Age and politics: Americans test boundaries
| Philadelphia
鈥淵ou鈥檒l live to be 90!鈥� the voice rings out from the crowd. President Joe Biden laughs and makes the sign of the cross.
鈥淚鈥檝e been doing this longer than anybody,鈥� the president told the crowd at a Labor Day rally in Philadelphia. 鈥淎nd guess what? I鈥檓 going to keep doing it, with your help.鈥�
It鈥檚 a pressing issue in American politics today: a leadership class dominated by people well beyond retirement age who, at least publicly, have no plans to step aside.
Why We Wrote This
Biden, McConnell, Feinstein, Trump: The number of top politicians in the United States who are of advanced age is leading to scrutiny over the role that age should play in political life.
Be it President Biden (age 80), former President Donald Trump (77), Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (81), or Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein (90), the United States has never had so many top political figures of such advanced age 鈥� including, as of now, the likely major-party nominees for president in 2024.听
Senator McConnell鈥檚 latest health scare, in which he froze for more than 30 seconds while speaking to reporters last week 鈥� the second such public episode in about a month 鈥� renewed discussion of America鈥檚 鈥済erontocracy,鈥� or 鈥渞ule by elders.鈥�
On Tuesday, the Capitol physician wrote in a letter to the Senate Republican leader that his examination and consultations with neurologists showed no sign of stroke or other disorders. Staffers attributed Mr. McConnell鈥檚 two recent health episodes to 鈥渓ightheadedness鈥� following a concussion after a fall in March.
To the frustration of Democrats, the latest McConnell freeze-up generated new discussion of Mr. Biden鈥檚 age and whether he鈥檚 up to the rigors of another presidential campaign, let alone a second term.
All the nation鈥檚 鈥渟uperagers鈥� in high office suggest a modern-day reality: Those with certain occupations, income levels, and lifestyles can keep working well into their golden years. And in many top jobs, platoons of aides do a lot of the work. The downside is that public scrutiny has never been more acute, given the ubiquity of cameras and social media.
Today鈥檚 political leaders are 鈥渙n the public stage at a time when they鈥檝e never been more exposed to the world,鈥� says Matthew Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University. 鈥淎ny kind of frailty 鈥� real or perceived 鈥� is going to be exposed and magnified.鈥�
Under the spotlight听
The news Monday night that first lady Jill Biden had tested positive for COVID-19 again returned the health spotlight to Mr. Biden. But the president鈥檚 office reported within minutes that he had tested negative 鈥� and would keep testing regularly.听
Mr. Biden is scheduled to go to India on Thursday for the G20 meeting of major global economies, followed by a visit to Vietnam. If the president has to cancel, that would send a signal of weakness, fairly or not, to the rest of the world.听
Modern American presidents live a life of intense public scrutiny, and any vulnerability is hard to hide 鈥� regardless of age.听The nation鈥檚 youngest elected听president听to date, John F. Kennedy, dealt with serious physical problems while in office, which only became known publicly after his assassination in 1963.听
In the 1930s and 鈥�40s, America鈥檚 longest-serving president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, worked hard to hide his health problems from voters 鈥撎齣ncluding his use of a wheelchair 鈥撎齛nd died soon after the start of his fourth term. Earlier, in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson was diagnosed with a severe stroke, and his administration hid the fact that his wife, Edith, played a crucial role in running his presidency until the end of his second term.听
Today, 73% of Americans say Mr. Biden is too old to run for reelection, including two-thirds of Democrats,听. The same poll showed 47% of voters say Mr. Trump is too old to run. And when running head to head, the two are in a dead heat at 46% apiece. Polls also show consistently that most Americans don鈥檛 want a Biden-Trump rematch.听
Political analysts see Mr. Biden as having slowed down physically in recent years, while Mr. Trump听displays a more robust presence. But chronological age may not be the best way to present the Biden-versus-Trump matchup. Mr. Biden is a career politician, with long experience in government as a senator of 36 years and then eight years as vice president before reaching the Oval Office, while Mr. Trump represents a populist smashing of norms 鈥� regardless of age.听
