Andrea Mitchell was just wringing her hands in ageist angst over Sanders and Biden.

[Miles Archer]

Trump is 72 years old, for Christ's sake!

IF HE GOT re-elected, he'd be 77 in 2024, and she didn't even MENTION it.

The other thing that needs to be considered is the state of Trump's mental fitness in 2019.

I have a client who is 72. He owns and operates two restaurants, and he can run rings around me.

Trump clearly has issues, EVEN IF they are limited to his unquenchable thirst for "revenge."

Whatever we do, let's please leave ageism out of 2020, and if we must address it at all, let's look at the person's ability to do the job,

Because, frankly, a 77 year old Donald Trump in the Oval Office scares the shit out of me.

[Paladin]

1. Andrea Mitchell, trashing Democrats while taking it easy on Republicans?

Sounds like a continuation of her 2016 campaign routine. Same for that talent-free weasel, Chuck Todd. MSNBC needs to get rid of both of them, pronto.

[Miles Archer]

3. I have MSNBC on in the background while I work...

...so I wasn't really paying attention until she made those comments.

I do make a point of NEVER tuning in to Todd, background noise or not.

[Brainstormy]

26. Interesting. Particularly since Mitchell herself

is 76. And whatever you think of her she's still pretty sharp. Oh, the irony.

[No Vested Interest]

2. I am older than all those mentioned in the OP. I agree with Andrea Mitchell that a younger

candidate is best for the US and for the Democratic Party.
The two most recent elected Democrats were youngish men when elected.
For that matter, Carter and JFK were also young when elected.

[Miles Archer]

6. My whole point is that Trump is 72 and clearly has issues

The issues MAY be related to his age.

Maybe they're not.

But I can't sit back and listen to Mitchell, or anyone, fret about age as long as Trump is seeking re-election.

I have no issue with a younger candidate, as long as they can take down Trump.

I DO have a MAJOR issue with AGE that does NOT include Trump.

[True Blue American]

9. My issues with Trump

Have nothing to do with his age. I thought he was a blow hard, over rated jerk when he was younger. My feelings have only grown stronger. Now,I think Trump is not only a blow hard jerk, now I think he is a mentally ill one.

[Miles Archer]

12. It's all about context

MY issues with Trump begin with his sneaking backstage to "inspect the merchandise"...viewing underaged girls in various states of undress...at his teen beauty pageant.

All I'm saying is that I don't want to hear one goddamned word about Biden or Sanders' age unless we also mark the date of Trump's birth.

[True Blue American]

16. As I often say,"

“ Trump is not fit to be a dog catcher, let alone be in the WhiteHouse.” He is beyond ignorant.

[targetpractice]

8. Similar thoughts from my friends in their 70s and above...

I've met many dear progressive/liberal friends through my friends, and they express while they like Sanders and Biden... They would prefer a younger candidate. One said, "there eventually come some practical concerns after so many successful trips around the Sun."

I don't know if I share this concern. I'm midway between Buttigieg and Sanders... I really like them both, and I'd vote for either one. Less likely to vote for Biden, though.

[True Blue American]

18. I share the concern. i want,young,progressive.

I fully remember when the torch was passed to the younger generation of JFK. The feeling in this Country was incredible.

That feeling died when he did.

[Renew Deal]

4. Is it ageist to point out that some of the candidates will be beyond life expectancy

In 2021? And a couple are there now.

[loyalsister]

29. I hope not

If we're honest, we have to admit the basic reality is that all living things break down and the longer we're here the more likely it is we will not wake up tomorrow, or we will find ourselves incapacitated without notice. If not, we live out the rest of our lives continuously discovering more and more significant difficulties in daily activities that require adjustments.
They start to add up at varying ages. And we all know that by the time we hit 70 it becomes a daily challenge for every.single.one.of.us.

We tend to agree that it's realistic to have minimum age requirements well beyond adolescence, largely because we are well aware of organic developmental considerations. I don't understand why it is considered ageist to give some thought to organic decline.

