The grip of America’s geriatrics

[Shiftless2]

The grip of America’s geriatrics​

Joe Biden is no frail outlier but the gerontocratic norm
EDWARD LUCE

Here is one measure of America’s democratic pickle. The third-party candidates lining up to challenge the creaking two-party stranglehold are almost the same age as the incumbents.

Joe Biden is 81. Donald Trump turns 78 in June. Their potential rivals are all 70 or above. Robert F Kennedy Jr, 70, Joe Manchin, 76, Jill Stein, 73, Marianne Williamson, 71, and Cornel West, 70, are each thinking about entering the fray as independents in one form or other. The old ways have failed America, these boomers are saying. Here are some alternative old ways that you should consider.

Or take Capitol Hill. The median age in the US Senate is 65, which is the birthday at which American airline pilots must retire. The Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, is 73. Its minority leader, Mitch McConnell, is 81. McConnell’s most senior colleague, Chuck Grassley, who is 90, recently put his name down to run again in 2028. That means he is keeping the option open of going on until he is 101.

People are still stunned, meanwhile, that Mitt Romney, 76, has chosen to retire in the prime of his career. The Senate standard-bearer of the US left remains Bernie Sanders, who is 82. His former rival, and sometime ally, is ...

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[sear]

"Or take Capitol Hill." Luce #1

There are purely natural processes here. But Capitol Hill in Washington DC is an artificial filter.
There seniority, tenure is rewarded. That reward is political, different from the benefit of taking daily vitamins.

"The squeaky wheel gets the grease." The seniors in congress tend to get more front page news coverage because they're in the senior, and therefore leadership, and therefore policy-making positions. Santos & MTG, different story.

Our federal legislature isn't the only locus of gerontocracy in the U.S.

Chief Justice Rehnquist died in office. But congress gets the attention due to orders of magnitude more members.

I've never seen a one-sided coin. There are also perils of leadership from those too young, as our 18th Century Founders understood. Minimum age of 25 (Art.1 Sect.2), 30 (Art.1 Sect.3-3), & 35 (Art.2 Sect.1-4) age minimums for MOC & exec.

So the remaining goldilocks band of eligibility / acceptability is decades wide.

These standards are generalizations implemented as an expedient of governance, not fundamental truths.

Whether seldom discussed factors including testicular atrophy lowering testosterone levels in older men helps make them more benevolent leaders, who knows?

>

A complicating factor here:
change has been a constant since the Big Bang. BUT !
For human civilization the rate of change in living memory is increasing exponentially beyond such rates a century or more in the past.

A result of this:
a 70 year old legislator with sincere benevolent intent may help produce legislation by view of the 70 year old considered utilitarian (greatest benefit to the greatest number).
But a population bulge decades younger may disagree, in part potentially because the senior isn't familiar with the culture of the 30 somethings which today many 70 year olds don't understand. Our rate of cultural change has intensified this disparity,
ironic in context of increasing life expectancy.

"I like old movies.
I think they should make more of them."