Joe Biden: Too Old To Be President? How old is too old to be president?
It’s subjective, sure.
And, of course, the question depends on many factors, like vigor and mental acuity, which vary from person to person.
But if the polls are any indication, most people think President Joe Biden is too old to run for reelection.
Joe Biden Has a Problem
According to a new poll from NBC News, “70% of Americans, including 51% of Democrats, do not think Biden should run for reelection,” while only 26% believe Biden should run for reelection.
“Almost half of the respondents who voted no cited Biden’s age as their “major” concern with Biden running again,” Fox News reported.
“48% categorized their concern as “major” while 21% said it was a minor concern.” Meanwhile, just 29% of respondents said that Biden’s age did not factor into their decision.
Is Biden Too Old To Be President?
I would argue that, yes, Biden is too old to be president.
Why? There are a few reasons.
One is Biden’s mental acuity. While, admittingly, I am not qualified to medically assess his mental acuity, nor have I ever even met Biden, but my sense, reinforced through years of documentation, is that Biden’s mental acuity is in decline.
To my eye, the president is not as articulate or responsive as he once was.
If you watch interviews and speeches from Biden’s senate days, back in the 70s, 80s, 90s – he’s notably more “with it” than he is today.
Actually, if you watch footage from Biden’s vice-presidential days in the aughts and 2010s, he’s notably more “with it” than he is today, which suggests to me that he is in decline.
And that downward trend is something that can reasonably be expected to continue.
Biden is 80 now; it seems reasonable to assume that was Biden to serve out a second term (which would take him through his 86th birthday), he would continue to decline throughout the term.
Frankly, the prospect of a Joe Biden, who is 8% older than today’s Joe Biden, still serving as president doesn’t sound right.
The Bigger Problem
Second, and while we wish anyone in their 80s a long and fruitful life, the simple truth is that if Biden were elected again, we can’t expect him to live through the second term.
To me, that doesn’t seem like someone we should be electing. And yes, anyone can die at any time. No president is guaranteed to live through their elected term, and multiple presidents have in fact failed to do so. Meanwhile, people live to 86 all the time.
But the US life expectancy for a white male is about 76 years old – an age Biden exceeded a few years ago, meaning we can statistically expect Biden to die at any time – he’s playing with house money at this point.
Expecting him to live through the next term is a significant gamble – and it seems irresponsible to elect an official on such a gamble.
What Should Democrats Do?
The responsible thing to do would be to pivot toward an alternative candidate. Granted, the Democratic bench is weak right now, and it’s generally hard to reproduce the clout associated with an incumbent president, but Biden isn’t a practical choice for another term.
And when you factor in that Biden is likely going to run with Kamala Harris on the ticket, who remains deeply unpopular, you’ve got to ask whether you’re comfortable with Harris serving as president before the end of the term.
For most Americans, and indeed most Americans, that answer is no.
MORE: Something Is Wrong With Kamala Harris
MORE: ‘Breathing Fire’: Donald Trump Goes Crazy On Fox News Interview
MORE: ‘Americans Will Pay The Price’: One Democrat Is Angry At Joe Biden
MORE: Could Joe Biden Get Impeached?
Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
