Is Bernie too old?

[kentuck]

Obviously, millions of voters do not think he is too old to be the President. Therefore, how can he be too old to be the Vice-President?

Maybe Bernie should be on the ticket?

[CorkySt.Clair]

1. No thanks.

[kennetha]

2. Cause he'd be older than the old president he would serve under

Two old white folks is not what we need right now

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. nope.

not cos he is too old, but cos that ticket lacks internal coherence.

[dinkytron]

6. Yes it does.

[Hortensis]

13. Agree with lack of "internal coherence,"

but, imo, in electoral appeal terms he is too old. Hillary just isn't far enough behind him in age for that not to be a big negative. He'd turn 80 halfway through the second term.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. yeah in multiple ways he is not good VP material.

[Hortensis]

19. +1. I'm curious as to whether he'd actually

take the job. Staffers say he was offended whenever Hillary brushed off premature questions about him as VEEP (what else could she do?), but that doesn't mean he'd accept.

Otoh, they also say he's been increasingly fantasizing about her being indicted and defaulting the nomination to him, so maybe he'd also accept and start hoping she dropped dead.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

20. she's not going to pick him. this is her moment, not his.

he doesn't get to make the rules for the ticket.

much like she didn't get to pick Obama's VP.

[Hortensis]

26. Umhm. Probably wise too.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

27. ..

[CreekDog]

33. A woman is winning fair and square so the men now want to negotiate

Not how it works guys

Male nominees chose their running mates, a female will choose hers TYVM.

[PJMcK]

4. No, he's not too old

Medical research into the human aging process has revealed much in the last twenty years. One important finding is that humans age at different rates. The point is that actual years of age are only one indicator of a person's acuity.

There's probably plenty to argue about but consider this: anyone who can withstand the months' to years' long effort needed to run for the presidency requires enormous stamina, focus of mind and care for one's body.

Both Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton have demonstrated that they have the health, quality of mind and ambition to serve that are necessary for such an endeavor.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. He's only 6 years older than Hillary

[Hortensis]

18. Take my word, each year makes more difference in old age

than middle age. PJMcK's right that people age differently, but nevertheless at these points in their lives those are a very significant 6 years for both.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Leaving aside the question of whether he should be on the ticket,

his age should not be a disqualifying factor. The VP has only two specific functions: to serve as backup if the president dies or is otherwise unable to act; and to break a tie in the senate. (It's probably not a very high-stress job if that's all they do.)

So let's say the ticket is Hillary and Bernie, and they win in November. Sometime during Hillary's first term something happens and Bernie has to step in. One of the first things he will have to do is appoint another VP - this is now required by the 25th Amendment, enacted in 1967 because for 18 months after JFK was assassinated there was no VP. If there is no VP and the new president dies or can't act, the next in the line of presidential succession is the Speaker of the House (currently Paul Ryan, ew!), so there's also a lot of incentive to appoint a successor VP.

The point is, the fact that the running mate is a bit long in the tooth isn't necessarily a problem because there is a procedure in place to ensure that the VP's job is filled before the Speaker of the House gets it. Anyhow, Hillary is no spring chicken either.

[Hortensis]

24. VPs are doing more in this era, very unlike previously.

For better and worse (often worse), presidents now choose them for themselves. Good ones are real assets (and bad ones are 4 or 8 years of tsouris). Why would Hillary pass up the chance to get another big water carrier on her team?

And, let's face it, Bernie is famously far too independent and critical to be a good team player, considers himself better and wise than this team, and at the same time would not at all appreciate being sidelined to the Senate instead of being given important work on the inside. It's not too much to suspect that an idle VP Bernie might result in thesauruses adding "sanders" as a synonym for tsouris.

"What, you think I need this sanders? You're killing me!"

[mikehiggins]

8. No, not too old, but why do it even if HRC asked him?

Better he return to the Senate where the main concern he might have is deciding whether or not to run for re-election in Vermont or just retire and play with the grand-kids.

He's done his job. Let someone else come to the fore and continue to build the Progressive movement.

That other guy in the primary, Malloy? He'd do well, on first glance. So would Robert Reich.

Senator Warren? She'd be an inspirational leader with sterling credentials. Lots of others come to mind who could pick up the banner. The Sanders campaign made it plain that the Third Way is not the only way. We need to work carefully to make sure that the Democratic Party continues it's Hegira towards progressive policies, especially looking towards 2018.

So, no. Its better for all of us and the US for Bernie to stay in the Senate.

[emulatorloo]

9. No he is not too old

[CrowCityDem]

10. Some days, watching him hunched over his lecturn, he sure looked it.

[TheCowsCameHome]

15. Which means nothing.

Now his appearance bothers you, too?

