Interesting. I was lamenting the lack of future leadership in our party

[question everything]

with all our presidential candidates around 70. OK. O'Malley is 52. I expressed how envious I am of the Republican presidential candidates in their 40s and 50s.

Now, it appears, at least in the House, that the Republicans have no one who knows how a parliament runs, who can be the speaker while we would have plenty of good candidates to succeed Pelosi, if it comes to that.

[jeff47]

1. We told GenX to fuck off in the 90s, when they were first entering the political fray.

As a result, very few of us went into politics. So there are not many 40-ish Democrats who were elected to high office.

[Hortensis]

2. Yup. Business and the hard right ran off many of the GOP's best

people and replaced them with amateur and manipulable ideologues.

I hadn't thought of the left lacking younger leaders. I'm sure they're out there. What in the past may have been a spike in the big pattern may be turning into a wave, though. We are living longer and healthier in general, and today's state and national politics is no more an occupation for amateurs than medicine or the law.

[Mass]

3. Anybody who knows does not want the job because they understand it is a clusterf*k

This is the problem. I was amazed at the idea that there was no serious candidate to run against McCarthy, who was clearly incompetent for the job. I was not surprised he withdrew, just that it did not come earlier. But clearly, the few people remaining that could get this mess straightened know taking the job is a career-ender.

As for our side, we are losing talents in the House because people in their 50s do not see a chance to climb the ladder and move on. Most of the leadership is in the 70s, and it would be nice if some got out of the way.

[FSogol]

4. A lot of potential candidates did not run this time because HRC and Biden not only had a type of

"1st-dibs" claim in the minds of many people, but also because HRC wrapped up much of the fundraisers early. While I think a Democrat will win, the next Presidential election (assuming we don't have an incumbent) will contain much younger candidates.