Yes, old people in Congress can be a problem
Yael T. AbouhalkahNBC’s Luke Russert irritated House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Wednesday by asking the following question:
“Some of your colleagues privately say that your decision to stay on prohibits the party from having a younger leadership and hurts the party in the long run. What’s your response?”
His question may have been inelegantly phrased. Pelosi, who’s 72, said it was an offensive question and that men don’t get asked that question often.
Actually, Russert was on to something.
Congress is full of “old,” experienced politicians who have failed to solve the nation’s problems in recent years. They have failed on reforming immigration laws, entitlement reductions, defense spending and tax policies.
Put simply, being old hasn’t made them extremely competent.
Elevating some younger, newer voices to lead roles in Congress could shake things up and get this nation headed in the right direction. (Anyone notice that President Barack Obama is just 51?).
Pelosi is hardly the sole problem in Congress; she’s just the minority leader after all in a GOP-controlled House.
Add in the three other major leaders of Congress, and you see that age - based on results for the betterment of the nation - hasn’t been an asset.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is 72.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is 70.
House Speaker John Boehner is the pup of the group at age 63.
For a good explanation of why Congress rewards age and seniority with powerful positions, read this.
Sure, people who barely know their ways around the halls of Washington shouldn’t be expected to be put in the most powerful positions.
Then again, people who have been part of the problem with gridlock and lack of bipartisanship aren’t providing the kind of leadership America needs right now.
Phil Cardarella
6 months agoIt is not the age of the thinker, but the age of the thinking that is the problem.
For example, Paul Ryan is a young man — whose “fresh” ideas were in vogue through the McKinley presidency. I always chuckle to hear him referred to as the “intellectual head of the GOP”. If so, they are in big trouble. This is a guy who was pushing Randian economics until last year — when most moderately gifted college sophomores have left that nonesense behind.
Actually, a leadership position in Congress requires the ability of count — and count on — votes from your caucus. Pelosi can do both. Sadly, younger John Boehner cannot.
Age does not guarantee wisdom any more than youth guarantees fresh thought.
Charles Purvis
6 months agoI will agree that Congress, in general is too old, but Obama, at 51, is anything BUT competent.
George Hunsucker
Northland
6 months agoALL politicians should be term limited—2 terms and you are out.
No pensions, just your salary and healthcare. We need to return to citizen-legislators, not career politicians….
Phil Cardarella
6 months agoGeorgie:
How about cash & carry? And typewriters.
Artificial term limits are a TERRIBLE idea. They deprive legislative bodies of collective memory and magnify the power of bureaucrats and lobbyists.
Every legislative body already has the term limits required: Elections. How arrogant of you the believe you should be able to dictate to the majority of voters in a district who they can elect!
And no legislative body that has adopted artificial term limits has been the better for it.