Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Is it Bad that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Can’t Run for President?

Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is the rising star of the Democratic Party and the most visible and compelling figure of the American socialist movement. (Hard to believe that it’s now mainstream to put the words “socialism” and “American” in the same sentence). And she’s not yet reached the age of 35. Therefore, according to the Constitution of the United States, she cannot run for President of the United States. Is that a bad thing?

According to Vox, it is. Writing for Vox, Matthew Yglesias says it’s “completely ridiculous” that AOC can’t run for the highest office of the land. See his article at the link below...


The Founders had their reasons for limiting the office of the land to those 35 or older. Not that this matters to many Americans today, particularly those on the left. Yglesias certainly doesn’t care. He dismisses the Founders’ rationale as arbitrary and considers the age requirement as but one part of the “weird lacuna that was handed down to us from the 18th century.” 

There was a time (not that long ago) when America’s Founders were generally respected by both major political parties in the United States and by a majority of Americans whether they identified as conservative or liberal. That time is rapidly passing away. And it’s a shame. 

Saner minds of course prevail at National Review (as compared with Vox). That publication, owing to its conservative leanings, still respects the Founders. And thus Charles C.W. Cooke points out that, before making a change to our Constitution, we should consider bigger issues than the inconvenience such restrictions represent to someone like AOC. You can read Cooke’s brief response to Vox at the link below...


Thankfully, it’s unlikely Vox’s call for constitutional change will result in any short-term change. And that’s a good thing. It’s also, in my mind, a good thing that a socialist airhead like AOC can’t run for President right now, but I digress. 

The biggest concern is that the plain reading of the Constitution and the wisdom of the Founders used to carry more weight than is the case today. As our nation values the Founders less, our nation itself diminishes in value. I hope we recognize that before it’s too late. 

5 comments:

Art Deco said...

She shouldn't be able to run for a supralocal office at all at her age. As for the presidency, limit candidacies to persons between the ages of 60.0 and 72.0, while limiting interim succession to persons over 39.

Proper age screens, as well as rotation-in-office rules, as well as impediments to lawyers and public employees running, are tools to inhibit the emergence and maintenance of a class of lifelong political professionals. N.B. George Bush (RIP) first ran for public office at the age of 39, as did Harry Truman.

Tom Van Dyke said...

a socialist airhead like AOC

Now, now, Brian. :-)

Good to see you, old friend.

jimmiraybob said...

Airhead?

Wikipedia: “Ocasio-Cortez attended Yorktown High School, graduating in 2007, where she won second prize in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair with a microbiology research project on the effect of antioxidants on C. elegans' lifespan. As a result, the International Astronomical Union named a small asteroid after her: 23238 Ocasio-Cortez. In high school, she took part in the National Hispanic Institute's Lorenzo de Zavala (LDZ) Youth Legislative Session. She later became the LDZ Secretary of State while she attended Boston University. Ocasio-Cortez had a John F. Lopez Fellowship. In 2008, while Ocasio-Cortez was a sophomore at Boston University, her father died of lung cancer. During college, she was an intern in the immigration office of U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy. She graduated cum laude from Boston University's College of Arts and Sciences in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in international relations and a minor in economics.”

What part of her “socialism” don’t you like? Please compare and contrast the socialism of the mid-20th century and the “socialism” that AOC espouses. Please compare and contrast Jesus’ and AOCs concern for the poor, the weak, the meek, the sick, the powerless, the aged, and the imprisoned (a considerable portion of the American fabric in need of representation).

Unlike Mr. Deco I am not an anti-Contitutionalist and am just fine with the young AOC putting on a few more years before making the quest for president (and then it’s up to the people).

Tom Van Dyke said...

Sounds like a lot of race-based affirmative action. Hardly genuine merit. As for "airhead," it's usually not healthy for this blog to get into contemporary partisan politics.

https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/jul/18/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-wrong-several-counts-abou/

Brian Tubbs said...

Just to clarify....

It IS possible for someone to be a knowledeable in some aspects of life and completly ignorant in others. I would consider myself an “airhead” when it comes to advanced engineering, aeronautics, or microsurgery for example.

I have no doubt that Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is very smart in some areas of her life and experience. No doubt about that, but she has demonstrated a great deal of ignorance in public policy and economics.

And honestly, I would consider anyone who supports socialism to be ignorant (at best) and dangerous (at worst). Sometimes both.