We don't force them to retire at 67, though. There are a lot of morons in the world. I'd put Bernie at 10% decline against most people 40 years younger.

That said, I doubt he wants the job and I doubt the caucus as a whole would support an independent.

going on stage with Steve Fucking Bannon

I take issue with the way one framed this. It feels disingenuous.

He did not go on stage "with" Steve Bannon; he had a speech on the same stage that Bannon gave a speech on at the same event, detailing mutual if not tangential concerns about AI and its effect son humanity. That seems completely different than seemingly trying to imply they're buddies or something.

Seems that while Bernie may be overextending the capacity for AI to be fluidly intelligent, I actually think he and his advisors are threading the needle very effectively in saying that, "Hey look, we know AI in some shape or form is likely here to stay. If it is, then it should be regulated, perhaps nationalized, and in the hands of public interests to be used for good -- like combating disinformation or pursing advancements in healthcare, etc."

Overall, across all issues, I think he and his team are pretty much on-point, and splitting hairs on AI is maybe a rare exception, not the norm -- and certainly not an indication of declining cognitive capacity or age. But again, since our options are limited to 100 US Senators and non-freshman generally, I'm very curious who one believes the better pick would be.