Joe Biden does seem to be pushing the age envelope somewhat, and he would be 82 in January 2025. Thus, many people—Democrats mostly—are beginning to arrive at the conclusion he is too old to serve in the most powerful position in the world. This might drive Biden into planning retirement after 2024, but I doubt it.
My answer to the question might surprise you. Technically, no, I do not believe that 80 years of age is too old to be President of the United States. Age is relative. Some 80-year-olds are indeed too frail, but many, possibly even some reading these lines, is still sprightly, fully cognizant, healthy enough, and thus completely capable of doing a difficult job like being President. I’m 68 now. I just got home from walking about 5 miles in 100-degree heat. I do that a lot in Thailand. I can still swim, play basketball, ride a bike without falling over, teach English classes, write columns for Townhall and my substack, plus podcasts—I’m far from ready for the old folks’ dementia home. Now, I can’t do what I did 20, 30, or 40 years ago, and I’m still 12 years from 80. But if I take care of myself and live long enough, I should still be able to do what any healthy 80-year-old man can do. In other words, a lot of things.
Frankly, age deterioration is not really Biden’s problem. His somewhat limited intelligence and decidedly weak character have produced extreme moral degeneration and a total lack of principles. All of that has led to policies that are dragging America into a slime pit. Democratic Party minions realize this. But they aren’t going to admit it. They know Joe Biden is not popular anywhere, among any age group, so they are floating around the lie that “maybe Joe is too old and not as attractive to younger voters who therefore, may stay home next year rather than vote for an 80+-year-old man.”
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When you hear this, think: “They want a younger candidate willing to cave to the far left and destroy America like Biden is doing.” It’s not “Biden is inept, so we need a new leader.” If Biden’s poll numbers were above water, his age wouldn’t matter at all, regardless of his apparent mental collapses. But because he has been such an incompetent disaster that is unpopular in nearly all segments of society—and, crucially, might lose next year’s election—some are searching for ways to dump him. They use age, not failure. Get a younger person who will appeal to “young voters” but do the same things Biden is doing. That is what the “age” issue is all about—Biden’s appalling inability to sell the Leftist agenda to everybody, not his date of birth.
Those who think like this may be in trouble, however, and encounter difficulties getting shuck off him. The power of an incumbent President is enormous; innumerable people with no bit of power themselves—and who oversee many other semi-powerful bureaucrats down the line—owe their positions to Joe Biden, and they will not quickly desert him for fear of losing their own privileged, cushy stations. Not only that but to the eternal shame of the people of Delaware, Biden has been in Washington for 50 years. How many friends has he made? How many of those influential people are beholden to him? Countless. So, how are the age-skeptics going to get around all this? That may be a task too wide and deep for anyone on this planet. I have said all along that Biden will be the nominee next year, and I still believe it—as long as he doesn’t appear to be any worse for wear than he is now. He might even drop Kamala and put John Fetterman on the ticket to make himself look healthier (I jest here, Kamala isn’t going anywhere, either).
The nomination is Joe’s, and I don’t believe anybody in Washington or anywhere else (maybe Beijing?) is strong enough to deny it to him.
There is Kennedy running for the Democratic nomination for President. The last time that happened, I believe, was in 1980, when an equally ineffectual Democratic President, Jimmy Carter, was in office. Ted Kennedy thought he could exploit Carter’s distinct ineptitude and unpopularity to steal the nomination from him. Somebody asked Carter about Kennedy’s challenge. Carter’s response was, “If he tries, I’ll whip his a**.” And that is precisely what Carter proceeded to do. It wasn’t even close.
Again, Biden does show apparent signs of mental decline, although it’s hard to tell from 50 years ago. Frankly, he has always been less-than-mediocre, at best. But “age” is what some Democrats are using to try to force this failed, foppish President to retire voluntarily. They think a fresh, younger face, spouting the same socialist bilge that Biden spouts, will attract “younger voters.” They might be right. America’s young people do give plenty of evidence of empty-headedness and that they can easily be demagogued. But ungluing Joe from the Oval Office chair is not going to be easy. He wants to stay there. And when an incumbent President wants to stay where he is, regardless of his record—or age—he is awfully hard to unseat. It hasn’t happened since the 1880s.
So, to sum up. Age is a red herring. Democrats wouldn’t care one whit how old Biden is if his policies had been effective. But they haven’t been. They won’t admit that because those unsuccessful policies are what keep them in power, so they don’t care if they are fruitful or not. But if the Democrats lose the White House, they are out. So...can Biden win? If he can’t, who can?
Kinda the same dilemma the Republicans face with Trump—who isn’t too old, either.
Nor is DeSantis too young.
Check out my new Substack for articles and podcasts at mklewis929.substack.com. Free signup. Read my Western novels, Whitewater , River Bend, Return to River Bend, and Allie’s Dilemma all available on Amazon. Also, search YouTube “mark kevin lewis” for my Bible commentary videos. You can follow me on Twitter: @thailandmkl. And rumble: lewandcou
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