often, and I don't hear them

from our candidates. I have begun to conclude it is ageism of a kind and I am pushing back against that.

[MannyGoldstein]

48. I hope you're not asssuming that all Boomers are like The Clintons, W., and Obama

While many are indeed totally self-absorbed, the vast majority care deeply about their fellow humans. And they have a lot of useful experience.

I think people like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders "get it", and would make fine presidents.

[RadiationTherapy]

62. I don't think any of those people are Gen X

They all would make excellent advisers, cabinet members, and VPs in my opinion.

[MannyGoldstein]

65. Oh #%^*, I meant Boomers

I never learn to stay away from the keyboard before my coffee.



Thanks. Fixed.

[RadiationTherapy]

70. Ah, ok. No, I don't see all boomers that way.

This is a political comment and not a personal one. For a long time i was an issues based voter, but it seems to me now that the party is clogged with older candidates who do not seem to talk about the issues that matter to my generation - "matter" often meaning "we are drowning" for a lot of families. And so I am going to focus my efforts on promoting people who lived through some of the same challenges and economic vectors as I and many of my peers have.

[99Forever]

52. I have to say that you are indeed on to something.

When I said as much to one of the noted older regulars on this board, that even at "local" level within the party structure, the engrained resistance to "newcomers" coming onto their "turf" is strong. The same old people doing the same old things is what got the results last Tuesday, but it's a freakin' lesson they steadfastly REFUSE to learn.

There's a number of us on this board that have been trying for years to warn "the serious people" that failure to aggressively FIGHT for the needs of the MANY instead of ALWAYS capitulating to the the desires of the already rich few, was a recipe for losing. Judging from the the crap I am seeing posted since the latest drubbing, the dumbasses haven't lost enough quite yet.

And I will say, yet again, for the umpteenth time, I will never again hold my nose and vote for the candidate that merely sucks less. BTW, I happen to be a "Boomer," so perhaps not all of us "old folks" quite fit your prejudice.

[RadiationTherapy]

64. I tried to distinguish my political prejudice from my personal ones

which are rarely about age, color, class, etc. and more about direct interpersonal experiences and behaviors. Sorry about that. My post was intended in terms of political candidates.

As to the calcified, entrenched career politicians within the party, that can happen to any group. It just seems to me to be generational right now. And since those are the interests that seem to be most pursued by them, I am going to seek candidates from younger generations. I don't mean to be any more prejudiced than that.

[99Forever]

75. I didn't say it well...

.. but I do understand that was what you meant and I also understand why. I wish I were better with words, but apparently I'm not.

I got heavily involved in the Democratic Party process thru three election cycles here, when I spoke of my experience being quite negative, this particular person, simply dismissed my thoughts and experiences with a "You are incorrect." The absolute gall and arrogance of that attitude is precisely what is wrong with the Democratic Party and the exact reason why they fail so miserably.

[otohara]

58. Stop The Aging Process NOW

I don't want to be 61 - but damn if it didn't happen.

Age discriminator.

Boo on you

[RadiationTherapy]

67. It's not personal, it's political.

My interpersonal relationships are not contingent like this. I apologize that I communicated that poorly.

[MADem]

138. Thread winner!!!!!!

Look--ready-made protest signs!!!!

[liberal N proud]

76. If she is the nominee, then what?

Staying home or not voting has worked so well!

[RadiationTherapy]

82. Then there are the myriad other candidates and issues to vote for.

I don't stay home.

[MineralMan]

78. One of the problems with using age as a criterion, especially

for presidential candidates is the reality that it takes a long time, usually, to build a nationwide reputation and history that leads people to trust a candidate for that office. Yes, we had JFK, Clinton, and Obama as younger Presidents, but they are exceptions. It's difficult for anyone younger than 50 years to have built such a reputation, and not that easy for people in their 50s.

It's not just young people who will be voting, either. The entire range of age groups votes, and that plays a real role in who can successfully run.

Age is not a predictor of much of anything. Political philosophy is, and that's not age-related either, necessarily. Right now, the potential candidate who is the furthest toward the socialist side of politics is Bernie Sanders. He's also one of the oldest potential candidates.

I don't consider age as an important factor in choosing a presidential candidate. There are other factors that are far more important.

[RadiationTherapy]

84. Thank you for your comment. I will be sure to reflect on it in order to mitigate my prejudice.

It is just an observation of the political landscape and compared to the calcified power and wealth positions I see at the state uni I work for. I just am not hearing about issues that matter to younger people and I am wondering if it is a matter of just not having lived through it; of having emerged from a different era altogether.

