2020 Election: Does age matter?

Are "the elders" too old?

Andrew Lidden Pate

On June 20, 2021, Donald Trump's age will be 74 years and 7 months; Joe Biden's will be 78 years and 2 months.  In either case, if nominated and elected, a presidential "old age" record will be set.

In these early weeks of the 2020 election campaign, the question is coming at us voters.  If we haven't seriously pondered the "age" question, we will soon, or should.  It's important.

Consider, for example, the health issues for septuagenarians in general, in this case for males.

When they enter into their 70s, or earlier, men must deal with prostate enlargement, the possibility of prostate cancer and the attendant consequences of a declining libido.  If they have high blood pressure and/or a family history of heart problems, they must also pay close attention to their diet, exercise regularly, and be faithful in their checkup examinations and following of their doctor's orders.  In addition, they will have "balance" issues which increase the possibility of "falls" and other stumbling accidents not to mention those "freakish" injuries that may result from vision and hearing loss.   Increasingly, too, in their 70s, men, like women, may see their sugar blood count rise to the Type 2 category, and neuropathy raises its ugly head.

In addition, whether we want to or not, we have to consider mental (memory) woes as very possible for those in their 70s.  For as is generally thought, arguably to be sure—in the last months he was in office, maybe even earlier, former President Ronald Reagan showed signs of Alzheimer's.  Reagan was 77, almost 78, when he left office.

There are other health and aging issues, of course. But let it be underscored: nothing in any delineation of those issues may necessarily apply in a seriously negative way to either Biden or Trump.  From 2021 onward either one, or both, could enjoy some of the most productive years of their lives.

As an octogenarian myself, however, I would point out that while I know I have "learned" a few things and can do a few things much better than when I was younger, still I do a "lot of things" much less well than I used to do them.

Age has its limits.  And we, the voters,  between now and election day, we will have to work out for ourselves which "possibles" we are willing or unwilling to accept in a presidential candidate.