There have been plenty of “moments” during a presidential campaign that didn’t help the respective candidate. From Gerald Ford’s statement in a debate with Jimmy Carter in 1976 that “There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration,” to Al Gore’s seemingly pompous sighs in a debate with George W. Bush in 2000, these were not insignificant.
President Joe Biden’s first debate with then-President Donald Trump – where the latter man essentially bullied the former – was certainly a bad moment for Trump. It didn’t help him defeat his political rival and may have even contributed to his loss in 2020. Trump arguably did better in their second debate, where the candidates weren’t allowed to speak over each other.
However, Biden’s fate could be decided long before the two meet up in a still hypothetical debate. Over the next year (plus two more months), the sitting president will need to ensure he doesn’t have any serious “senior moments,” as his age already remains a major issue with voters.
A McConnell-like Moment Would be a Disaster for Joe Biden
As political pundit Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight, argued on Monday, a bad moment – like the ones Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had this summer where he briefly froze up while speaking – would end Biden’s chances almost immediately.
“If the expert class doesn’t understand that Biden’s age is both a real concern for voters and a valid concern, they’d better be prepared for a getting second Trump term instead,” Silver wrote in his newsletter Silver Bulletin. “This election is probably going to be close, and Trump might be only one Biden-has-a-McConnell-moment away from winning.”
Donald Trump is also Old – Just Not as Old as Biden
The former president, who has never been described as a model of perfect health, is less than four years younger than his political rival – yet, one in his late 70s may be seen differently by voters than another in his early 80s!
“The 3.6-year age difference between Biden and Trump is potentially meaningful, at least based on broad population-level statistics,” Silver added.
“The age of Biden and Trump during their potential second terms corresponds to infection point at which the risk of death begins to increase meaningfully every year,” said Silver.
This very much plays into former Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley’s warning that a vote for Biden is really a vote for President Kamala Harris, as it isn’t just the death of her boss but his ability to even do that job that could propel her to the Oval Office.
The Lower Stairs – Lowered Expectations?
The media has certainly noticed that President Biden has already been forced to use the lower stairs to board and deplane from Air Force One after stumbling more than once. The shorter stairs also have the distinct advantage of moving most of Biden’s ascent into the aircraft out of public view, NPR reported, even as it draws attention to his age.
He has used the shorter stairs the majority of the time on recent trips, but Biden has also been forced to increasingly rely on note cards, and at this summer’s NATO summit in Lithuania, the president had to bow out of a scheduled dinner. It was the most recent occasion where Biden didn’t attend such a sit-down with other leaders.
Aides suggested it had nothing to do with fatigue, however, and said the president had matters to attend to instead.
Still, it would seem that the president is one freeze-up or fall from losing reelection next year. Biden’s age has already been an issue, and it likely won’t get much better.
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
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