This week, President Joe Biden, 80, announced he is seeking a second term in office. If he is nominated, Biden will be 82 on Election Day, and if reelected, 83 when sworn in on January 20, 2025.
Despite thinking Biden has been doing a respectable job in his current term, many Americans, including Democrats, are weary of him seeking reelection, being of the opinion he is too old.
An NBC poll published last Sunday indicated 70 percent of those polled don’t want Biden to seek reelection, and 48 percent of those who do not want him to seek reelection, indicate his advanced age as the major reason.
In South Florida, a considerable number of Democrats who voted for Biden in 2020 have also indicated they are not supportive of him seeking reelection because “he’s just too old to run again.”
But how old is old?
In the private and public sectors, the formal retirement age is set at age 65. Some employers allow retirees to keep working, either because their services are very important to the operations of the company, or because the retiree is reluctant to leave the company and go home to sit idle.
Many senior citizens actually start new, exciting careers after age 65. They take care of their aging bodies with regular exercise and eating healthy diets. Some seniors even express that their mental health is much better as they age, compared to their youth.
Still, on the other hand, it is a fact that a substantial percentage of seniors in their 70s and early 80s succumb to various physical and mental illnesses. Nursing homes around South Florida are not filled with people under 65, but rather seniors approaching or older than age 80.
But Joe Biden, at age 80, has no publicly reported health issues. He appears fit and agile, and except for the occasional gaff in his public speeches, he appears fit mentally. So, then why should so many people be weary of him running for a second term as president?
Americans seem to have an (old) age discrimination problem. In many families, younger members are concerned about the mental and physical fitness of parents and grandparents as they advance in age. Young people tend to question the advice given by senior family members, thinking it is outdated. Some young folks are even weary of their parents or grandparents operating a motor vehicle if they are over 80.
But seniors are quick to point out they are much wiser in their old age, compared to their youth, and the experience of many years of living is invaluable. “Do you read and understand your Bible?” an 82-year-old senior citizen asked his 23-year-old granddaughter, who told him he was too old to advise her on a college assignment. “The iconic Biblical men and women, including Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, were all quite old when the Lord called them to serve.” And, true, so they were.
Many companies utilize the services of senior citizens on their board of directors, or in some very dependable advisory role. And chairpersons of several major American private companies are men and women of advanced senior years making significant contributions to keep these companies viable and profitable.
There is a compelling argument for the positive role seniors play in private and public service, and, on the other hand, there’s also a strong argument against seniors being involved in certain roles.
While seniors like Joe Biden, are confident in their ability to continue serving, and serve effectively, as they age, unfortunately, the negative opinion that someone over 80 is too old to be entrusted with some positions, especially positions of leadership can be overwhelmingly negative. People tend to be more confident with younger CEOs, company chairpersons, and presidents. This is simply human nature.
But where are the younger men and women interested in seeking the US presidency? There certainly aren’t many. Barack Obama, who won his first term as president at the age of 47, now seems to have been an anomaly. Mostly individuals approaching or at a senior age, tend to seek office in the US Senate, US House, and the presidency.
It, therefore, follows that if the Democrats believe Biden is too old to run again, they should be actively pursuing the candidacy of younger candidates to challenge him or replace him as a candidate. If there is no younger candidate announced to challenge Biden, then America will have an 82-year-old Democratic Party presidential candidate in 2024.
But will most Americans vote for an 82-year-old man? Will they think he is too old despite his accomplishments?
According to the polls, most voters think Joe Biden’s old age is just too old.
