Age rules for Presidential candidates.

[dogfacedboy]

Just as there is a minimum age requirement for the Office of the President of the United States, why shouldn't there be a maximum age requirement? What would the perspectives of a 70 year old have to do with the future of the Nation?

[question everything]

1. Because senior citizens have the highest rate of voting

seriously, you cannot discriminate against senior. For once, they are more seasoned and are not young turks who would jump on anything as the first time they've heard it.

You cannot be a shoot from the hip president, current and former occupants notwithstanding.

[orpupilofnature57]

2. Jimmy Carter has more innovative vitality than most 30 yr olds

Not to mention any human being living that long ,unless it's 'Poppy gotta run the world for my Buds and their money' would have scads of knowledge to leave for future Americans.

[NovaNardis]

3. There shouldn't be an age cap...

Just trust the American people NOT to elect a political flake like McCain. Every once and a while the voters DO know what they are doing. Not a lot, but sometimes. And on big issues like age, it would work. Dick Cheney knows he can never be President because (aside from moral and political issues) his age and health are big restrictions.

That and he is the anti-Christ.

[orpupilofnature57]

5. Dicks definitely a candidate for that position ,though on his hands and knees

with a dirty sock in his mouth would be Great.

[Hippo_Tron]

6. Also, approval ratings are below 20% last time I checked

[orpupilofnature57]

7. Lets shit can the whole posse.

[Igel]

4. Why limit it to president?

Why not representatives and senators, too? Why, just among Senators, look at all the democrats apparently with perspectives that have not much to do with the future of the Nation. (Of course, the list is a fair bit longer, if you include those that would run into the 70-year point during their term.)

Senator Date of Birth
Robert Byrd (D-WV) November 20, 1917
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) January 23, 1924
Daniel Inouye (D-HI) September 7, 1924
Daniel Akaka (D-HI) September 11, 1924
Ted Kennedy (D-MA) February 22, 1932
Pete Domenici (R-NM) May 7, 1932
Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)* February 3, 1933
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) June 22, 1933
Jim Jeffords (I-VT)* May 11, 1934
Carl Levin (D-MI) June 28, 1934
Herb Kohl (D-WI) February 7, 1935
George Voinovich (R-OH) July 15, 1936
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) July 20, 1936
John McCain (R-AZ) August 29, 1936
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) June 18, 1937
Thad Cochran (R-MS) December 7, 1937

[KingofNewOrleans]

8. Maybe we should Logan's Run them

Once they hit 70, they ascend in the Capitol Dome to evisceration.

While I think American voters should be discerning about incumbency, I don't think they should be an upper age limit on serving either.

[Igel]

13. I think that's crazy.

The only reason for a lower age-cutoff is to make sure people with no clue are elected to high office. That doesn't mean somebody 40 years old can't be both elected and a bumbling oaf, out of touch with reality. It doesn't mean that somebody 21 can't be brilliant and a perfect elected representative. But laws aren't written for individuals.

As for competence, I'd assume that the voters are the best judge of that. Even if they elect a loon, that's their choice. I may think they're a bit barmy, but I'm not going to set myself up as some arbiter of who they should be allowed to vote for.

Now, if you wanted to say that a council of doctors can be called to evaluate whether an elected representative is competent to handle the office, I might go along with you. Assuming there were sufficient safeguards to keep the group from acting in a political manner.

[Josh]

10. In Australia we have mandatory retirement for *judges* at 70

- that's probably something that's quite useful, given the senility some of the life appointments tend to get in the US.

[LiberalFighter]

12. There should be retirement age for judges

[bornskeptic]

14. You left out the second oldest.

Ted Stevens November 18, 1923

[dogfacedboy]

9. I didn't intend any disrespect.

My whole point is, maybe a fifty rear old President would have a better vision of where this country should go.

[MonkeyFunk]

11. The voters can decide

if a candidate is too old. No need to change the constitution.