Why is American politics typically led by very physically unwell old people?

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[–]fschmidt 3 insightful - 4 fun3 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 4 fun -  (0 children)

To represent the physically unwell retarded population

[–]Mcheetah 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Money and corruption. It takes decades to kiss enough ass and screw over enough people to get that far in politics. And good people never get far enough to gain power, to begin with. It's why Tulsi Gabbard will sadly never become president.

[–]Hematomato 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (6 children)

America has a zillion old people. That's becuase we fucked like absolute bunnies in 1945 and then we said "Okay, time to settle down, we're getting sore."

Old people vote at much higher rates than younger people.

Old people stopped learning new stuff decades ago, and they only vote for people whose names they recognize.

Therefore, only old people can occupy the highest levels of government.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Statistically, there are always going to be fewer young people voting than older adults and elderly combined. But even Biden managed to gain half the vote in the last election and he's a few screws loose to say the least. What would drive a population aged 25-45 to vote for a man who needs diapers and sleeps for most of the day?

[–]Hematomato 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

For the vast majority of Democrats, when they bubbled in Biden, they weren't voting for Biden. They were voting against Trump.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Strategic voting makes sense to form the result, but it still doesn't explain how Biden ended up as the primary contender. For Democrats to willingly vote specifically for Biden, they must have surely chosen him to be a suitable person to lead the country. Either it was done carelessly, which makes it a dumb vote, or intentio ally, making it a terrifying vote where they would put the country at risk just to remove a man they disliked. There are other candidates in the Democrat party, I assume?

[–]Hematomato 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Sure, the Democrats say the same thing about Trump. They say: aren't there like 60 million of you? Why is your standard-bearer a septugenarian lunatic who's so vain he makes absolutely everything about himself? Is that really the best of you?

But there are reasons Republicans chose Trump. Mostly, I think, they're really pissed off at being called stupid, and they want the guy who drives the people who call them stupid the most insane.

And the reason Democrats chose Biden is... Trump. They said: winning comes first, candidate quality doesn't matter. So let's get a white man, so the racists and sexists can vote for him. And let's choose someone who's been in the public eye his whole life, so we know there won't be crazy skeletons in his closet.

They chose Biden because they were trying to play it as mega-safe as they could and just run someone, anyone, who could beat Trump, because Trump drives them completely out of their minds.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

That's retarded.

[–]Hematomato 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah, the system's completely broken. We're desperately overdue for some major structural changes.

Personally I'd like to see a Constitutional Convention where we rewrite the thing and replace the presidential system with a parliamentary system. Parliaments have their own problems, sure, but rarely as bad as anything we're going through right now.

[–]thomastheglassexpert 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I would think that a dive into history would show you this is endemic to all countries all over the world in history. It's not just an American thing. "Old men send their young men to fight their wars" is the idea.

[–]jet199 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Age demographics

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Elaborate

[–]jet199 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

All Western countries have an ageing population.

Old people vote more and there are more of them.

If you want to win elections you have to appeal to old people and speak their language.

In Europe the middle aged know how to talk to old people. In America everyone is more stratified and tribal.

[–]IMissPorn 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I don't think they're particularly physically unwell for old people, probably even above average health for their ages since they can afford the best care. They're just old, and u/Mcheetah's explanation for that part is a good one I think.

[–]SoCo 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The country's citizens are constantly under pressure, keeping them too busy struggling, by working, managing economic issues, dealing with health problems from decades of rampart pollution, and weaponized media inflicted stressors.

(I suspect that to be purposeful, especially seeing the current and obvious coordinated push to totalitarian world take over...but maybe it is just lots and lots of people not doing their jobs in government and regulations.)

Only the retired or disabled have the time and capacity to keep up with politics in any kind of meaningful way. Very many of them are veterans.

[–]Brewdabier 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Why do you voters vote for very physically unwell old people?.

[–]Alan_Crowe 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Under first past the post voting systems you basically have a choice of two candidates. If both are physically unwell old people, that is what you get, however you vote.

[–]Brewdabier 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

And if you have a "sane politician" who's sol intent is fucking over people you have.