Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Concern about the 2020 Elections
Date:	11/25/2019 6:10:46 PM

I have been giving this a lot of thoght.  Look at the age of the people running for President - Trump is 73, Pokahontas is 71, Bernie is 78, 

Biden is 76,  Now Bloomberg joins and he is 77.  There are a handful of also rans that are younger, but not getting much traction.  Lot at the age of a lot of the Senators - many in their 70s and some in their 80s.  Pelosi is in her late 70s, Shelby is 80 and the list goes on.  

At 65, I am pondering what this means in terms of people who would run the country.  Do they have the right to enact long term laws for future generations, when they themselves will likely never live to see the long term effect.  They will make laws that are based on what seems right to them, but how many of us really understand the issues that younger generations care about.  

I know a lot of the people that frequent this forum are the age of some of the people running.  I'm interested in your thoughts, because we are talking about your grandchildren and great grandchildren.  

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Concern about the 2020 Elections
Date:	11/25/2019 6:43:42 PM (updated 11/25/2019 6:45:04 PM)

I am 74 and one of the reasons I still work is that I feel like I am more effective now than ever before and can help the younger generations with over 50 years of "been there, done that" advice. That being said, there is a history of dementia on my Mother's side of the family, although my sister is sharp as a tack and fully functioning mentally and physically at 79. 
I firmly believe in "use it or lose it"when it comes to the brain and powers of cognition, analysis, and judgement. That being said one just doesn't know when those powers wil wane, and for that reason I also wonder about the advancing age of a lot of our leaders. For Congress there are literally hundreds of others who could mitigate negative effects of aging. For the President, Vice President, and Speaker of the House, the risk is higher. 
I will say that I was in the Atlanta airport one time and saw Strom Thurmond wandering around, totally lost. I think he was in his upper 90s at the time.  On the other hand Chuck Grassley is 89 but you would never know it. 

Name:	Rich -	Reply
Subject:	Excellent subject
Date:	11/25/2019 7:46:02 PM

I like am 70 and like MrHodja found that my 44 years of running my own buisiness had developed much needed skills that seem to be of rare quantity in todays workforce. I was enticed to step in and manage a large project for the last 1 1/2 years. I see a lot of bright young people that have such a poor education in the matters of production it worries me. Few real leaders, everything is done by committee no one wants to take responcibility for a decision, hopefully my assertiveness has rubbed of on a few. I too am concerned about our next group of leaders though not as much as the ill informed electorate that will be voting for them.

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Excellent subject
Date:	11/25/2019 10:05:58 PM

Good point.  When I was near the end of my first career (USAF), a mentor said to me "we have made our mark and done about all we will do for the Air Force.  Our job now is to leave a legacy".  That is exactly what you are doing and I strive to do the same. It is especially gratifying to see young, smart colleagues who want to learn and excel.  Sometimes you just need to point them in the right direction.  Sometimes you apply a little management and when they get traction you sit back, let them bloom, and don't manage them at all.

One more thing.  The worst a$$ chewing I ever got in the Air Force was (as a young Captain) from a Colonel who ended up as a two star general.  I felt pretty strongly about a certain way to get a particular project done and went to him twice asking it be done the way I suggested (the first time he said no).  In rather salty language he said he had told me what to do and I'd best go do it. When he saw how crestfallen I was a couple days later he said: "don't worry, everyone makes mistakes, just don't make the same mistake twice."  And then came the real advice when he said "I'd much rather have somene out there getting things done and screwing up every now and then than someone who never makes a mistake....but never gets anything done."

Name:	phil -	Reply
Subject:	Concern about the 2020 Elections
Date:	11/26/2019 8:21:14 AM

Would you rather vote in people who need a warning label on tide pods?

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Concern about the 2020 Elections
Date:	11/26/2019 8:26:06 AM (updated 11/26/2019 8:50:12 AM)

I'm not concerned with their age because we need the wisdom that comes from experience and we only get experience over time.  More important is what those years of experience have caused them to believe.  Young whippersnappers have all sorts of ideas but lack the practical experience and wisdom to seperate the wheat from the chaff.  But I do look closely at the VP to be sure that there is a competent person in the wings should the one heart beat away thing becomes an issue.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Concern about the 2020 Elections
Date:	11/26/2019 9:04:11 AM

I'm not talking about young whipper-snappers - I'm talking about people in their 40s and 50s.  Old enough to hav some experience, but not so old that we might worry about them dying on the job.  

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Concern about the 2020 Elections
Date:	11/26/2019 9:09:06 AM

Well darn......I've reached the age where I consider them to be young whippersnappers....