‘The Democratic establishment is completely disconnected from where Democratic voters are,’ one strategist told Eric Garcia, after the rebuke to the seemingly out-of-touch 75-year-old Senate minority leader
Democrats are pressing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 75, to stay out of future primaries after his 78-year-old pick for Maine’s Senate race dropped out this week, Politico reported.
On Thursday, Gov. Janet Mills announced that she would drop out of the Democratic primary, essentially clearing the field for insurgent progressive candidate Graham Platner to become the party’s nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Schumer had backed Mills, the two-term governor of Maine, for the marquee race involving the only Republican representing a state with a majority that voted for Kamala Harris.
But Mills consistently polled behind Platner despite a litany of controversies around the oysterman regarding his use of a slur for people with disabilities, and his comments on Reddit from more than a decade ago about Black people not tipping at restaurants and about sexual assault.
Politicians should be forced to retire.
I’m fully in favor of term limits. Not a small term limit. Something like 12 terms. At 2 years each, that’s 24 years. Long enough for a respectable career, and they can take a good retirement afterwards. If you enter politics in your 30’s and manage to stay in office that long, you’re retired by your 50’s and can move on to other ventures. It’s enough to ensure congress isn’t constantly full of newbies who don’t know what they’re doing. And it prevents the old voters from screeching about age discrimination, because there is no age cap; old people want old representatives? Those reps simply shouldn’t start running for office until they’re in their 50’s or 60’s.
Every politician should have an exit vote when they leave office, where their constituents vote whether the politician goes to prison, is executed, or goes free.
I’m sure they would start trying to make their voters lives better.
That actually sounds awesome.
Agreed, I really like such an idea. I think another option of giving them a tip or bonus if they were exceptional would also be nice. A carrot to go with the sticks, so to speak.
Only if their constituents vote on an all-or-nothing bonus. Not individuals tipping politicians because that would easily be abused by the wealthy and is basically a bribe.
Yes, agreed. I was thinking more like a stipend that’s been put aside during their years of service. Did a good job? You get the money that was put aside. If not, well it just rolls back into the government’s budget for the next worthy politician.
Maybe we could just make their pension contingent on the same exit vote where their constituents decide whether or not they go to jail.
Term limits and age limits.
Automatic consequences, too. For example, a president who initiates war (without even declaring it!), has to get congressional approval within 10 days. Failure to secure approval is automatic removal from office, and imprisonment. If thirty days pass without congress forgiving the transgression, execution is carried out, and the general public is permitted to do the deed without punishment.
That sort of thing would make office holders much more reluctant to abuse their stations.
Strongly concur!