Arlen Specter’s running for reelection??

Posted on by

Really??? He’s almost 80 years old! Yeah, I know, U.S. senator is a pretty cushy job, not much heavy lifting involved, but still . . .

P.S. If I’m still blogging when I’m 80, please don’t throw this one back at me.

9 thoughts on “Arlen Specter’s running for reelection??”

  1. I remember back when we used to make fun of places like the Soviet Union and Japan for having geriatric leadership.

    On the other hand, that is better than having a bunch of leaders in their thirties and early forties who are there pretty much because they are the children of the previous leadership. And that is also more common in the world than it should be.

  2. Oh, that's nothing. Specter is a young whippersnapper compared to Robert Byrd who is over 90. He ran for reelection in 2006 when he was 89. Byrd has been in the Senate since before Barack Obama was born.

    Strom Thurmond won reelection in 1996 when he was 94. He served until he was 100.

  3. What do current actuary tables have to say about this? Given advances in med tech, presumably all else being equal, Andrew's life expectancy is greater than Arlen's.

  4. I firmly believe that it is better to get out of the way and let younger people take over sooner rather than later. Our astronomy department was "tenured in," a problem that I as chair discussed urgently with the observatory director. We were thus unable to hire new assistant professors working in new fields. We were ossifying. I put my example where my mouth was and went on phased retirement when I was 62, younger than I thought I would when I was 30, and it has been a good decision. I still teach from time to time (but at a different university because we moved out of state a few years ago) and maintain a modest research program. So I am quite happy.

    When I look at the Ted Kennedy situation, I can only think that things would have been considerably different had he bowed out instead of running for his last term.

    The problem is that old farts sometimes think they are indispensable. They aren't. Sometimes they are an impediment to getting done the things that need to be done.

  5. Specter is not only close to 80, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2005. He went into remission, but the disease returned in 2008 in a less aggressive form in 2008. It really makes no sense for him to run at his advanced age with his medical condition. Moreover, this is not a good year for a Democrat, especially a turncoat Democrat, to run. Will he try to go back to being a Republican? Churchill switched parties and then back. He said,"anyone can rat, but not everyone can re-rat." This guy needs to bow out.

  6. I understand the health care coverage for Senators is pretty good.

    Actually I think we should be encouraging this. Let the Senate become a retirement home for politicians. This is what the Canadians have done with their Senate, which is appointed no less, and the key is removing nearly all of its powers. Canadians grumble about paying for sinecure positions for hacks, but they don't realize that keeping the semi-retired hacks in the Senate keeps them away from government positions where they can do real damage.

  8. If Gelman is still blogging at 80, given the pay and benefits for bloggers, we will wonder, since the pay and benefits for U.S. senators is a matter of public record. All he's likely getting from blogging is our continued deep appreciation and amusement.

Comments are closed.