Old white guys

Just another opinion. Now that Sleepy Joe is out, and regardless of what happens, the Democrats are done with the old white guys for a while unless Joe Manchin wiggles in, which is unlikely. After this election, the GOP will be done with old white guys as well. The leaders who will follow are young and full of ideas for America to change, grow, and prosper. I’m pulling for them. America needs new blood, as the last 40 years have seen our national debt increase, our internal divisions amplified, and faith in our country flagging. According to polls, people in both parties overwhelmingly distrust the government we’ve elected.

America is a rich, vibrant, and diverse nation. I’m not saying we should vote for a Latino or Latina because of their ethnic or racial backgrounds (pick your ethnicity here), but because of their heritage, they offer different views on how to keep America great. JD Vance is a graduate of Appalachia. Marco Rubio has roots in the Latino community. Pete Buttigieg is a member of the LGBTQ community. Gavin Newsom is a Green America candidate. There are probably 10 people in both parties waiting in the wings. There are governors, senators, and even mayors with presidential aspirations. Candidates matter because they help form policy, but in the end, it’s all about the party. 

I don’t vote for the person in presidential races; I vote for policies that make the most sense for America. That’s why I don’t much care about Trump’s follies, miscues, or moral failings. For some of you, it is all about the person. I get it. I do. You wouldn’t have voted for Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Clinton, or Trump if you had known about their miscues. However, despite their failings, I could list their policies that positively impacted America. Even candidate Ross Perot and his “giant sucking sound” left a memorable mark.

Speaking of that, Kamala Harris, if she is the Dem’s nominee and is elected, will actually be older than the average president was at his inauguration. The average age is 55, and she’s 59. The “old white guy” label didn’t apply to Obama (age 47), Clinton (age 46), or Kennedy (age 43). But who was the youngest president ever?

I’m not a fan of the majority of the Dems’ policies (surprise, right?), but they aren’t always wrong. The Republicans aren’t always right. But both parties are so deep into their lobbyists’ pockets that it will take a seismic shift to free America to move in a positive direction. For every idea, there is someone against it. 

Inflation, healthcare, immigration reform, border security, jobs transferred to cheaper foreign markets, tax policy, and debt policy far outweigh crime, education, abortion, and guns, if you believe the polls. We need solutions soon. My regret is leaving my kids and grandkids with a national debt of $40 trillion, which is all on me. And you. 

I hope our leadership steers a better course for America because I want my kids and grandkids (and yours) to have it better than I did, and I had it pretty dang good.

And it was Teddy Roosevelt at 42 years old.

Kelly Burke, attorney, former district attorney, and magistrate judge, writes about the law, rock’n’roll, and politics or anything that strikes him. Contact Kelly at  dakellyburke@gmail.com  to comment on this article or suggest articles you’d like to see, and visit his website at  www.kellyrburke.com.