Age requirement for Office

[AFPheonix]

I think there should at least be a limit set based on when your brain is done maturing, which apparently isn't until someone is in their 20's or 30's.

[Boozy]

To me, 73 is waaay to old to just be taking up a position in office.

My 79 year-old grandmother is sharp as a tack and has a wealth of experience and knowledge. She knows as much about computers as I do and is concerned about alternative fuels and climate change. She's not running for office, but she'd be a much better candidate than the last asshole I had to bite down and vote for.

My grandmother might be the exception to the rule, but she's a good example of why age limits are....well, ageist. Ideally, we'd have a system whereby someone's knowledge, maturity level, and innovation is judged individually, regardless of their age.

[Sylvia727]

I do think, however, there needs to be an upper limit. The older you get, the more conservative your thoughts and behaviour becomes.

And the younger you are, the stupider and more immature you are. I'd trust my 80 year old grandmother more than I would my 25 year old cousin.

If you're going to be considered too young, you won't get voted in anyways.

If you're going to be considered too old, you won't get voted in anyways.

I think any eligible voter should have the right to run in an election. That just makes sense to me.

[Slytovhand]

Sylvia and Boozy..

You're right, you're right, you're right...

I'll take back a fair chunk of what I just wrote...

I did a bad, in as much as I did a quick think through my head of the leaders of the elder generation (Bush, McCain, Bjeike-Petersen (in Queensland) etc) and went 'eeewwwww......', and thought of the younger ones and thought 'yeah - they aren't too bad' (mostly just Kevin Rudd, Kennedy - our new PM..though he's yet to fully prove himself, he has done some rather dramatic things already). I should have thought of people such as Castro, Mao Zedong (though of course, they are debatable.. but this is fratching )



But anyway... I'm not happy with a) 1 leader who has masses of power, and b) party politicking. Much better when the local representative actually represented the locals - not just towed a party line - but that's a different fratch.