No Democrat over 60 years old has won an open Presidential election since the Civil War

[geek tragedy]

Woodrow Wilson, in 1912, won at the age of 56. Every one of our winners since then was younger.

FDR--50
JFK--44
Carter--52
Bill Clinton--46
Obama--47

Two Democratic Presidents ran for the first time as incumbents after becoming President via succession--Truman was 64 and LBJ was 56.

[Cattledog]

1. Does that mean...

Bernie was doomed?

[geek tragedy]

3. it means that presidential elections without an incumbent are change elections, and

presidential candidates have a relatively short shelf life.

[yallerdawg]

2. A strong argument for...

Martin O'Malley.

Remember him? The most pissed-off Democrat in America?

[geek tragedy]

4. I think he'd make a great cabinet secretary, but he absolutely fizzled in the primaries

not sure he has next-level political chops

[yallerdawg]

8. He's the right age.

Isn't that the criteria?

He unexpectedly went up against both a Democrat and a lifelong independent who each had their own constituencies.

He got lost in the middle, no oxygen left!

[geek tragedy]

10. at the same time, it wasn't a crowded field, he should have been able to do better than 1%.

I think he'd make a fine President--better than Clinton or Sanders would have been. But, I just don't see the star quality that someone like Cory Booker has.

[rickford66]

5. Meaningless

Why not check their astrological signs?

[geek tragedy]

7. Democrats run on the future, Republicans roll on turning back the clock

If you want to excite the base and get people thinking about change, you need someone who would be change.

[rickford66]

9. So the after we hit 35, that's the end of the party?

[geek tragedy]

11. Once they arrive on the national scene, they only have so long that they can say

they're a plausible change agent before they become part of the system.

[rickford66]

13. You can't keep electing younger presidents.

There won't be a 34 year old one under the present Constitution.

[geek tragedy]

15. No, point is that there's a definite sweet spot between 40-55 for politicians--

old/experienced enough to be ready for the job, but recent enough to have that new car smell.

[NCTraveler]

6. Interesting point.

Though it seems to me we have more people in the over 60 crowd with more energy these days. Just one more sign we should have some form of universal health care. Those who have access to the best seem to do really well into a much older age.

[jg10003]

12. you can always find something if you

Look hard enough. Coincidences happen, remember the Lincoln - Kennedy thing.

[geek tragedy]

14. I don't think this is an accident or quirk.

We're the party of the future. If you stay in Washington too long you become by definition part of the past and part of the system.