General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Is arguing that older elected officials should make way for younger ones "Identity Politics?" [View all]Tom Rinaldo
(22,912 posts)I'm reminded of affirmative action debates. No I do not advocate age quotas for members of legislatures. The advantage of having time to gather experience and achieve accomplishments will always favor the somewhat older over youth in running for office. So does the power of incumbency which can help members keep their seats for decades. So our elected bodies will never closely reflect demographics in terms of age, nor should they. But when an imbalance becomes extreme, in a relative sense, that is a valid cause for concern. It is good for our government to "look like America" to a reasonable extent. Age is part of that. If even noting age representation is "Identity Politics", than so be it.
Is supporting a younger person over another older one, because one feels that person brings a valuable perspective, informed by youth, to an office the same as arguing that an older official needs to make way for younger ones?