‘Are they capable?’: US voters concerned over ageing presidency, lawmakers
At 80, Joe Biden is the oldest sitting president in US history. Some voters believe he and other advanced age lawmakers on Capitol Hill are too old to be effective decision makers.
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appears to freeze up for more than 30 seconds during a public appearance before he was escorted away, the second such incident in a little more than a month, after an event with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in Covington, Kentucky, U.S. August 30, 2023 in this still image from video. (ABC Affiliate WCPO via REUTERS)
WASHINGTON DC: Republican presidential hopefuls in the United States battled it out in their second official debate on Wednesday (Sep 27), as they vied to become the party’s nominee for the White House.
They are hoping to beat frontrunner and former president Donald Trump for the chance to take on Democrat Joe Biden, the oldest sitting president in the country's history.
Eighty-year-old Biden is running for re-election in 2024 and wants Americans to judge him on his legislative achievements.
However, polls show that voters are more focused on his age – with 77 per cent of them believing he is too old to be an effective commander-in-chief.
Biden is not the only politician facing such concerns from Americans when it comes to age – several others vying for office and a handful of lawmakers are also under scrutiny.
‘ARE THEY COMPETENT?’
Last month, one of the country’s oldest lawmakers Mitch McConnell made headlines nationwide – and overseas – when he appeared to freeze up for more than 30 seconds while engaging with reporters. It was his second such incident in a matter of weeks.
The 81-year-old minority leader of the US Senate insisted he was “fine”, and will be seeing out his term.
The incident reignited an age-old debate in US political leadership.
“Are they capable? Are they competent after a certain age?” asked Danielle Vinson, a political science professor at Furman University.
“We have had these conversations in the past somewhat quietly around Supreme Court justices. But this, I think, really is the first time we are seeing a full-blown national discussion about (age) as this relates to elected officials.”
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, 51, called the US Senate the “most privileged nursing home in the country”, and has suggested competency tests for politicians older than 75.
Long-serving Representative Nancy Pelosi, 83, while intending to stand for another term, surrendered her Congressional leadership position last year, declaring “the hour has come for a new generation”.
CALLS TO MAKE WAY FOR YOUNGER LEADERS
Republican senator Mitt Romney, who is retiring when his term ends in early 2025, said, “frankly, it's time for a new generation of leaders”. The 76-year-old added candidly that those in the same late-70s age bracket as him are not the right people to be making decisions on the challenges of tomorrow.
His departure contrasts with some other leaders of the Senate, whose advanced age and ailing health have become concerns for their parties and the voters.
Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress at 90, has been in frail health since a bout of shingles in February, and has repeatedly appeared confused during votes and hearings.
Many voters have said that it is time for a younger generation of politicians to take over as decision makers.
“At some point, let the younger people have it. They might not know their way around as well, but they have got more energy and they are just not going to die in office,” one American told CNA.
Another voter said: “It’s time to go. If ego and power are driving the decision to stay, that’s not what democracy is about. It has to be about good representation. And if you can't represent, you got to go.”
BIDEN’S REELECTION CAMPAIGN
However, President Biden, who is gunning for a second term, is batting away claims that he is not up to the job.
“I’ve been doing this longer than anybody, and guess what? I’m going to continue to do it with your help,” he told a cheering crowd during a Labour Day event celebrating unions and job creation in Philadelphia.
Amid increasing debate about older politicians, experts said Biden needs to use his age and experience to his advantage in the upcoming presidential election.
Democratic Party strategist Simon Rosenberg said: “He (Biden) has to make the case that it’s possible he has lost a step and is a little bit slower than he used to be.
“But that in the case of being the president, that age, that experience, that wisdom, that capability that comes from age has been essential to his success.”
DOES AGE MATTER? VOTERS WILL DECIDE
These questions about elderliness, gerontocracy, and mental and physical fitness are hardly unprecedented.
They go all the way back to the late Ronald Reagan, who is the US’ second oldest president to date. He was elected into the White House in 1981 at age 69, and was 77 at the end of his two-term presidency.
He once made this now-iconic jibe when concerns were raised about his age during a presidential debate: “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience.”
Biden’s most likely rival in 2024, Trump, is the nation’s third oldest president. He was 74 at the end of his presidential term in 2021. If re-elected in the upcoming election, Trump will be 78.
The US Constitution has set a minimum age – 35 years old – for presidency, but not a maximum.
In Congress, there are no term limits and many lawmakers are reluctant to resign. The average age for a sitting senator on Capitol Hill has climbed to a record high of 64.
But ultimately, it is not up to the constitution or lawmakers to dictate whether age becomes a disqualifying factor – it is voters who will decide.