Mr. Trump鈥檚 one term as president reflected his status as a newcomer both to Washington and to governance. But after the January 2021 riot at the Capitol by Trump supporters who said the election had been stolen, the prospect of a Trump reelection suggests a more profound change to both the presidency and Washington.听
Ultimately, experienced political hands see the age question as deeply embedded in old Washington ways. Until this past January, the top three Democratic House leaders were over age 80. Their decision to step aside reflected a stated goal of elevating the next generation. But the Senate, in particular, is known for having elderly members, some revered by voters for their historical significance rather than current mental acuity. The late Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, a decadeslong senator who served past turning 100, may be the most famous example.听
Senator Feinstein, a Democrat from California, may be the best example today. A pioneer woman of the Senate, who served as mayor of San Francisco during a time of tumult, she is now听a shadow of her former self. She has declined to resign, but has said she won鈥檛 run for reelection.听
Last week,听听that the Senate is 鈥渢he most privileged nursing home in the country.鈥� Ms. Haley has also听听for politicians over 75.听
Today, the average age of senators is 64, near an all-time high. But age isn鈥檛 necessarily an indicator of mental sharpness 鈥撎齜oth in the Senate and in the overall population. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, is almost 82 and may run for another term without raising an eyebrow. GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley is almost 90 and still commands respect as the senior senator from Iowa.听
鈥淭he Senate has always been dominated by older senators 鈥� the so-called old bulls,鈥� says Jim Manley, former spokesperson for the late Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 different today is Twitter [now known as X] and the 24/7 news cycle.鈥�
Perks and a sense of service
Worth noting, too, is the distinction between politics and the corporate world. In government, elected leaders answer to voters 鈥撎齛nd must regularly face them at the ballot box. In the private sector, boards of directors and/or mandatory retirement ages can end a CEO鈥檚 tenure.听
One problem, though, is that voters don鈥檛 always know when an official isn鈥檛 as sharp as they used to be. A voter might see a familiar name from their preferred party and stick with that brand, for better or worse.听
For senior members of Congress, the perks of office 鈥� including a security detail, a big staff, and public prestige 鈥� can be hard to give up.听
Longtime friends and acquaintances of Mr. Biden say there may well be a larger sense of purpose that is driving him to run for a second term, despite his advanced age.
鈥淏ased on observing him closely as a senator, in particular, for many years, I am confident that he believes he鈥檚 the only one that can beat Trump,鈥� says Mr. Manley.
In an interview, former Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican from Nebraska, points to Mr. Biden鈥檚 lifestyle as important to his longevity and health.听
鈥淛oe never drank, never smoked, always worked out. He鈥檚 taking care of himself, always has,鈥� says Mr. Hagel, who knew Mr. Biden well both in the Senate and when they served together in the Obama administration. 鈥淵eah, he walks more deliberately, but so do I.鈥澨�
Mr. Biden 鈥渂rings steadiness and experience鈥� to the presidency, 鈥渁nd with that, a certain amount of wisdom,鈥� says Mr. Hagel, a former defense secretary. 鈥淭he world is upside down 鈥� we鈥檙e all off balance, dangerously so. And if you get the wrong leadership, you could make some pretty stupid, severe mistakes that would cost not only the country but the world.鈥�
Mr. Hagel also speaks highly of Mr. McConnell, whom he knows and likes, and expresses sympathy for his situation.听
鈥淭hat鈥檚 his life,鈥� Mr. Hagel says of Mr. McConnell鈥檚 decades as a senator from Kentucky, including a record 16 years as the chamber鈥檚 GOP leader. 鈥淭o consider stepping aside from a leadership position that he worked so hard to get 鈥� I know that鈥檚 a tough call, absolutely. It takes courage.鈥�
