re: #283 Dr Lizardo

You know, I was pondering the idea - as the Czech Republic’s current president (a hard-drinking, chain-smoking kook) is well past 70 years old and is simply no longer fit for office - that, well, and I certainly mean no disrespect to the older Lizards here, maybe we need a constitutionally-mandated upper-age limit to serve as POTUS. Something like no one past 65……once you turn 65, you finish out your term, and that’s that.

The median age for presidents when they took office is 55. A 65 age limit would have prevented Trump, Reagan, Harrison, and Buchanan from serving when they did. It would have also prevented GHW Bush, Eisenhower, Taylor, Jackson, and John Adams from seeking a second term.

We tend to elect men in their 50s for the job (25 presidents were in their 50s when they took office). Even if you hold it to the “modern” presidency (post FDR), it’s been mostly mid-50s, early-60s with Kennedy, Clinton, and Obama bringing down the average.

I don’t think the issue with Trump is particularly his age, it’s everything else. Hell, Hillary Clinton is only 15 months or so younger than Trump.