There Should Be An Upper Limit On The President’s Age - 65 or 70

Joe Biden was born closer to the Lincoln assassination than to today.

But I'd rather have an 80 year old Ronald Reagan than a young lightweight.

Let the people vote. Both candidates this time were super old, but let the voters decide how old is too old.

There probably should be an upper age limit, and there should also be term limits for the House and Senate. I don't think either will happen unfortunately.

I could get behind an upper age limit for president and a whole lot of other restrictions too. Like maybe you need to have been elected governor first. I'm surprised age isn't more of an issue. I love my parents but I wouldn't want them running the country.

World Gone Wrong wrote:

Reagan was a terrible President (“trickle down” BS, racist war on drugs, constant fear-mongering, etc.) who was likely in the early stages of Alzheimer’s during his presidency

War on Drugs didn't get into gear until Bush and Clinton were driving.

Reaganomics was the solution to the stagflation horror of the 1970s.

Reagan's mind started going in his 2nd term, but only barely. Biden's mind was already gone before he even ran.

If the public agreed he were so horrible, he wouldn't have been reelected in one of the biggest landslides in history, and had National Airport named after him.

Well, there was NO limit on the a-hole nature of the outgoing president.

Interesting because I thought it was age discrimination too. Except we have a minimum age, so we already do it

Would anyone let Biden borrow their car??

That being said its cute you all think the President isn't run by the same (Big Bankers)))) no matter what party they are from. Last one who tried to do something on their own was JFK, and look how that turned out...

We would need a Constitutional amendment to set both federal term limits and upper age limits. I would propose:

A limit of 36 years of elected federal service - any combination of House, Senate, VP, or Presidential terms

Supreme Court judges are appointed to a single 20 year term and federal judges may serve no more than 36 total years on the federal bench.

A mandatory retirement age of 75 for all federal elected or appointed positions (excluding SCOTUS judges). If an elected official turns 75 while in office, they are permitted to finish their term.

I feel that this would create some much needed turnover in government while still preserving the experience and wisdom that comes with age. No generation should hold power for longer than their generation's relevance. Most problems in our country stem from old men and women with little to no skin in the game making decisions that will be of great consequence to younger and future generations. Jefferson was absolutely correct in his notion that future generations should not be bound by the laws of men long since dead. I would add that younger Americans should not have their futures determined by a cadre of people that will not live to see the fruits of their actions.

I disagree. Putting an age limit sets a precedent that anyone and everyone over that age is lesser than the rest of the population.

Someone 80 years old now probably remembers the Korean War, and from that there is learned experience of what to do and what not to do.

If anything there should be term limits in congress unless you win a certain amount of elections in a row, so that actually popular officials can stay in office

It's a start, but still too liberal. There are maximum age rules already enforced in other sectors (military), so I don't see why that is an issue.

House and Senate should be subject to exact same terms as the president.

Supreme court should also be something like 8 years maximum. We should not have situations where a justice is installed 3 or more presidents ago with no end in sight.

Break the two party system. I wouldn't even know how to go about that, but we need equal representation from other parties.

Finally, perhaps worst of all, is doing away with mixed legislation. What I mean is, if you are trying to pass X, then X should be only thing in that bill. It is unbelievable that politicians will also add A, B, and C to bill X, when none of them are related and almost always it is something that wouldn't stand on its own.

Americans should be furious that only two ways of thinking are allowed (Democrat / Republican) and that those entities have made it just shy of impossible for anyone else to succeed at top level. Does no one understand that democrat and republican parties are not established nor endorsed by our Constitution?

The Ravenn wrote:

Would anyone let Biden borrow their car??

I'd like to borrow his.

Dairyland wrote:

I disagree. Putting an age limit sets a precedent that anyone and everyone over that age is lesser than the rest of the population.

Someone 80 years old now probably remembers the Korean War, and from that there is learned experience of what to do and what not to do.