[playaseeker]

5. Capture the young voter and build a strategic advantage that will last for decades

Someone like Mayor Pete is sharp, even tempered and fully capable of running the country. Warren and Harris as well. Let's not put a significant portion of the voters to sleep with a geriatric candidate. Sanders and Biden are great men, but it is time for someone from this century. My opinion.

[Miles Archer]

7. Please see my comment above

What you're saying makes perfect sense.

What makes no sense at all is Trump's age and mental state in a bid for re-election.

Any discussion of a Democratic candidate's age and fitness for office that does not include a discussion of Trump's age and current mental fitness is ageist crap.

And I'm not talking about your response...I'm talking about Mitchell's "concern."

I want to see Trump defeated, however it happens.

[True Blue American]

11. Biden is healthy, fit.

His mind is clear as a bell. He can run rings around Trump.

[Miles Archer]

17. That's right, and Trump is afraid of him.

He can tweet all of the "Uncle Joe" crap he's like...Biden would annihilate him on a debate stage.

[CentralMass]

10. Her husband, Alan Greenspan, was chair of the Federal Reserve'until he was 80.

[Skidmore]

14. She's 72.

Never has hinted at retirement.

[artislife]

20. The great thing about being a woman

She has a higher life expectancy. Did you see the video of her running for her train?...damn, she's quick.

And of course, we know her mind is sharp as a tack.

No, she shouldn't be involved in the age question.

I do worry about Bernie's and Joe's age, to be honest.

[CentralMass]

23. +1

[True Blue American]

15. And fought Clinton every step of the way to a balanced budget.

Greenspan later admitted Clinton was right. He even thought paying off the debt too soon was bad.

[Uncle Joe]

19. Bernie Sanders takes on Alan Greenspan

[artislife]

22. This

I just can't quit him.

Fight fight fight

[Nanjeanne]

13. Well it's not Andrea's age that bothers me as much as her inability to string 4 words together

without stuttering.

[yaesu]

21. I just heard that tRump collected switchblades when he was 10

his dad found a pile of them & shipped him off to a military academy. Dr. Justin Frank, MD, the author of the book Trump On The Couch claims tRump should be in a mental care facility where he doesn't make any big decisions.

[Politicub]

24. I need to figure out a response to the ageism issue that doesn't include Trump

It's going to continue being an issue until the general. And then it will be used as a weapon by the Russians to depress turnout.

I don't know what the response is, but it should be something that threads the needle like Buttigieg did with addressing religious conservatives.

[maxsolomon]

25. Isn't your worry about a 77 year old Trump AGEIST?

Dems need to pick someone who makes Asshole look like the Dotard he is.

That won't be someone significantly OLDER than him, or even a 71 year old like Warren (69 now, 70 as of June 22nd, 71 in November 2020).

This is about impressions of vigor among the low-informed, and energizing young people.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

27. Who cares what Andrea Mitchell says?!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Hortensis]

28. HUGE difference between age bigotry and age evaluation.

Bigots will be bigots, those supporting one candidate and rejecting all others will be also. So much for them.

Though of course we should not discriminate against older candidates based on age alone, strikes me that the rest of us would be astonishingly remiss not to consider what age could mean in individual septuagenarian candidates. I know I expect anyone I vote for to plan on 8 years in the oval office, though I'm comfortable with passing off some of the duties in a second term to a strong VP, but never the authority and final decisionmaking.

If Biden becomes, as we expect, a serious contender for the nomination I want to see complete physical examinations and complete transparency about his medical history.

Imo, it's also not at all out of line for us to note what we can about the medical histories of close relatives to find out if there's anything we should know about.

Trump's father died of Alzheimer's at 94 with onset probably somewhere between his late 70s to early 80s, given that dad was no longer bailing Trump out in the 1990s. His mother died at 93.

Biden's father died at 86, mother at 92. I found no indication of dementia on quick search.