Lemmy : get old white men out of politics!!!
Also Lemmy: VOTE BERNIE!!!
Haha. I think you’re getting downvoted because people dislike you pointing out the hipocracy but you’re right.
Bernie gets a pass because he’s progressive. Old people in general are more conservative.
Lemmy hates capitalism, but do you use Proton already? They have a Linux client. <insert another Proton ad> Buy Google Pixel to get rid of Google!
Yeah, the userbase here is a wild one.
All I want for Christmas is a president who’s younger than 78.
Bernie isn’t serving a 4th presidential term. Bernie has never been president. Bernie is running for the Senator of Vermont.
And hilariously, until Patrick Leahy retired last year, Bernie was still the JUNIOR Senator from Vermont 😄
I propose elevating Bernie beyond his corporal, mortal flesh form. Give him the certainty of steel. Transform his body to Mecha-Bernie complete with dual miniguns and rocket pods.
Make the 1% truly fear his presence.
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Its not the age, its the mileage.
Bernie has plenty of miles left in him.
Having said that, everyone running for office should have to take a cognitive test.
Having said that, everyone running for office should have to take a cognitive test.
Ah, yes, literacy tests were a great idea that we should definitely bring back! /s
Having said that, everyone running for office should have to take a cognitive test.
Ah, yes, literacy tests …
Looking at the link …
How Literacy Tests Were Used To Stop Black Americans From
I could definitely see how that would test someone’s mental capability for running a political office. /s
… were a great idea that we should definitely bring back! /s
Cognitive and literary tests are not the same thing.
I could definitely see how that would test someone’s mental capability for running a political office. /s
I could very easily see the Secretary of the Department of Cognition under Once And Future President Donald Trump, who is delegated with the role of evaluating fitness for office, rubber stamping Louie Gohmert while finding Barack Obama wanting.
Demanding congresscritters take the PraegerU Wokeness Exam would not improve the quality of elected officials.
Demanding congresscritters take the PraegerU Wokeness Exam
There are legally agreed upon cognitive tests that can be given. No need for hyperbole.
There are legally agreed upon cognitive tests that can be given.
Name one organization that would be impervious to partisan capture if it was charged with grading the fitness of future potential federal election candidates.
A blatant strawman. The usual purview of people who couldn’t pass a cognitive test
A blatant strawman. The usual purview of people who couldn’t pass a cognitive test
Pointing out the difference between a cognitive test and a literary test is not a ‘blatant strawman’.
The usual purview of people who couldn’t pass a cognitive test
And we’re back to trying to kill the messenger.
At this point you really need to update your LLM, the responses you’re giving are very transparent, and non-effective.
Thanks for the help… When someone is talking about cognitive tests and another interjects a sarcastic jibe counter-argument about literacy tests, that’s a strawman…
From Wikipedia:
Strawman argument (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawman_argument)
A straw man is a form of argument and an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent’s argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.
Additionally I believe I was agreeing with you by pointing the fact out while choosing not to engage with the other poster as arguments like this indicate they are likely not worth engaging. Sorry for any confusion, I have problems communicating with others sometimes.
Bernie has plenty of miles left in him.
Guy who had a heart attack while back when he was a spry young seventy-eight is going to be fighting fit for another six years? Doubtful.
Edit: He sounds a lot more cognizant than others who are running for an office.
That’s an incredibly low bar relative to the guy drooling into his soup and the other guy shitting himself during his trial.
everyone running for office should have to take a cognitive test
I’m just upset at the fact that Sanders, a man who has been an elected official since the mid-80s and a Congressman since 2002, has nobody in line underneath him to assume these roles. You would think the DSA’s favorite guy would have a few more DSA-adjacent folks on the bench who he could endorse to take his seat.
Sanders boosting a lean, mean 50-year-old protege into his seat as his last big political hurrah will do far more for his long term goals than camping out on the Budget Committee in a Senate minority until he croaks.
Guy who had a heart attack while back when he was a spry young seventy-eight is going to be fighting fit for another six years? Doubtful.
He could be a brain in a jar Futurama style and still be able to work effectively.
Its the cognizant abilities that are needed, he’s not “Running the Mile” around the Congress building.
He could be a brain in a jar Futurama style and still be able to work effectively.
He will not be able to work effectively when he’s dead.
Its the cognizant abilities that are needed
Bernie Sanders is not the Golden Child. He is not irreplaceable and its absurd to pretend otherwise. Find someone younger and run them in the Senate now, while a guy like Sanders is still around to provide organizational support. Otherwise, you’re going to get stuck with another Kristen Gillibrand, Krysten Sinema, or John Fetterman running in his open seat after he kicks it.
The hypocrisy is ridiculous “no no it’s ok cause it’s the guy I like!”
The hypocrisy is ridiculous “no no it’s ok cause it’s the guy I like!”
Nobody can stop you from going straight to ‘Killing the Messenger’ mode, but it doesn’t really solve any problems doing so.
Try seeing better. Not everything is hypocrisy.
