Mental competency tests

[Jazzy]

At a rally on Wednesday to kick off her presidential campaign, former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, a Republican, called for mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old.

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What are your thoughts about mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old?

 

[Lamb]

I'm all for those tests! As people age, their bodies change and that includes the brain.

 

[Albion]

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What are your thoughts about mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old?

That claim made by Nikki Haley probably killed what little chance she had of winning the nomination. Consider the downside...

Older voters are increasing as a percent of the population, and they vote in greater numbers than other age groups.

Why should 75+ be the standard rather than have all candidates be required to test? Many 75 year olds have served with distinction while, for example, Pennsylvania just elected a Senator (not yet 75) who is suffering from the effects of a stroke!

And if anyone thinks that universal absentee ballots and drop boxes etc, which have recently been introduced into our voting processes are controversial, subject to tampering, or the like, consider what requiring a medical test in order to run for office would do.

Who gets to choose the doctor? How many doctors should independently concur? What if there are conflicting opinions? How often should the test be given? What if there is a medical question, but the condition is temporary? Are the doctors free from political bias? And who's to say that THIS PART of the many obligations that candidates already need to fulfill (petition-gathering, reporting the financial backing, residency requirements, for example), all of which have been "fudged" by some people before, will not be repeated with this requirement?

 

[tango]

In principle it makes sense but why an age of 75? Most people expect to retire long before then and yet someone a full decade and more after the normal retirement age leading the entire nation doesn't raise any questions at all?

As Albion said the newly elected PA Senator, John Fetterman, was suffering the effects of a stroke that made it hard for him to speak coherently. Recent news articles indicate he checked into a hospital for treatment for clinical depression. It's entirely reasonable, political preferences aside, to ask questions about whether someone recovering from something that could easily have killed him is in a fit state to form part of the national government.

I agree in principle with the idea of competency tests but Albion raises many good points about impartiality etc. The way so much of what passes for media in the US does little more than wave people past - nothing to see here, move along - doesn't inspire a lot of confidence that anything would be accurately reported even if tests were meaningfully done.

 

[Lanman87]

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What are your thoughts about mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old?

This was a political maneuver. If Nikki Haley were to somehow win the Presidency there is a .0001 chance she would ever push for mental competency test for politicians. She was trying cause a splash and get people talking about her and how old Trump and Biden are. It is all part of the blood sport we know as American Politics.

As a side note, most of the elderly people I know think Biden is to old to be president. I've had several people tell me that they are younger than Biden and know they don't have the energy or mental capacity to keep the kind of schedule or make the kind of decisions a president has to make on a daily basis.

 

[Albion]

This was a political maneuver. If Nikki Haley were to somehow win the Presidency there is a .0001 chance she would ever push for mental competency test for politicians. She was trying cause a splash and get people talking about her and how old Trump and Biden are. It is all part of the blood sport we know as American Politics.

That seems safe to say. She knows to make her first campaign speech be memorable in some way or other.

I just have the hunch that there are plenty of seniors who will take that particular proposal of hers badly, though, and will consider it to be prejudiced since it does not apply to the mental abilities of EVERY candidate.

As a side note, most of the elderly people I know think Biden is to old to be president.

As we recall, Biden was off the campaign trail most of the time during his 2020 election run, that he only is in the White House a few hours daily and not every day of the week at that. And he ignores all sorts of presidential activities that other presidents considered almost obligatory. So....maybe your older friends are 'selling themselves short' on this matter, after all!!

 

[Josiah]

That claim made by Nikki Haley probably killed what little chance she had of winning the nomination. Consider the downside...

Older voters are increasing as a percent of the population, and they vote in greater numbers than other age groups.

Why should 75+ be the standard rather than have all candidates be required to test? Many 75 year olds have served with distinction while, for example, Pennsylvania just elected a Senator (not yet 75) who is suffering from the effects of a stroke!

And if anyone thinks that universal absentee ballots and drop boxes etc, which have recently been introduced into our voting processes are controversial, subject to tampering, or the like, consider what requiring a medical test in order to run for office would do.

Who gets to choose the doctor? How many doctors should independently concur? What if there are conflicting opinions? How often should the test be given? What if there is a medical question, but the condition is temporary? Are the doctors free from political bias? And who's to say that THIS PART of the many obligations that candidates already need to fulfill (petition-gathering, reporting the financial backing, residency requirements, for example), all of which have been "fudged" by some people before, will not be repeated with this requirement?

I agree.


I think Nikki Haley has very little chance to get the nomination and is showing desperation. She seems to think her AGE is her qualification, as if younger makes one more correct, more wise, more capable. But I think this just made it worse; a VERY bad move on her part. I think she likely turned off a lot of potential supporters.



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