For the past eight years, the US was led by an individual who, for all practical purposes--has the knowledge and intellectual maturity of a sixth grader.

And in the 2008 election, we have a completely emptyheaded candidate (McCain) who has never studied a day in his life (has no schooling)*

* - although McCain went to high school and the USNA, his transcripts and records indicate he did virtually nothing there.

Based solely on statements made by McCain (accessible on YouTube), it's brutally obvious that the average straight-A 16-year-old high school student in the US has considerably more knowledge and intellectual maturity than the 76-year-old senior.

With that being the case, why bother w/a Constitutional minimum age requirement for the Presidency?

No doubt such an age requirement made sense in the days when the voting public actually cared if their candidates were educated. Nowadays, however, there are a significant number of American voters--specifically war supporters on the right--who view knowledge and thinking as negative attributes, i. e. signs of arrogance and/or cowardice.

Evidence? Examine the statements made by supporters of the Iraq War back in 2003, after 9/11. . .

On conservative radio talk shows all across America, their message was the same--we support Bush because he will just drop the bombs, and we don't trust those who choose to apply their knowledge of the Middle East and think first, because they (the latter) are sissies.

More evidence? Consider one of the main reason why the bulk of the non-college educated voters in W. Virginia, Ohio, etc. detest Obama--it's because he's well educated, i. e. they view Obama's education as a form of elitism, and that makes these voters believe he's out of touch with them.

(the other reason is that he's both Black and has a Kenyan, rather than an American surname, so in their eyes, that makes him a Muslim terrorist sympathizer).

OTOH, had Obama never graduated high school, and worked at Domino's Pizza his whole life (and had a name like "John", "Steve", or "Tom"), his support among those voters would've been considerably higher (he would've easily outclassed Hillary), because they would've seen him as one of them, i. e.

as more closely in touch w/them (in contrast to Hillary--who in comparison would've been seen as a fastidious outsider)

--
Now, consider it. Suppose there were no age requirement for the Presidency, and the general election were between Barack Obama and a poor 7-year-old White kid named John who said nothing more than "dem Muslims attacked us so let's bomb their asses out of Baghdad!"

Which of these candidates would the majority of these Virginia/Ohio non-college educated voters prefer?

Case closed.

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Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

Only in the mind of youngsters. Maybe that's why there is a minimum age.

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I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

I've read a lot of retarded threads here on USPOL.

The first two sentences of this one confirm that this would be just another...

The minimum age for POTUS is mainly to give the producers of "Wild in the Streets"* a plot.



*This was a film in the late 60's. The presidential candidate's slogan was "Fourteen or Fight".

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

Reread what I wrote. So what you're saying is that the voters would have preferred Obama to the 7-year-old, correct?

I can tell you that there's at least one such poster here who, given the situation I described above, would definitely not prefer Obama. . .

__________________
Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

The minimum age is necessary to allow the candidates to mature. I understand that before he turned 35 and found God, even George Bush was pretty much an irresponsible drunk.

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Nate Peele
www.Thatsrightnate.com
"Finally a journalist is not scared to question the truth"--TJ Baker Holm

Most 7-year-olds have never had an alcoholic drink in their lives!

__________________
Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

This could have been an interesting discussion thread ... then you go and begin it with the above line.

McCain not only completed high school, but studies at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis. BTW, George Washington only went to school 'till the age of 15, then undertook no more formal education. Formal education is not, and should not, be the sole measure of a person's capacity to successfully serve as President. If that were the case the voters would elect an economist to run the economy; a diplomat to run the State Department, etc. The President needs to have some ability in many areas; but also have the ability know when they don't have the knowledge on something, and thus appoint some advisers who do.

And that's because Obama's a pussy...

Please provide those transcripts and records.

I mean, you know, since you know what they say, you must have access to them. So, please, enlighten us.

Thanks so much...

Dumbocrats will probably jump all over the fact that he was 5th from the bottom in his class, but remember his dad was a very high ranking admiral at the time so I have a feeling his instructors were extra tough on him.

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Nate Peele
www.Thatsrightnate.com
"Finally a journalist is not scared to question the truth"--TJ Baker Holm

YouTube - Bush and the Pig!

Moving on. . .

I said that in my post, and also pointed out he didn't do anything while he was there.

FYI, McCain was only admitted into the Academy because of his father's influence. His transcripts in high school were such that any other student (without such influence) with the same transcripts wouldn't have been admitted.

And while McCain was at the academy, he did little more than get drunk and have sex.

Fair enough. That's better than no education or an elementary-school level of understanding the world.

Also consider that educational standards, even in high school, were much stronger in that era.

And Bush had none of that, i. e. his advisers--Michael Brown (FEMA), Donald Rumsfeld (SECDEF)? ?

What you're referring to--intellectual maturity (i. e. the ability to admit one's lack of knowledge in specific areas and appropriately compensate for it)--is something that, IMHO, can only arise from a rigorous educational background, because only when a person develops a genuine awareness of the vast complexity of the world around him/her

does he/she realize the possibility that he/she may be ignorant in certain key areas that are relevant to his/her work.

It's unlikely that Bush would've chosen poor advisers (i. e. those who merely reaffirmed his own limited perspective of the world) had he been more thoroughly educated.

__________________
Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

Ahem, you got that backwards.

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Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

Read McCain's bio. It's all there.

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Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

Steve, you gotta remember these posts of yours (along with what you replied to) stay here, on Google's cache, and on the Internet archives

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Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S