No it’s the definition of hypocrisy.
No it’s the definition of hypocrisy.
[Citation required]
… or, is it …
NO U!
Can’t quite decide.
To a certain point…
But no one, absolutely no one, is as sharp at 82 as they were at 62.
If we had a functional society no one would have to work past 62. But I had a coworker die recently and she was 86. Didn’t get a lot done, but she showed up every morning till she stopped waking up.
Politicians have the ability to retire before they absolutely need to, so it’s not hard to say they need to.
Bernie has spent so long building a movement larger than himself, it’s a shame he hasn’t put up a successor yet.
Let the new person have the Senate seat and Bernie can work on the movement if he still wants to work.
82 is just too fucking old
But no one, absolutely no one, is as sharp at 82 as they were at 62.
This is not sufficient argument for why he should give up the seat. Bernie at 82 is sharper than most people at 62 and that’s the truly relevant fact here.
Bernie at 82 is sharper than most people at 62 and that’s the truly relevant fact here.
He’s not tho.
But his heart is in the right place and he’s genuinely trying to to help people.
Both can be true, but there are people under 62 with the same.positive characteristics of Bernie.
That’s what I mean, he’s spent his whole life saying it’s not about him, it’s about the movement. He needs to let a younger progressive take his spot so that person gets “the experience” and run for president.
A 62 year old Bernie would have known 82 was too late to do that, but at 82 it’s hard for anyone to admit reality about their mental well being.
That’s what I mean, he’s spent his whole life saying it’s not about him, it’s about the movement. He needs to let a younger progressive take his spot so that person gets “the experience” and run for president.
Okay, so who? Name the person. What prominent 62-year-old (or 42-year-old, or
2230-year-old, which is the minimum age allowed in the Senate) Vermont progressive should be running instead?Maybe the problem is less Bernie being unwilling to give up the job and more that nobody else is stepping up to replace him.
No one is going be prominent enough to compare to Bernie, especially at the twilight of his political career, and be a natural successor.
It’s like saying where’s the next Obama, when Obama himself was no name, first term, junior Senate candidate from Illinois when he gave the 2004 DNC keynote speech, only four years before becoming president.
What I’m trying to say is, unless you’re already neck deep in Vermont politics, we probably won’t hear the name of the next prominent progressive out of the state until that seat opens up.
Okay, so who? Name the person. What prominent
Bruh, if Bernie didn’t run for his seat, do you think people wouldn’t vote for the person he campaigns for?
Especially if he said his reason was at his age he feels a younger candidate would be better?
Why?
Seriously, I want to know what makes someone think a young candidate needs national recognition to win Bernie’s seat when Bernie campaigns for them.
Maybe the problem is less Bernie being unwilling to give up the job and more that nobody else is stepping up to replace him.
What?
You think it’s just Bernie by himself and he has no staff?
That’s just…
Well…
It’s certainly an opinion.
That’s what I mean, he’s spent his whole life saying it’s not about him, it’s about the movement. He needs to let a younger progressive take his spot so that person gets “the experience” and run for president.
Both can be true. He can continue to run, while looking for a successor.
As long as he’s capable, we all need his wisdom and his ethics and his experience.
There’s plenty of time for younger people to come up through the ranks and replace them.
One senator is one vote…
And Bernie alone isn’t deciding legislation, no matter how great or smart he is.
It’s about the movement, not him
And what’s best for the movement would be him stepping aside for a younger candidate and him working with candidates for other races to beef up the numbers of progressives in house/Senate.
And Bernie alone isn’t deciding legislation, no matter how great or smart he is.
It’s about the movement, not him
You realize one single Senator can introduce a bill, right?
And that one Senator, if they’re knowledgeable and experienced, has a better chance of getting that billed introduced, and actually voted on, than one who is not.
Can you even vote in Vermont elections?
You said Bernie’s too old, but not even once WHY he should not run. You’re just guessing there’s something not right about his mental well being.
Both can be true, but there are people under 62 with the same.positive characteristics of Bernie.
It’s almost like the age part is not relevant.
You said Bernie’s too old, but not even once WHY he should not run.
Because he’s 82…
I understand it when Biden supporters or trump supporters pretend the scientifically proven effects of aging aren’t real.
But do you honestly agree with Bernie on most issues and think he’s not too old and should step down?
I don’t care if we’re talking Biden, trump, Pelosi, Warren, McConnell, or even Bernie.
If someone is over 80 years old, they shouldn’t still be working even if they want to. In a functional society none of them would have to, but this is America.
But especially not in a position there’s only 100 of in the entire country and it’s a spring board to president.
You ever wonder we keep hearing that no one under 60 has the experience to be president? It’s because the elected offices below that are filled with people in their 60s and over.
Seriously. The majority of Senators are eligible for Social Security.
https://fiscalnote.com/blog/how-old-118th-congress
It is a fucking problem unless you completely disregard science and virtually every study about what aging does to a human. Hell, it’s not like they’re just mindless office drones, if they’re doing their job it’s one of the most stressful jobs on the planet, you know what stress does to the cognitive effects of normal aging?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4490700/
I don’t know if you wanted me to debate what happens to humans in their 70s/80s, thats as productive as explaining science to any science denier.