If anything there should be term limits in congress unless you win a certain amount of elections in a row, so that actually popular officials can stay in office

Sorry to disappoint, but it is scientific fact that the older you get, the less sharp you are. Nature does not care about your feelings or "the rest of the population." That's what it is. Ever seen an 80 year old active General? Nope, because guess why? There are age limits in the military. Considering the President is "commander in chief", it should apply to them as well.

Popularity is not enough reason to allow someone a 50 year career in congress. Popular does not mean good for the Nation.

Dementia and Alzheimer's will become more prevalent as Americans live longer. Reagan had it while in office. Trump certainly suffers from it. There are signs that Biden has started down that path. Wilbur Ross was notorious for sleeping through cabinet meetings and Diane Feinstein should not be a sitting US Senator as it is reported that she cannot remember things for more than an hour or two. Our economic and strategic stability change too rapidly to allow cognitively impaired people or those beholden to dying industries to be in power. I also worry that these folks, despite their knowledge of past events, simply do not understand the future in any meaningful way. How many 80 year old people run marketing departments, lead tech firms, or are innovating e-commerce platforms?

Should be age limits for senate and president, the supreme court should be a 16 year term.

they should have to live under the laws they make after serving. we all know they are above the law as long as they are connected to DC.

I'd put the upper age limit at 60.

Banned in 60 Seconds wrote:

Dementia and Alzheimer's will become more prevalent as Americans live longer. Reagan had it while in office. Trump certainly suffers from it. There are signs that Biden has started down that path. Wilbur Ross was notorious for sleeping through cabinet meetings and Diane Feinstein should not be a sitting US Senator as it is reported that she cannot remember things for more than an hour or two. Our economic and strategic stability change too rapidly to allow cognitively impaired people or those beholden to dying industries to be in power. I also worry that these folks, despite their knowledge of past events, simply do not understand the future in any meaningful way. How many 80 year old people run marketing departments, lead tech firms, or are innovating e-commerce platforms?

Warren Buffet at 90 seems fine. The question is why do we need a law? Why don't citizens do the right thing and not vote these people back into power? To some extent, I don't care about senators and reps. They can almost be figure heads of an organization that you are voting for. If you replaced Feinstein with me, I could keep on voting the way aids tell me to and asking the same leading questions they always do. Executive officers and justices are a bit different but if Nancy Reagan and her astrologer can run the country, I am not too concerned about things going forward.

No need for an age limit. If people vote for the candidate, then the candidate must have shown enough smarts to handle the job.

Haha! What am I saying?! We know that didn't work for #45!

You’re proving my point. Yes humans mentally decline as they age, but that doesn’t mean that there are older people that have not declined much at all in their 80s or even 90s. I’m sure you’ve met some people like this in your life. Putting an age limit would get rid of any possibility that these people who resist age related mental decline win a seat in office. That’s not fair to them whatsoever.

And about “popularity”, you’re twisting my words. Congressmen and women are re-elected because of the benefits of incumbency and their effectiveness in office. An effective senator or representative who is consistently winning elections in their district or state means that they well represent the views of their constituents. They shouldn’t be disallowed to run for office for simply winning.

The astounding arrogance and ignorance in almost all of these posts shows that age is not the predictor of intelligence. Research shows that many can maintain intelligence well into their 80s and 90s. The only difference is in processing speed so it might be harder for an older person to come up with snarky comebacks that posters here would appreciate. If you could wait two seconds longer it would likely be a good one. It is how you live, eat, exercise and manage stress that determines age related decline. From my > 67 age perspective most younger people are doing a terrible (and life span and brain function shortening) job in their preparation for aging. Age is a natural selection process and some fall off sound functioning but many, many do not. None of you have read the research, you just have ignorant opinions. Joan Benoit at 64 can still outrun many of you at any distance. Is that a reason to say those above a certain age can't run? Get over yourselves. Not a single person that stormed the Capitol was smart enough to serve. Experience is totally underrated by the young and ignorant.