We Don’t Just Need New Leaders in Washington. We Need a New Generation of Leaders.

Back in November, I wrote a post I titled “Other Countries Can Get Competent Leaders. Why Can’t We?”  I wrote after listening to an interview with Sir John Key, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, on “Walking the path to the next global financial crisis.”  His comments were on point and he explained things so well, I was depressed looking at our president and his predecessor.

Then on Wednesday, I watched an interview with Kaja Kallas, the Prime Minister of Estonia:

Once again, a bright, articulate prime minister.  But she was also something else: She is 44 years old.  Our president is 79.  His predecessor, and potential future opponent, is 75.  The top three Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives are all in their 80s.  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will be 80 on February 20.  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is the youngster at 71.¹ 

Maybe our problem is that the same old people just stay and stay and stay, and younger people don’t get a chance.  Where are our 44-year olds?  In the 1960 presidential election, the candidates were 47 years old.  Can anybody see that happening today?  (Actually, Barack Obama was 47 in 2008, but maybe that proves my point.)

When I see what is happening, and not happening, in government today, it seems like it is time for new people, a new generation of people, to take over in Washington.  They're unlikely to be worse than the ones we have today.
--------
¹ House minority leader Kevin McCarthy is 57, but even he is older than his predecessor, Paul Ryan, who is still only 52.
NOTE: My last post before the 2016 election was entitled “On Election Day, I’ll Be Voting for Estonia.”  You can find it here.  Prime Minister Kallas makes me glad I picked that title for the post.