Before I acknowledge that the title of this post means me, allow me to make one very important statement: No matter who is nominated to run against Trump, I will vote for her or him.
I don’t want to rant or rave, so I will calmly state this once, get it off my chest, and then apply what energies I have left to other endeavors. Neither Joe Biden nor Bernie Sanders should be our Democratic nominee for president. Call me an ageist, but Joe and I are the same age, and Bernie is even older. I recognize that both have more energy and better mental acuity than many our age. They don’t, however, have the high levels they had twenty years ago. They may think they do but they are wrong.
We have watched presidents come and go – most old-ish, a few young. One notable thing they all have in common is how dramatically they aged while in the office of President. Even Kennedy’s angst showed on his face and he was able to serve less than half a term. President Obama aged better than most; so did President GW Bush, but even they grayed at an impressive pace.
It’s a hard job – one of the most demanding on earth. We want someone who, unlike our current White House resident, takes the job seriously. It’s a 24/7 assignment. My experience with aging tells me that I want a younger candidate. Sorry, Joe and Bernie.
Now to the sexist/racist political commentary. It’s time for the centuries-old patriarchy to recede. Old white men (OWM) have brought us to this dysfunctional state of woe. Even when we defied the odds and elected Obama, our OWM refused to allow him to do his job. (Think Mitch McConnell.)
There are more women than men in the country; therefore there should be more women than men holding public office. Indeed, our country is demographically a patchwork of diversity. Our elected officials should reflect that diversity. Alas, we aren’t even close.
We are making progress. If all eligible women would get out and vote, we could move beyond this snail-like pace we are currently treading. The greatest way to accelerate progress would be to elect a woman for President this cycle. What a concept. Maybe that’s the real reason I think Joe and Bernie shouldn’t run. OWM have screwed us. No pun intended. It’s our time. Hear us roar!
Back On My Own 