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posted by
martyb
on Tuesday February 19 2019, @05:14PM
from the how-many-candidates-are-there-now? dept.
from the how-many-candidates-are-there-now? dept.
"Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)........is launching a second run for the White House in 2020." breitbart.com/politics/2019/02/19/bernie-sanders-2020-bid
"Reaction to the news was split......with some supporting the 77-year-old and others upset with the move." foxnews.com/politics/trump-campaign-pokes-fun-at-bernie-sanders-2020-announcement-as-reaction-splits-on-candidacy
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Bernie Sanders Announces White House Bid
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If the thunder don't get you, then the lightning will.
(Score: 2) by mendax on Tuesday February 19 2019, @11:26PM (6 children)
Feel the Bern!
Actually, I'm not all that excited about a Bernie Sanders presidency. He'd do a good job no doubt, but let's be frank: he's too old for the job. I'd rather not have a candidate running and have to seriously be concerned about who his vice-president is because of the likelihood that he would become president due to something "unfortunate" happening due the Sanders' advanced age.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday February 20 2019, @12:35AM (5 children)
If only we could cure or dramatically slow aging in the next 2-3 years.
As President, he would have access to some of the best health care in the world. The last President to die in office of natural causes was Franklin D. Roosevelt... at age 63. Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and George H.W. Bush died at age 93-94. If Jimmy Carter lives for another 30 days, he will become the oldest former U.S. President in history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States_who_died_in_office [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States_by_age [wikipedia.org]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by mendax on Wednesday February 20 2019, @12:47AM (1 child)
True, but people with access to great health care die every day. One should also keep in mind that being the president ages the incumbent tremendously. Bush Jr., Obama, and Carter all noticeably aged significantly while they were in office. And you should look at pictures of President Lincoln taken in 1860 and then compare them to those taken in 1865. How would this affect a president who is already quite old? That is an interesting question.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday February 20 2019, @04:04PM
The worst that can happen is what happened to William Henry Harrison, who got sick on his inauguration day and never recovered.
My take on the age thing: Yes, Bernie's old. He's also in pretty good health for his age - last time he ran, he was on video running and shooting hoops. If his VP is someone who is closely aligned with his goals then him dying in office or resigning due to illness won't be all that disruptive really. There are even a provision in the 25th Amendment for a president to voluntarily turn things over to the VP temporarily if they are unable to do their job (this has happened a few times due to presidents undergoing medical procedures), and also a provision for his VP and cabinet to take control if he's unable to make that declaration himself (e.g. he's in a coma). Having a closely aligned VP is also important for preventing assassination, which is an issue for the vast majority of presidents.
I definitely get the impression that presidents age prematurely though: It looks to me like 1 year as president = about 2.5 years for a normal person. If Bernie won, he'd end his first term with the health of about a 90-year-old, which could be a serious problem or could be like my fairly healthy grandmother who's a bit older than that.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 20 2019, @04:09AM (2 children)
"If only we could cure or dramatically slow aging in the next 2-3 years.
As President, he would have access to some of the best health care in the world."
You, on the other hand, would not.
Questions?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday February 20 2019, @04:37AM
When am I getting my UBI and Medicare for All?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday February 20 2019, @04:06PM
Do you think you have access to some of the best health care in the world right now? If so, you're wrong.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.