Mitch McConnell freezes for the second time publicly:

[Heyo]

Hopefully it is just part of his recovery. And I am far from an expert here but such an event would seem to require more than a mere consultation. I do wish the best for McConnell in regards to this. It could be signs of a serious problem. At any rate, better safe than sorry. For him they could easily afford to do a series of diagnostic tests.

He's only 80. Turtles usually live much longer than that.

 

[Subduction Zone]

He's only 80. Turtles usually live much longer than that.

Ironically the one animal that McConnell resembles the most is a turtle.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

She fell at home and was hospitalized just a few weeks ago.

Does this reflect on her actual ability to do the job?

 

[Subduction Zone]

Does this reflect on her actual ability to do the job?

There appears to be less evidence of her not being all there than there is for McConnell. She had one moment of documented confusion in the Senate:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/09/politics/dianne-feinstein-hospitalized-after-fall/index.html

She was absent for a while due to other health issues, but there is nothing much that indicates senility or other brain problems yet.

I would still be a bit happier if there was some sort of test as we aged. I do not think that driver's licenses should automatically be renewed. Thankfully my mother knew when it was time to quit. Some people get stubborn and put others at risk.

Also as far as Mitch goes, even if what he had was a transient ischemic attack one's abilities are not limited very much at all by those. But they are often a warning of things to come.

 

[We Never Know]

Does this reflect on her actual ability to do the job?

You tell me.

 

[PureX]

I have no mercy or sympathy for old Mitch.

Humanity will be better off without him.

 

[fantome profane]

I have no mercy or sympathy for old Mitch.

Humanity will be better off without him.

I am even more scared about what they are going to replace him with. McConnell spent his career trying to cheat and scheme to get more power. He manipulated the system. But the current Republican party are more likely to just destroy the system altogether.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

You tell me.

Wby don't you compare how you presented that and compare yous to @Subduction Zone. Yours is lazy, sloppy amd utterly uninformative. You have zero evidence to show she can't do her job and apparently lack this so much you yourself can't explain how or why her age automatically means she can't do it.
Guess what? Even young people break bones and sometimes get confused.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I would still be a bit happier if there was some sort of test as we aged. I do not think that driver's licenses should automatically be renewed. Thankfully my mother knew when it was time to quit. Some people get stubborn and put others at risk.

Yup. Driver's license should be periodically require a driving test. Accidents and stuff happen and there is just no reason to assume being young means you can while being old means you can't.
Actually testing for ability I do believe is the only fair way to do, along with term limits for all elected positions.

 

[We Never Know]

Wby don't you compare how you presented that and compare yous to @Subduction Zone. Yours is lazy, sloppy amd utterly uninformative. You have zero evidence to show she can't do her job and apparently lack this so much you yourself can't explain how or why her age automatically means she can't do it.
Guess what? Even young people break bones and sometimes get confused.

Lmao. At a vote she is so confused when its her time to vote, she starts reading a paper and has to be told its a vote and told to vote aye by an aid but still confused she is told again by another senator to vote aye so she would know to vote aye.

 

[Left Coast]

Wby don't you compare how you presented that and compare yous to @Subduction Zone. Yours is lazy, sloppy amd utterly uninformative. You have zero evidence to show she can't do her job and apparently lack this so much you yourself can't explain how or why her age automatically means she can't do it.
Guess what? Even young people break bones and sometimes get confused.

I happen to know multiple people who work with and around her. She is deeply senile. Her staff run the show. This is well-known in DC, including by Dems. It's not a partisan analysis.

Now, does that mean every 90 year old is like her? No, of course not. Some 90 year olds are very mentally sharp. But it's well known medically that, in general, we cognitively decline with age. I don't want an arbitrary age cap for public office, but at a certain age we should probably require mental competency tests. I don't know what the magic number should be.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Lmao. At a vote she is so confused when its her time to vote, she starts reading a paper and has to be told its a vote and told to vote aye by an aid but still confused she is told again by another senator to vote aye so she would know to vote aye.

