Nearly 80% of Americans in a Pew Research poll conducted in October of last year want age limits for the president of the United States. It would seem the age of 80 is the cut off point. I thought that in a democracy the majority rules. Guess I was wrong.
Does anyone know an 80-year-old who is not overly stubborn, slow to react, and cranky? If so, maybe you are the 80-year-old who doesn't share that fate. But the overwhelming majority of Americans would concede this to be true. These are not the best attributes for a world leader.
Everyone would agree that those fortunate enough to reach 80 are no longer in their prime. And can someone tell me why 20% of Americans prefer to be led by a leader beyond his prime in our very precarious world filled with adversaries?
Yes, everyone thought Dwight Eisenhower was old, a mere babe to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. (Biden would be 85 at the end of a second term and Trump would be 80 mid-way through his second term in office.) And yes, there were cries that Ronald Reagan was too old.
I really do not think that our founding fathers ever thought the American people would elect president folks in their 80s for the highest office in the land. I also truly do not believe they thought Americans would want 80-year-olds in Congress, the Supreme Court, or in any other capacity in the federal government.
We should want those running our country to be on top of their game, in their prime. It is unwise to elect a president on the decline.
Well, you say, we have elections. The people can vote for members of Congress out of office. That is laughable. More members of Congress over 80 have died in office than those in their 80s who have been defeated while in office.
Some have suggested that we require a cognitive test of our politicians. If they can pass it, they should be able to continue in office. I disagree.
Age is a funny thing. It is kind of like life. You are good until you are not. We can be the picture of health one day and death the next. Well, we can pass a cognitive test one day and struggle to remember what we ate for breakfast the next. As you get older there is an increased likelihood that things could go bad.
But what the "old folks" have in their favor are the rules they helped to establish. They also know politics. They can control the election primary process. They can determine who is in control of their political party. They can raise the most money. The scale of politics tilts toward the "old guys."
They have "done the job" so we figure they know how to "do the job."
What would explain the establishment and media's adamant intent to force a Biden-Trump rematch on us?
Maybe it is all about "risk." For many, we took a "risk" in hiring the Black guy (former President Barack Obama). We took a risk in hiring a guy with zero prior experience (Trump). This time the establishment and media seem to be reluctant to take another risk. Yet, the American people want anything other than the choices being put forward by their respective parties today.
In the 2016 election, Trump beat a highly qualified woman (Hilary Clinton). Electing a woman would have been a "risk" for many. The nation was willing to go with a male who had never been elected to anything and had not served in the military - this had never been done before. Voters were willing to do it instead of throwing their support behind Clinton.
Now, our new "normal" is a guy who has served as POTUS? It seems like the establishment is tired of "risk," tired of new things.
Term limits are not a panacea either. The power of unelected staffers would increase if we booted out folks who had started early in politics and had to be shown the door early. These elected officials could be in their prime. They could actually be in their 40s, 50s, or 60s. They could be many years or even decades removed from the true problematic ones - the folks in their 80s.
Unelected and unknown bureaucrats would rule America. Not good. They would have zero accountability. That would take us from the pot into the fire.
The following are the advantages for these two old guys:
- Trump-Biden are better at getting the nomination for president because they have already done it before.
- Trump-Biden are more skilled in getting a lot of votes from their respective bases since they set records for vote-getting in the past.
- Trump-Biden can count on the unabashed support of the media, or in the case of Trump, he can soak up all the media attention or oxygen in the room.
The media is concerned, however, about the vice president selections, and for good reason. Today those decisions are fluid.
The following are examples of the media's support for a Biden-Trump race:
- Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley crushes Biden by up to 18 points in head-to-head polls, a fact ignored by the media.
- Over 70% of voters do not want a Biden-Trump rematch. This is another fact that the media ignores.
- And as already mentioned, nearly 80% of Americans do not want an 80-year-old president. This is another fact ignored by the media.
The American people should get what they want.
Unfortunately, the old folks, the establishment, and the 1% who financially support each party, as well as the media, all have their thumbs on the scale.
Unfortunately, when the will of the powerful prevails over the overwhelmingly held opinions of the general public, we face a clear and present danger to our democracy.
Gary Franks served three terms as U.S. representative for Connecticut's 5th District. He was the first Black Republican elected to the House in nearly 60 years and New England's first Black member of the House. Host: podcast "We Speak Frankly." Author: "With God, For God, and For Country." @GaryFranks
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