Curt Flewelling, FISM News
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Just days after President Biden announced his bid for reelection, the issue of his age has again reared its ugly head, placing the president and his staff on the defensive. Although the subject of his age and how it relates to his ability to do his job has never really gone away, the topic has once again come to the fore just days after his official declaration to seek a second term in office.
The latest politician in a seemingly endless list of Republicans to cite the president’s age as a liability is GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley. In an attempt to frighten voters at the prospect of a “President Kamala Harris,” the former Ambassador to the United Nations said, “He announced that he’s running again in 2024, and I think if you vote for Joe Biden you really are counting on a President Harris.”
Planting a seed in the minds of voters that an unpopular politician such as Harris could be president is certainly within the pale of garden-variety politicking. However, Haley’s reason for that potentiality was troubling to many on both sides of the aisle.
She continued her statement by saying, “The idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely.” When asked by ABC News to comment on the former governor’s bold declarative, White House deputy spokesman Andrew Bates responded dismissively: “As you know we don’t engage with campaigns. But honestly, I forgot she was running.”
Regardless of how Democrats choose to address the issue; touting his presumed “clean bill of health” after his recent physical or addressing head-on the president’s continued missteps, the issue is not going away. In fact, it is clear that both Republicans and Democrats will continue to bring it up it as the 2024 presidential race heats up.
Political hyperbole aside, the fact remains that if President Biden were to garner his party’s nomination and then subsequently be reelected, he would be 82 years of age when sworn in and an amazing 86 years of age at the end of his second term.
The issue of stamina, cognitive agility, and seemingly unending verbal miscues have dogged the president for a long time. Common sense would lead anyone to think that these challenges will not go away with age.
In 2020, the president’s team, with a lot of help from the media, did a good job shielding the president from many of the challenges most candidates would face on the campaign trail. However, the president’s 10:00 am to 4:00 pm schedule, largely comprised of carefully orchestrated scenarios, leaves many to wonder if he continues to be up for the job.
His reluctance to field tough questions in combative environments, his continued reliance on cue cards, and his overall avoidance of situations requiring extemporaneous remarks, are only fueling voters’ concerns.