That's just an agist ranting without substance. @Left Coast is now also doing your work for you.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I happen to know multiple people who work with and around her. She is deeply senile. Her staff run the show. This is well-known in DC, including by Dems. It's not a partisan analysis.

Now, does that mean every 90 year old is like her? No, of course not. Some 90 year olds are very mentally sharp. But it's well known medically that, in general, we cognitively decline with age. I don't want an arbitrary age cap for public office, but at a certain age we should probably require mental competency tests. I don't know what the magic number should be.

It is a partisan analysis when someone will not furnish evidence or explain a held position amd instead just posts a rant and a video with no explaination.

 

[Left Coast]

It is a partisan analysis when someone will not furnish evidence or explain a held position amd instead just posts a rant and a video with no explaination.

Far be it from me to stand in the way of your squabble. Proceed.

 

[We Never Know]

That's just an agist ranting without substance. @Left Coast is now also doing your work for you.

Not my fault of you deny facts with video evidence. But you do live her state.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Age isn't inherently indicative of ability.

I don't thing age is the issue in this case, McConnell had a concussion for which freezing is not unheard of.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I happen to know multiple people who work with and around her. She is deeply senile. Her staff run the show. This is well-known in DC, including by Dems. It's not a partisan analysis.

Now, does that mean every 90 year old is like her? No, of course not. Some 90 year olds are very mentally sharp. But it's well known medically that, in general, we cognitively decline with age. I don't want an arbitrary age cap for public office, but at a certain age we should probably require mental competency tests. I don't know what the magic number should be.

Honestly I'd be okay with an arbitrary age cap. We already have arbitrary age limits on how young you can be to hold office, not based on competency testing and very rarely just legal adult age. Most office positions have a minimum of around 30. So why not also have a maximum?

It would also make new appointments cleaner, bc it wouldn't be sudden unforseen illness or death, but a number offices can prepare for.

 

[Left Coast]

Honestly I'd be okay with an arbitrary age cap. We already have arbitrary age limits on how young you can be to hold office, not based on competency testing and very rarely just legal adult age. Most office positions have a minimum of around 30. So why not also have a maximum?

It would also make new appointments cleaner, bc it wouldn't be sudden unforseen illness or death, but a number offices can prepare for.

I don't want any 5 year olds holding elected office, for obvious reasons of their mental capacity. With upper age limits that logic gets harder to apply, because there is no upper age at which everyone is clearly incapable of holding public office.

I do agree that the lower limits of 30 and 35 seem rather arbitrary.

Most politicians don't die in office, so I'm not sure how pressing that concern is. Interesting food for thought, though.

 

[Yazata]

I'm not a physician. But it looked to me like Mitch McConnell suffered what is now called an "absence seizure". These involve a person blacking out for maybe 5 to 10 seconds, without losing muscle tone or suffering convulsions.These appear to have a variety of causes. They are most often seen in children, for no known reason, probably related to whatever causes epilepsy.

Adult onset absence seizures are often the result of traumatic brain injuries. And McConnell suffered a serious fall recently that led to his being hospitalized. That fall might have resulted in him hitting his head and suffering a concussion.

They aren't life threatening, though people suffering from them are advised not to drive a car. They typically become less frequent over time. They don't impact cognitive abilities except while they are happening. So it's easy to see why McConnell was cleared to resume his Senate duties.

 

[We Never Know]

Honestly I'd be okay with an arbitrary age cap. We already have arbitrary age limits on how young you can be to hold office, not based on competency testing and very rarely just legal adult age. Most office positions have a minimum of around 30. So why not also have a maximum?

It would also make new appointments cleaner, bc it wouldn't be sudden unforseen illness or death, but a number offices can prepare for.

Yep. I brought up the same in post #39

Someone today said "that's why we need term limits"

My reply was term limits would not stop someone in their 80's from running and winning.

He then said then we need age limits.

Thoughts?

Edit.. To be fair their are minimal age limits so why not maximal age limits