GOP presidential candidate (Ramaswamy) tells young Iowans US should raise voting age from 18 to 25

[Maj. Bill Martin]

GOP presidential candidate tells young Iowans US should raise voting age from 18 to 25

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy told Iowans Thursday night he supports raising the minimum U.S. voting age from 18 to 25.

Under Ramaswamy's desired amendment to the U.S. Constitution, those ages 18-25 would be allowed to vote only if they participate in a six-month "national service requirement" — in the military or as a first responder — or complete a civics test identical to the one required to become a naturalized citizen.

The policy, Ramaswamy told a crowd at the Royal Flooring furniture store in Urbandale, is "ambitious," and some "will not agree with it." But he described it as a critical stepping stone for restoring "civic pride" and "American identity" among young people.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2023/05/12/vivek-ramaswamy-wants-to-raise-the-voting-age-to-25-he-tells-iowans/70210066007/

Is this guy trying to help Democrats win in 2024???  I'm not sure even Fetterman could come up with a dumber idea than this one.   A completely knuckleheaded idea to have linked to Republicans in any way.  He's pretty much outed himself as an egghead who thinks he is much, much smarter than he actually is.  The highlights:

1. Voting age is raised to 25 unless you serve at least six months in the military or as a first responder.  That alone marks this as sheer idiocy.  Six freaking months??  What the hell good would that do for either the military or first responders?  Six months of some surly Gen Z'ers (and whomever comes next) who are there just marking time until they can get out.   Complete waste of time, money, and manpower just to try to train the twits.

2.  You could also vote if you passed a "civics test".  Which means that someone is going to come up with the questions that have to be answered a certain way to get voting rights.  Gee, you don't think Democratic Administrations would abuse the hell out of that?

3.  Oh, and you'd need a Constitutional Amendment to enact it, and the chances of getting 38 states to sign on to his are non-existent.  Which means whomever else jumps on this idea will have alienated everyone 18-25 for something that will never, ever happen.

Moron.

[Kamaji]

Not gonna work.  If you can be drafted at age 18, given a rifle, and sent off to a foreign land to kill people, you should have a say in electing the people who will wield the power to do that to you.  It's bad enough that one cannot have a drink with one's mates after a hard day of killing if one is drafted at age 18, but not having the right to vote, either, is too far.

[libertybele]

Not gonna work.  If you can be drafted at age 18, given a rifle, and sent off to a foreign land to kill people, you should have a say in electing the people who will wield the power to do that to you.  It's bad enough that one cannot have a drink with one's mates after a hard day of killing if one is drafted at age 18, but not having the right to vote, either, is too far.

The age for all that you mentioned should be raised to 21.  18 is too darn young.

[Kamaji]

The age for all that you mentioned should be raised to 21.  18 is too darn young.

Maybe so, maybe so.  Personally, I think that the drinking age should be lowered so that teens can drink in public when in the company of a parent or legal guardian.  No sales to unaccompanied minors, and the purchasing age could be either 18 or 21, but the age to be able to have a drink with family in public should be lowered.