[MineralMan]

88. Which issues get discussed during any election year depends on

many factors. Rather than focus on the issues that are the most mentioned in an election year, I tend to focus on the history from the previous years and look at what was done before the election year. And I don't necessarily look at results, but at what candidates tried to do. It is what they tried to do that is, for me, more informative than the debates about the topics of the day during election year.

Age is never one of my considerations.

[BlueStater]

108. That's fair.

I just find it weird that our top two candidates will be 69 and 74 in 2016. Both of them are far beyond the average age of a POTUS. Hillary will be the same age as the oldest president ever, Reagan, was in 1980. As for Biden, in our history, there has never even been anyone over 73 who has been a first time nominee for their party.

We don't have anyone even slightly younger than them? They don't even have to be 20 years younger than them. I'm just talking like five or ten.

[MineralMan]

111. I agree that both Hillary Clinton and Biden are older than typical

to be running. I'm 69, myself, and I wouldn't have the energy to do a job as stressful as being President.

It's a real factor. However, barring some strong younger candidate appearing who has the credibility to run and win, I suspect that Hillary will the the nominee. If so, her choice of running mate is going to be a very important factor. 2016 is going to be an interesting election year, I'm sure.

I'm not looking forward to some of the discussion that will be taking place on DU, though. It's going to get ugly around here.

[HERVEPA]

83. I understand the Hillary part. The rest is just dumb.

[WinkyDink]

85. Better hope that your faves are old enough to want to save S.S. and Medicare.

[Calista241]

87. The Hillary candidacy does present some problems.

She's not nearly as charismatic as Obama. She's not as good a speaker, and she's not even close to as likable. One of the reasons Obama won was he was able to inspire young people.

Obama was also seen as a younger man, far younger than his opponents and thus perceived as more in touch with the concerns of young people. Hillary is many things, but 'young' will never be one of the adjectives you use to describe Hillary and her campaign.

Will young voters have the same motivation under her that they did for Obama? Can we win with something less of the youth vote than what Obama brought to the table? I have my doubts, but we'll see in 2 short years.

[bigwillq]

89. Her age has nothing to do with it for me.

I just don't like her.

[KingCharlemagne]

101. And then there's the tiny little matter of Iraq, for which she still

has not been fully held to account (unless losing the 2008 nomination because of her support for it counts).

Too bad for Hillary, most historians tend toward the Democratic side. We tend to have long memories.

[MineralMan]

91. Here's an interesting chart showing the age of our Presidents

when they were elected, going all the way back to Washington. That is is essentially a bell curve shows the general trends tend to wind up centered around age 55.



For an actual list, which is very interesting, go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States_by_age

[RadiationTherapy]

132. Thanks for this. Obviously I will have to refine my thinking on this as i learn more

and eventually abandon it if it proves fruitless.

[Little Star]

93. As a Hillary supporter I'm not worried much about..

what young people think about Hillary. Most don't vote often enough to make much of a difference.

Generally speaking, older people get out and vote.

[RadiationTherapy]

123. I think you are right on all points in your comment.

it is a part of the attitude and dynamic i want to push back against.

[randys1]

95. I see the Rove/Koch/Luntz machine has infiltrated the youth and Salon as well...

And I see it is an article over a year old, so whoever is posting this here sure does want to get this message out, and the message is

DONT VOTE FOR HILLARY

[unrepentant progress]

102. Wow. I thought you might find her neoliberal technocratic policies and other odious policies...

Wow. I thought you might find her neoliberal technocratic policies and other odious policies sufficient. And yet you zeroed in on her age. Good job.

[treestar]

103. What grounds do you have for that opinion?

I haven't heard her say anything that could be interpreted that way.

[Sancho]

104. Save this post for when you're 55+...then post it again.

[DrDan]

105. Nothing like prejudice and bigotry to drive one's votes

[RadiationTherapy]

124. I am of the opinion that most political choice has this dimension.

A dimension of prejudice and bigotry. I do try and keep my personal life as uncluttered with prejudice and bigotry as possible. My opinion in the OP is a political one.

[DrDan]

140. And I am of the opinion that what I read in the OP

Is no different than "I'm not voting for that black guy"

[DonCoquixote]

109. here is why you are wrong

There are indeed many Boomers that are indeed villains.

