South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has died at 71. May he rest in peace. His death is likely to produce considerable political ferment. We are now being bombarded by pictures of him, some historic, some recent.
What I notice in the recent pictures of him is how old he looks. He was considerably younger than I.
I can tell you from experience that age may not creep up with stealing steps to claw you in its clutch but may come on suddenly, even unpredictably. The problem is not that older people are necessarily incapable. Many remain remarkably capable. The problem is that the transition from capable to incapable can occur suddenly and unpredictably, while the offices themselves are too important to depend upon individual fortune.
While mourning his death, we should recognize that Sen. Graham’s death highlights the importance of imposing Constitutional maximum age restrictions on elective office. Federal elective offices are too important to leave to the vagaries of aging.
Which old person in the Senate, Congress or SCOTUS would support such a change? There are too many in both parties so I dont see it happening.
Steve