Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has won reelection to a fourth six-year term. The 83-year-old independent senator is a self-described democratic socialist who caucuses with the Democrats and twice came close to winning the presidential nomination.
Others mentioned the cognitive side; the other part is that Bernie isn’t out of touch. He knows what the people want and he voted for it. That’s very different to your average gerontocrat who barely knows what the internet is.
It’s worth mentioning the POTUS is SIGNIFICANTLY more stressful and consequential than even his current position. Quite literally, stress can age you faster, inuring physical changes in the body. In addition to that, I also have faith in the people and professionals he surrounds himself with to stand by him because they believe he can do it, not because they want to be the puppeteers of a powerful senator. May be wishful thinking in the end, but I think the general point it the situations are quite different.
It should require cognitive tests. There are plenty of younger people who aren’t at the same cognitive level, and plenty older obviously. Age is a useful metric, but it isn’t actually the one that matters. It’s just much easier to identify.
Because he is still mentally sharp and he is still fighting as hard as he can for the average American. His values have not changed, nor has his fighting spirit.
He’ll be 89 years old when he finishes his term.
I’m not sure why Bernie is the exception for me…I feel like a giant hypocrite being ok with this. But dude does still seem spry AF.
That’s why age itself isn’t the problem. I see plenty of representatives far below that age that can’t do the job.
Others mentioned the cognitive side; the other part is that Bernie isn’t out of touch. He knows what the people want and he voted for it. That’s very different to your average gerontocrat who barely knows what the internet is.
He also got arrested at a protest as a young man and has been saying the same things about improving our country for decades, Bernie is a real one
It’s worth mentioning the POTUS is SIGNIFICANTLY more stressful and consequential than even his current position. Quite literally, stress can age you faster, inuring physical changes in the body. In addition to that, I also have faith in the people and professionals he surrounds himself with to stand by him because they believe he can do it, not because they want to be the puppeteers of a powerful senator. May be wishful thinking in the end, but I think the general point it the situations are quite different.
It should require cognitive tests. There are plenty of younger people who aren’t at the same cognitive level, and plenty older obviously. Age is a useful metric, but it isn’t actually the one that matters. It’s just much easier to identify.
I can attest to that. I’ll walk into the kitchen, and then say ‘Why in the f#$* did I come in here?’ LOL
Because he is still mentally sharp and he is still fighting as hard as he can for the average American. His values have not changed, nor has his fighting spirit.
Yeah he reminds me of my grandpa. Old as sin but smart enough that you might forget how old he is when he’s ranting.
Bernie has been on the right side of basically every political issue for over 6 decades, that’s why.
and, hopefully, we can finally let the man rest a bit.
And that’s assuming he lives that long. Hopefully they’re working to groom a replacement and get a friendly governor.
Look I did work for the guy, but 80 is too old. 89 is preposterous.