But there are also Boomers (like Bernie, Like Warren) that are strong captialL Liberals

and there are many Gen Xers who sadly, drank the Ron and rand Paul Kooll Aid.

[RadiationTherapy]

128. I am not stating boomers exclusively.

If one can look at Wall Street and see the preponderance of white men, and I do, then it seems one can also look at the calcification of the democratic party and see there is a preponderance of people who came of age in the 60s and 70s. Whose life experiences during those times seem to have impressed upon them and affinity for issues that are not addressing the situation for younger generations of americans.

It seems similar to the dynamics in companies that led to the elimination of pensions, the desire to move jobs overseas, and to avoid taxes. It compromised the community for the benefit of a few. That seems to be happening in the dem party now as well.

[Beacool]

115. Utter nonsense!!!!

I'm not in their age group, in case you think otherwise, but what you wrote makes no sense. I will vote for the person who I think is most qualified to handle the job. I happen to like Hillary and hope that she does run and win, but her age is not a consideration. If anything, someone who has been around the block many times brings a level of experience that is lacking in a young person. I have respect for people who already figured things out because they already went down the road that I may be on right now.

[DonCoquixote]

144. I know we spar a lot Bea

But this is one placwe where I ca agree with you with whole heart. There are 70ish people who are trube liberals, and 20 somethings that are frankly GOP hellspawn!

[Beacool]

147. Good to know that we can agree on something.

I don't agree that if one is young one needs a young candidate. Same if one is old. Since when does age define the quality of a candidate?

[DonCoquixote]

149. Liz hasselbeck is young

Yet I would not want her NEAR politics.

[hollowdweller]

116. so you are voting for Ted Cruz or Paul Ryan because they are younger?

[RadiationTherapy]

125. Their policies are not aligned with my own. I don't vote conservative.

I may have to leave that part of the ballot blank or with a write-in, but i don't stay home.

[Laffy Kat]

118. Look, there are PLENTY of politicians <60 that are out of touch.

Some of us are getting very close to that magic year and we are incredibly progressive. I'm more progressive than my two teenage "liberal" sons. Wrong argument, Rad Tx.

[RadiationTherapy]

129. i appreciate your comment and I know there are many progressive people in every generation.

i just wonder if by virtue of living during particular spacetimes - as we all must - that one develops particular generational issues that are close to a generation's heart. For instance, we may both be anti-war, but if you protested and had friends in Vietnam, then your perspective on how important being anti-war is may be very divergent from my own. Just as we may both be pro-working class, but you may not feel compelled to march over wages. These are just hypotheticals, of course.

[Schema Thing]

120. Why not just say "Hillary doesn't seem to have my values or 'get it'"...

and leave it at that?


Sorry, but tying it to age is just.plain.stupid.

[HockeyMom]

135. Paul Ryan is young

Ted Cruz is young too. If AGE is your sole factor in voting, go for it. I first voted for McGovern. He was old enough to be my FATHER then, but it did not matter to me as a "young person" because I agreed with his views, whatever his age. Actually, I even agreed with just about all of my PARENTS views back then because they were DEMOCRATS, and UNION. I am now older than they were then, but I still feel the same.

I vote a candidate based on their views, not their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion.

[RadiationTherapy]

136. It certainly would not be my sole criterion. I'm sorry I was unclear about that.

i explain my position further in other posts if you are interested.

[awoke_in_2003]

142. There is enough to gig Hillary about...

without bringing age into it. Either way, if the choice is her or a republican then she will have my vote.

[postatomic]

146. Pardon me. I had to change my Depends

And where did I put that fucking cane? It was here just a minute ago.

Everyone has their reasons for not liking Hillary. That's totally cool. It's not my place to change the thoughts of others. I believe in the right to think how ever the fuck you want.

But the age, of any candidate, is fairly irrelevant. You can use it to justify your position, but I'd say that you'd be wrong.

I have a lot of confidence in the youth in this country. I see more and more abandoning the political system and taking it upon themselves to address the issue(s) that are important to them, directly. They are saying "fuck you" to corporate America. It's how I started as an activist Hippie. I didn't see the political system as something that actually solves problems.

As I grow older I'm more frightened by the republicans that actually get people to vote for them. I now just do the Vote all Dem, but I'm still a Hippie. If there is an issue that is important to me I address it directly. I hope that younger voters get engaged more in the issues. Then, if they decide it would help, they can take that mojo and put it in the political process.

Voting is just one part of the total package. You need to care about something, and act.

Oh, I found my cane. I feel better now.