Why is there any controversy over this, especially in the wake Democrats’ years-long cover-up of Biden’s galloping dementia and Mitch McConnell’s mysteriously long recovery from “a fall”?
Talk about “protesting too much”…the North State Journal (NSJ) asked former Gov. Roy Cooper’s Senate campaign if he was committed to fulfilling his six-year term if elected in November and if there were any health problems that might impede him. Cooper is 69 years old, so a six year term would take him to 75. NSJ had previously emailed those questions to Cooper’s campaign eight times without answers, and after the ninth time, it received a cease-and-desist letter threatening legal action.
The Elias Law Group sent the letter. The firm is run by Marc Elias, the former campaign lawyer for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential run and a frequent target of Prof. Turley. The inquiring letter stated, “Governor Cooper intends to complete his entire term, and any suggestion that he is ‘experiencing a neurological issue,’ or that any health condition would prevent him from completing his term, is categorically false and defamatory.”
The NSJ asked Cooper’s Republican opponent Michael Whatley who is more than a decade younger than Cooper the same questions and the Whatley campaign said he would complete his term and that he didn’t have any health issues. Why is that so hard? Meanwhile, since when is a reporter or news organization asking a question “defamatory”? Insinuation in the form of a question isn’t usually held to be defamatory, especially from the news media, which is supposed to make people think and has broad protections under the First Amendment. I view this legal intimidation tactic as unethical—Don’t sue me, Marc, it’s just an opinion!—and Cooper siccing lawyers—you know, professionals who have graduated from law school AND who are members in good standing of a state bar after passing the bar exam?—-on an outlet for asking a question he apparently doesn’t want to answer to be signature significance: no trustworthy candidate would do that, ever, even once.
In related and gobsmacking news, Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said yesterday that he has not decided whether he will seek reelection in 2028. He is 93 years old. It is only moral luck that he has stayed healthy and able to serve in his current term, which was irresponsible for him to seek in 2022 when he was 89, and indefensible for voters to allow. In fact, I believe running for national office after 75 is unethical for our laws to allow. At least Grassley will answer questions about his age and health without trying to censor news reporting.
This is so dumb. It’s not just Biden and McConnel, in recent memory there was also Dianne Feinstein and John Fetterman, and Democrats routinely point out that Trump is declining too.
People obviously care about the health of their representatives, and that’s going to continue as the average age of a representative approaches the average human life expectancy range. This isn’t hard to understand or prepare for, and it’s political malpractice for a campaign for someone in their 80’s to not have a canned response to the obviously incoming question, preferably one that doesn’t threaten suit.
If we have minimum age limits for running, there should be maximum age limits as well. It can follow the mandatory retirement age of commercial pilots, but you know how much the government loves its paperwork so if it happens, which it probably won’t because by default that sets term limits, it will be incredibly complicated and with loopholes.
If we don’t have age limits what prevents this? What prevents the “Fallout” of a representative from being kept on life support “campaigning” and “voting” from a basement only being seen in commercials which are AI generated?
Well, Jeremy Bentham is rumored to attend every University College London Council meeting, voting present but not voting, unless a there is a tie vote on a particular motion, in which case he normally votes for the motion to carry. He’s been dead since June 1832. I wonder if McConnell thought about that as a strategy . . .
jvb
Not a rumor! A condition of the college getting his library collection.
Setting a minimum age makes sense as it is almost always true that with life experience a bit of wisdom and common sense develops.
Such a broad generalization cannot be made for health and mental acuity at more advanced ages. Biden and Trump are excellent examples. And at 78 my husband is more healthy and vigorous than all four of my sons. Had he chosen a political life there would be no problem physically or mentally performing the duties of office. Even physical ailments or disabilities might not be disqualifying. Think Stephen Hawking.
I am leery of so-called mental health testing. It is too easily weaponized. A good many of us believe that Trump haters with bona-fide TDS are mentally ill. Likewise the left believes we conservatives must be crazy. It is far too easy to disqualify a candidate because of ideological differences.
However, full disclosure of all mental and physical health conditions ought to be required. At least then voters are on notice of potential problems down the road.