If you want to learn, read studies, start with articles if you need to.
But human brains don’t last forever. Just like bodies don’t, but I bet you don’t ask why an 80 year old should be QB in the Superbowl.
I’m not arguing that an average old person’s mental capabilities are deteriorating. But this is a candidate that has presented their views and that’s what you should be evaluating.
If I disagree with 2 people who’s ages I don’t know and one turns out to be Bernie and the other is a young candidate, they’re on equal footing on that one particular issue.
So let me ask you this: Do you prefer a young president you agree with 20% or an old one you agree with 50%?
Pretty circular logic, but that’s your right.
Cognitive tests can be abused.
But no one, absolutely no one, is as sharp at 82 as they were at 62.
My dad was, did great until early 90’s, and then at 97 he tanked within 3 months and passed.
You never know, nothing is ‘absolutely’, especially on a case-by-case basis with human beings.
In either case, cognitive test, regardless of the age, will catch situations where that person should not be in a position of governance, because of lack of mental capacity to do the job.
It’s not the age, it’s the mileage.
Grassley, who is 90 years old, got reelected in 2022. Grassley was first elected in 1980.
Grassley is so old that his grandson is the speaker of the IA state assembly. Grassley is so old that he is learning to send tweets using a rotary phone.
YO THAT HEADLINE SCARED ME
My dyslexic ass never read faster
Yes, the first half definitely sounded like the beginning of a death announcement. I’m guessing they did that intentionally to point out his age and make us associate him with old age. They’ve been making lots of money off of Biden and Trump relating to age and whether someone so old is fit for office.
I, personally, don’t care about age. I care about values, performance, and ability to carry out the duties of the office. Bernie certainly aligns with my values, and has performed well in his terms. If he continues to have the cognitive abilities he has demonstrated, I’d support him until term limits were passed.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Eighty-two-year-old liberal U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont announced Monday that he is running for re-election, saying American democracy is in question during difficult times for the country and the world.
“Will the United States continue to even function as a democracy, or will we move to an authoritarian form of government?” he said.
He questioned whether the country will reverse what he called “the unprecedented level of income and wealth inequality” and if it can create a government that works for all, and not a political system not dominated by wealthy campaign contributors.
“I have been, and will be if re-elected, in a strong position to provide the kind of help that Vermonters need in these difficult times,” Sanders said in a review of his positions as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and a member of the Senate Democratic leadership team, as well as a senior member of various other committees.
On a current controversial topic, Sanders, who has been critical of the war in Gaza, said Israel has the right to defend itself against the Oct. 7, “horrific” attack and hostage taking by the terrorist organization Hamas “but it did not and does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people, which is exactly what it is doing.”
“In my view, U.S. taxpayers should not be providing billions more to the extremist Netanyahu government to continue its devastating war against the Palestinian people,” he said.
The original article contains 327 words, the summary contains 247 words. Saved 24%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
Honestly isn’t retirement set at 65 or near this. I appreciate his professionalism and his stance on issues, but let’s pass the torch around… and back up the next generation?
If there were someone to replace him who the party would actually support, sure. But the reality is, given the increasing aggression towards progressive policies and politicians, he’d be replaced with a Republican Lite type candidate.
Approved.
I agree he’s too old, and I wish by now he would have mentored someone to stand behind to replace him.
It’s not like we aren’t already irreparably fucked, but losing having any rational voice in the Senate will feel like another blow to our corporate owned zombie of a nation.
That said, not like our single digit collection of leftist Congress people are able to do anything but spin wheels. The Neoliberals have more respect for their old guard Republican opposition than for people like Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.
Never forget Bernie’s legacy: https://youtu.be/ZlZaVtCT5HI
‘Not me. Us.’
In his video he sounded sad to do it, but in this crazy world I doubt anybody else will fight the same fight.
I’m sad that he feels he needs to do it. In a just world he would have run a single presidential term in 2016-2020 and then disappeared into the sunset to enjoy his final years.
But here we are. We need people like him more than ever and there’s no one he can pass his torch to. So he grits his teeth and offers us even more of his dwindling life force such that we have even a single light in our darkness. I don’t have a single doubt in my mind that Bernie would stay in office until the very moment of his death if he felt it was necessary for the greater good. I’m just saddened that he feels it necessary, and that I agree with him.
In this thread, we see that centrists haven’t forgotten how to be viciously ageist.
86 years old looks like something Sanders can make. Honestly even if he gets dementia and regresses to the 60s, he will still be correct on every issue.
Six year term, so that would be 88.
He might make it there fine too, if not a vermont special election isn’t the end of the world.
Can’t be worse than Feinstein.
Or Grassley, or Thurmond, or McConnell.
Hell, Manchin and Romney are 76.
He’s awesome
