It’s easy to dismiss as an ageist gimmick, but GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s call for mental competency tests for elderly politicians really isn’t so unthinkable or unfair.
If state judges in Massachusetts are forced to retire at age 70, and state police at 65, why not force politicians 75 and older to prove they have the mental fitness to run for president or Congress, or control the most powerful position in state government?
What is the big deal giving presidential candidates competency tests? Or members of Congress or judges? It would be the new term limits.
Isn’t it a little scary if your president is not mentally competent? Think Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Haley’s proposal – while drawing criticism from pols like Bernie Sanders and Mike Pence – is a politically smart strategy because it highlights the age and mental competency of both 76-year-old Trump and 80-year-old Biden.
And evidence suggests there is some support for Haley’s proposal.
A bipartisan majority of voters believe presidential candidates should pass a mental competency test, though most don’t back Haley’s specific age of 75 as a threshold, according to a Morning Consult/Politico poll.
Only 11% said presidential candidates should not have to pass such tests.
A majority of voters – both Democrats and Republicans – said a competency test for candidates past 75 is “not asking much” while one third said it would be “disrespectful.”
Disrespectful? When it comes to the safety and security of this country, who cares if it’s disrespectful?
You have to take competency tests for a lot of things – government, security, police require them, why shouldn’t politicians, especially those running for president? They put standards on so many positions but when it comes to the most powerful leaders of the country, there are no rules.
If you file a complaint against a motorist over 75 the RMV can investigate and take their driver’s license away if it determines mental incompetence.
So why not test a president that has nuclear capabilities? And why not test members of Congress who can declare war and control the purse strings of government? Don’t we want to make sure the person facing off against Vladimir Putin is mentally fit to handle it?
The average age of a member of the U.S. Senate is 64. A total of 15 senators – including 76-year-old Ed Markey, 89-year-olds Chuck Grassley and Dianne Feinstein, 81-year-old Bernie Sanders, 80-year-old Mitch McConnell, 78-year-old Angus King of Maine, and 75-year-old Mitt Romney. Sadly, Elizabeth Warren is just 73.
In the House, Haley’s plan would apply to people like 84-year-old Maxine Waters and 82-year-olds Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn.
In Massachusetts, 76-year-old House Speaker Ron Mariano would have to pass a mental competency test.
If they don’t like it, too bad.
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Mental competency tests for high level positions of power up to and including the Supreme Court, and US Senators should be mandatory regardless of age or race. Unscheduled periodic Drug tests should be also made mandatory for he/she who has the nuclear football within a “stoned” throw’s reach. The concepts of American Self-governance certainly can NEVER be fulfilled with empty headed political puppets like pot headed Obama’s, or brain challenged Biden’s and Fetterman’s whose capacity to first govern Self, has to be delegated to master political puppeteer handlers like emotional woke wives, or Soros himself, who rise to power OVER THE PEOPLE never having ever gleaned one legal American vote. Caveat Emptor, let the buyer beware, and be able to first smell and inspect the merchandise to see if it has been properly or overly priced, or sold at auction to the highest bidder,,,fresh ideas, or just used goods
According to a recent fox poll, over 63% of DEMS, 70% of independents, 82% of gen x’ers and the like, ALL AGREE WITH Halie’s comments that we need competency tests..
Because these people need to be on top of their game. Biden carries around the nuclear codes—even in his mental state. Not comforting.
Can you imagine the bumbling around he’d do, if he had to ACTUALLY USE the football?
Test all candidates for public office. Weed out the Bidens, the Fettermans and that lying Republican that NY voters were dumb enough to vote for.
As long as the criteria is the same for everyone and all candidates are required (which is what they are looking for) then I see no problem with it. Mental competency does diminish in some people as they age. It is just a fact. When we are looking at people who have high levels of security clearance, high levels of decision making, and the need to review copious amounts of difficult information it behooves us to be sure that the candidate can handle it.
Quite frankly it would make a load of sense to ask EVERY candidate, regardless of age, to take a mental competency test. It would weed out situations like what PA faces with a Senator who cannot comprehend the spoken word due to a medical situation. At the least it would allow for proper and appropriate accomodation of a disability.
I have to have a eye test to renew my drivers license. I think I they should have to pass a Constitutional test. I don’t think the democrats understand the constitution.
They understand it, THEY JUST HATE IT.
How long will it take, for the citizens to realize that competency is no longer the goal in our society or nation, the democrats have you on to the path of destruction! And it is on purpose, they are getting good money to destroy this nation!
Meanwhile, standards for doctors and airline pilots are declining.
Just like with everything else.