Dinocrats
By Bruce Walker
web posted October 15, 2012
The first presidential debate, some on the Left doubtless felt, would show a hip, young black man face off against a staid, old white man. In fact, clean-living and naturally handsome Mitt Romney seemed about the same age as gray-haired and fumbling Barack Obama. Paul Ryan, at 42, is five years younger than Barack Obama and more than 27 years younger than Joe Biden.
The Republican Party is invested in the hands of such young Americans. When Romney picked a running mate, he could have picked a credible candidate even young than boyish Ryan. Among Republican governors, here are rising stars and their ages: Nikki Haley (40), Bobby Jindal (41), Scott Walker (44), Chris Christie (50), and Susana Martinez (53) – all younger than the nearest thing Democrats have to a young rising star among its governors, Andrew Cuomo (54.)
Republicans can look to the Senate as well, and see Marco Rubio (42), Kelly Ayotte (44), Rand Paul (49), Pat Toomey (50) and John Thune (51) – all seem destined for higher position in our nation's government and all younger than Obama is now. Look also at the list of speakers at the Republican Convention which NPR listed in its speakers guide.
Conservatives should not politicians by their age – Reagan, after all, is our hero – but Democrats luxuriate in the image of youthfulness, when, if anything, they are the party of the old and entrenched politicians who are unlikely to change anything or to grasp new ideas.
Consider the leadership of Congress and the two political parties. In the Senate, there are four leadership positions for the two parties – floor leader, floor whip (or assistant leader), conference chair and policy chair. Here are the Democrats and their ages for each of those offices in order listed: Reid (72), Durbin (67), Reid (72), and Schumer (61) and here are the Republicans and their ages for each office in order listed: McConnell (70), Kyl (70), Thune (51) and Barrasso (60.)
The average age of a Senate Democrat in leadership is 68 years, while the average age of a Senate Republican in leadership is 62.75 years. (This excludes Vice President Biden (69), the presiding officer of the Senate, and the President Pro Tempore Inouye (88), Democrats who are both older than that average age of 68.
More revealing, though, is the length of time each of these leaders has served in the Senate. Here are those years in the Senate for Democrat Senate leaders: Reid (25), Durbin (15), Reid (25) and Schumer (13) compared to Republican Senate leaders: McConnell (27), Kyl (17), Thune (9) and Barrasso (4) – 19.5 years, on average, for Democrats and 14.25 years.
Most revealing is how long each of these leaders has been in Congress. Senate members often serve first in the House. When the years in Congress of Senate Democrat leaders is tallied and compared with Senate Republican leaders, the difference is stark: Reid (39), Durbin (30), Reid (39), and Schumer (31) or an average of 34.75 years. Democrat leaders in the Senate have spent half their lives in Congress, compared to Republican Senate leaders, who have these total years in Congress of each: McConnell (27), Kyl (25), Thune (15) and Barrasso (4) or an average of 14 years in Congress.
In the House of Representatives, because no one in the Senate runs for a House seat, the years in Congress and the years in the House are the same for the four leadership positions of both parties which are: floor leader, floor whip, conference committee or assistant leader, and policy committee or caucus chair. The Speaker, like the Vice President and President Pro Tempore in the Senate, are not included.
Here are the names and ages of the Democrat House leadership in order: Pelosi (72), Hoyer (73), Clyburn (72) and Larson (74) – or an average age of 72.75 years. Here are the names and ages of the Republican House leadership in order: Cantor (49), McCarthy (47), Hensarling (55) and Price (58) – or an average age of 52.25 years. As one might expect, Democrat House leaders have also been in Congress longer than Republican House leaders. Here are the House Democrat leaders' years in Congress: Pelosi (25), Hoyer (31), Clyburn (19) and Larson (13) or an average of 22 years in Congress. Here are the House Republican leaders' years in Congress: Cantor (11), McCarthy (5), Hensarling (9) and Price (7) or an average of 8 years.
The Democrats are truly the dinosaurs of American politics, particularly at the national level. They are, more accurately, Dinocrats. What may we expect of that political party if Americans again entrust it with power? Nothing new. 
Bruce Walker is the author of book Poor Lenin's Almanac: Perverse Leftists Proverbs for Modern Life and a contributing editor to Enter Stage Right.