Blog 3168 – 07.03.2024

Age Requirement For President

The U.S. Constitution has a minimum age requirement for holders of the office of President. It is set at thirty-five years of age. There is no upper limit placed on the office. When the Constitution was written the life expectancy was lower and only a few people lived into their late seventies and early eighties and also the strain of the office itself was not as great. Starting with Lincoln four score (80) years later the office itself aged the holders quite rapidity as could be seen in photographs through their Presidencies.

With the two oldest men ever running we should consider age in our choice this November and not just chronological age, but at least a couple of other aspects of the aging process as well. Much is being made of President Biden’s poor debate performance last Thursday and how his slips and losing his train of thought momentarily prove him “too old” to run again for the Presidency. Yet, I am more concerned with the immaturity of his but three years younger opponent in the debate who still is unwilling to admit that he lost the last election and is vowing to be a dictator on his first day of office and get revenge on all those who have opposed him.

Yesterday, my wife, a life long Republican, got a letter in the mail and the return address on the envelope said in bold letters that it was from President Donald Trump. The adolescent (at best) Mister Trump envisions himself still as “the once and future king.” I do not see him as young at heart, but as childish and petulant, worrisome characteristics in a man let alone a President. I do not see him as being President of all the people, but only a select view willing to bow to his mercurial management style.

Joe Biden may indeed be an old man past his prime, but he is a man of the people, a mature principled man, who genuinely cares about all the people, not just the one percent with most of the wealth, but the rest of us too.

Two last things about age: People who have not “grown-up” by seventy-eight are not likely to and people who haven’t lost it all by eighty-one are not likely to either. Of the two old men seeking another four years in the White House Joe Biden, to me, seems the safer, better choice. Comedian/Political Commentator Bill Maher says he wishes the Democrats had picked a younger candidate, but that he’d vote for Joe Biden’s head in a jar of blue liquid before the Republican alternative. I have to agree with old Bill on that one.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White