Sunday, August 9, 2015

The Late, Not So Great Democrats

I thought one of the best lines from last week's GOP Presidential Debates was by Marco Rubio.

Well, first, let me say I think God has blessed us. He has blessed the Republican Party with some very good candidates. The Democrats can’t even find one.

We continually hear about Democrats as being progressive, diverse, young and "in-touch" with the voters.

Let's look at their Presidential candidates. I will concede they are "progressive". Bernie Sanders is so progressive that he actually calls himself a Socialist. He was not even elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. He ran as an Independent. I guess even Socialists can't get elected in Vermont when that party label is on the ballot next to their name.

However, how young is the group of announced Democrat contenders for President?

This is the age of each candidate ( including the unannounced Joe Biden) as of Election Day, 2016.

Hillary Clinton         Age 69
Bernie Sanders         Age 75
Martin O'Malley      Age 53
Lincoln Chafee        Age 63
Jim Webb                Age  70
Joe Biden                Age 73

Average Age             67.2

If you exclude O'Malley the average age is 70.


Compare that to the GOP contenders.

Jeb Bush                  Age 63
Marco Rubio           Age 45
Ted Cruz                 Age 45
Scott Walker           Age 48
Bobby Jindal           Age 45
John Kasich            Age 64
Rick Santorum        Age 58
Lindsey Graham     Age 61
Carly Fiorina          Age 62
Donald Trump        Age 70
Ben Carson             Age 64
George Pataki         Age 71
Jim Gilmore            Age 67
Mike Huckabee       Age 61
Rand Paul                Age 53
Rick Perry               Age 66
Chris Christie          Age 54


Average Age              58.6


What about diversity?

The Democrat candidates are comprised of 5 white males and 1 white female.

The Republicans have 2 candidates with Hispanic backgrounds (Cruz and Rubio), an African American (Carson), an Indian American (Jindal) as well as a white female (Fiorina).

How about the diversity of educational, professional and occupational backgrounds?

Four of the six Democrats are lawyers (Clinton, O'Malley, Webb and Biden). It is hard to discern from any biographical information what Bernie Sanders did to make a living before he entered politics. Filmmaker and free lance journalist?

Chafree was a farrier (he shoed horses) before entering politics. Of course, that seems to have merely been a diversion until he could succeed his father as U.S. Senator from Rhode Island.

There are a number of attorneys in the GOP field as well (Cruz, Rubio, Santorum, Christie, Graham, Pataki, Gilmore) but there is a much broader range of experience among the candidates.

Business majors and CEO's --(Trump (Wharton), Fiorina (Maryland)

Doctors--Carson (Neurosurgeon), Paul (Eye Surgeon).

Pastor-Huckabee

Rhodes Scholar- Jindal

College Drop-Out-Walker

Air Force Pilot and Cotton Farmer- Perry

Son of a Mailman- Kasich

Son and Brother of a President of the United States- Bush

Old, White and Out of Touch?

It is not the GOP in 2016.

It is the late, not so great Democrats.


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