What a shallow, petty argument.

[randome]

30. Not knowing any candidate personally, appearance is sometimes all we have to go on.

As an indicator, not as a sort of litmus test.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]

[valerief]

11. Hillary is too old. Especially too old-thinking. I'd like to see

her embrace progressive values and give up on Dubya's and Obama's wars.

[newfie11]

12. NO!!!!!!!!!!

[PowerToThePeople]

16. I would rather he remain senator from Vermont.

[AgadorSparticus]

17. No. Bernie would be fine choice for VP. But the way he has handled things

The last couple of months doesn't make it a plausible choice.

[ucrdem]

21. Practically speaking, probably, but I'd have thought the same about Joe

and he's done great. And I still think that was a bold stroke of genius on Barack's part. I remember getting the news on the car radio coming back from a work party and thinking "hey Barack just won the WH!" The Mrs was driving her own car and when we got home I remember her asking why were you honking and waving back there LOL.

Anyway whatever it takes. If that works for her I'm all for it. In fact I have been all along.

[Hortensis]

32. Did you see Barack on Jimmy Fallon? Fantastic!

He said he's now going to carry his birth certificate to prove he's only 54. Wonderful skit, but in this case Biden's president being 54 at the end of his term is the point.

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And, yes, that was a wonderful day, hate that his term is coming to an end already. How about Obama for VP?

[ucrdem]

34. What a difference two terms make

but only his hairdresser knows for sure LOL

[Hortensis]

36. If you didn't see that skit, watch it. Obama said

he's been inspired to go back to his afro.



In spite of Al Gore's beard, in all my wonderings about what Obama would do after leaving office, this possibility just didn't occur to me. Too great.

[Cobalt Violet]

45. Then she would be too old for a 2nd term practically speaking.

[geek tragedy]

22. Not too old, but way too independent nt

[TwilightZone]

23. The VP candidate's job is to campaign tirelessly for Hillary Clinton and for other Democrats.

Is that likely something Bernie is prepared to do?

[eastwestdem]

25. Yes. If the had won the primary, this would have been made a big deal in the general.

The repubs don't do 'politically correct'.

[Hortensis]

29. Very true. Every little misspeak, and even non-mistakes,

would be spun as "further" "proof" of dementia.

[Cobalt Violet]

46. Then she will be too old for a 2nd term if that's the case.

[NCTraveler]

28. I would rather not have him on the ticket.

His age isn't my top concern.

[MrMickeysMom]

31. He's 6 years older than the person with a history of stroke and a higher BMI...

This is based on medical history, since you've asked.

[BobbyDrake]

35. Has the Indictment Fairy been transmogrified into an Impeachment Fairy then?

Now Bernie just needs to finagle his way into the VP slot, because it's so apparent that a President Hillary Clinton will be removed from office? Is that it?

SAD.

[Zen Democrat]

37. He's the Ben Franklin of our time. And, regarding Jewish people and Israel ....

Golda Meir was in her late seventies when she was prime minister of Israel, as were David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin.

Some people are wise in old age, and some are Pat Buchanan. Age is no identifier. Age neutral is the only way to be!

[LWolf]

39. For VP? No.

I don't want to limit his potential to continue to create change by making him Hillary's yes-man.

I'd rather he stay in the Senate.

[jwirr]

40. I would rather he and Elizabeth Warren stay in the Senate

where they are free to speak out and where they can vote on the issues.

As to why age could make a difference in a VP - they are meant to replace a President if something happens to them. Both Hillary and Bernie should have a young VP.

[Demsrule86]

41. The same reason he would have lost the general makes him a bad VP pick.

He was not vetted and will be swiftboated into the second coming of Stalin...don't need that, and clearly he hates Hillary Clinton. Elizabeth Warren is also very liberal...quite similar to Bernie without the baggage.

[NurseJackie]

42. Thank you! Besides ...

... I'd want Hillary's VP to be young enough to have the energy and stamina to run for president and be able to serve for ANOTHER eight years. (Sorry, that wouldn't be Bernie. I don't think he'd want to do that.)

[Algernon Moncrieff]

44. Warren has baggage

The Native American thing that Trump is playing up right now is baggage, albeit old baggage. Also, she was a Republican through the 1990s -- and there is a difference between 16 year old HRC being a "Goldwater Girl" when not old enough to vote versus a grown woman in her 30s or 40s being a member of Newt Gingrich's GOP.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

43. I'll answer your second question first: I'd be fine with Bernie as Veep

I know others disagree. It's JMHO

Question : nobody in this race is a spring chicken. That said, among non-political types I would speak with, all I ever heard about Sanders was two things: 1) Larry David does a perfect impression of him and 2) he's so old.