Discussions about President Joe Biden’s age is not a new concern. He has been accused of being too old to hold office for quite some time, but now, as he is running for re-election, it’s becoming a huge talking point.
Biden is currently the oldest person to ever serve as president and the oldest to ever run for re-election. If he is re-elected, he will be 86 years old by the end of his term.
According to a poll conducted by the New York Times/Siena College, more than 70% of voters in battleground states agreed that Biden is simply too old to be effective in his position and more than 60% agreed that Biden doesn’t appear to have the mental sharpness to be an effective president.
At a press conference on Feb. 8 concerning Biden’s mishandling of classified documents, the president was questioned about his age and how it might challenge his next term if he is re-elected. Instead of a reassuring response from Biden, the press conference led many viewers to have more concerns about his age and mental clarity.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you to vote, or not vote, for candidates based on their age. Though, I do think that this situation with Biden raised an important question concerning how old is too old to be elected to occupy the Oval Office.
I understand that it takes time for politicians to build their reputations and careers, but having older politicians holding important positions misrepresents the people of the United States, especially considering the median age in the U.S. is approximately 39 years old.
They’re making decisions that will affect a future they might not be as determined to protect as someone who will have to live with their decisions and see their impact play out for many years to come. All this to say, age does matter, and I think it’s long past time we see a fresh young face running for office.
jhammer@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of The White House, Wikimedia
