President Joe Biden’s age has become a subject of discussion as he vies for a second term
His age is a legitimate concern if he shows a lack of mental acuity which to date he has not. While it is fair game for use by by his opposition in the game of politics, people like Nikki Haley, in her own version of PD. James quietus, must be called out for her stupid and incendiary remarks.
Let’s be clear youth in of itself is not a sign of the existence of mental acuity, mental competence nor common sense.
It was younger people who marched in Charlottesville chanting “Jews will not replace us.”
It was younger people who stormed the capital on January 6th chanting “Hang Mike Pence” and “Where is Nancy. “ It was Tucker Carlson who became the epitome of fake news masquerading as journalism.
While many in the media like to speak about mental acuity as a function of age perhaps it should be expanded to include the mental competency of people such as Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, the South Dakota Governor who bragged about her 2 year old granddaughter having a rifle and a shotgun or even Senator Lindsay Graham who seemingly in tears begged people to send money to the self proclaimed billionaire Donald Trump. When it comes to mental acuity, it is fair to question CNN’s Dana Bash who consistently misses opportunities to followup with questions to politicians who avoid her questions or MSNBC’s 76 year old Andrea Mitchell who seems to lose her train of thought from time to time or Wolf Blitzer who is 75. They may respond that they are not running for President but lack of mental acuity is not a respecter of professions. Media pundits should be especially circumspect about lending credence to the issue of ageism.
While age has been cited as the reason a majority of Americans feel Biden should not run again the poll cited by media pundits is quite disingenuous given the history of the American electorate. What media commentators leave out of the conversation is the fact that Americans usually want someone else to run other than the person presently occupying the Oval Office. According to a Harris poll, in 1982, 56% of Americans thought Reagan shouldn’t run again. In 1994 only 42% thought Clinton should run again and only 47% wanted Barack Obama to run again. Even the incumbent Abraham Lincoln, who is venerated today, had the majority of the Union wanting someone else to be nominated.
The reality is that it is most likely going to be a rematch between President Biden (despite the absurd attempt by RFK Jr. to imitate his Uncle Ted’s haphazard challenge to President Carter) and former President Donald Trump.
Like teenagers going to see their favorite entertainer, Americans have an irrational desire to be excited about a candidacy. In 2016, this desire for irrational exuberance amongst Democrats and Independents led to a significant number of people staying home rather than voting because they could not be excited about Hillary Clinton. As a result of that feeling, women have lost their constitutional right of choice and the nation could be in danger of losing the constitutional right of marriage equality, democracy was put at risk and election deniers are running rampant.
Joe Biden’s main problem is not necessarily his age but the fact that from a style perspective he has never been nor will he ever be a candidate that can excite a crowd. He will never be the orator Presidents Obama and Reagan were nor can he stir the emotional embers of a crowd who yearn for someone to eradicate their enemies as Donald Trump did and still does..
What Joe Biden represents is a man who believes that government can and should work on behalf of the American populace. His record by historical standards outshines every president since Lincoln.
Those who clamor for youthful leadership should remember leadership is not bestowed on someone because of their youth. Leadership must be earned and not based on “it’s our turn.”
While there are a number of issues to be concerned about from a woman’s right to choose, gun violence, domestic terrorism, not to mention inflation and foreign affairs, at the heart of the election of 2024 is what kind of governance shall the nation support. Sadly the vision presented by the GOP is about curtailing hard earned rights, censoring knowledge by banning books, turning a blind eye to the violent carnage which has raged throughout the nation, suppressing dissent as seen by Mussolini wannabe Governor Ron Desantis, stripping away rights of privacy and supporting the cause of insurrection. Biden represents a traditional politics which is about creating space for competing ideas.
To be clear, the United States has faced greater challenges to its survival as a republic. Had the confederacy won the civil war, America would be a totally different society.
Nonetheless, the nation once again faces a challenge to its survival as a democratic republic. With the underlying choice being democracy vs. authoritarianism, Biden represents the best choice for America to survive.
When Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government do we have he replied “a republic if you can keep it.” For the second time in four years that response will be tested.
To the media pundits get over the age issue and deal with the real threat to America.