Too Old to Be President?

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Abstract

en and continue to be rumblings of concern. Sanders recently suffered a heart attack, and both Biden and Trump have been the targets of speculation in the press and on social media about their mental acuity.If Trump, who surpassed Ronald Reagan as the oldest elected president at age 70, is re-elected, he will complete his term (if he does) at the age of 78. Fair enough, that’s it for Trump, although it’s fair to point out that Reagan eventually succumbed to severe mental degeneration from Alzheimer’s disease. Whether or not the disease had taken hold while he was still president is up for speculation. Reagan’s forgetfulness at the time may have just been a natural symptom of aging, but even that is something to consider.If Sanders or Biden is elected, the stakes get a bit higher because either one of them could presumably go on to a second term. That would put Sanders at the finish line at the ripe old age of 87, Biden at 86. Ronald Reagan was already showing signs of mental decline when he finished up his presidency at the age of 77. Yes, we all know people who are sharp as a tack at 90, former President Jimmy Carter springs to mind, but this is not the norm. The physical strain that the duties of p

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resident imparts should also be a consideration. I’m not sure that even the seemingly indestructible Mr. Carter would be up for that.Regarding age limits and forced retirement, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 makes an exception for specific jobs like firefighters, pilots, and air traffic controllers. It also excludes from its protections “bona fide executives or high policymakers.”<blockquote id="0a52">“Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit compulsory retirement of any employee who has attained 65 years of age and who, for the 2-year period immediately before retirement, is employed in a bona fide executive or a high policymaking position…”</blockquote>Is there a higher executive or policymaker than the President of the United States? More than a third of S&P 500 firms, including General Electric, Intel, and ExxonMobil, require their CEOs to retire at age 65. Sanders, Biden, and Trump all passed that threshold years ago. If they’re deemed unfit to run General Electric, what makes us so sure they’re fit to be the Chief Executive of the United States? There’s a minimum age for a presidential run: 35. Why shouldn’t there also be a maximum?</article></body>

Age discrimination is against the law in the United States of America, but there are some exceptions. Should POTUS be one of them?

You may have been struck, as I was, by the advanced age of five of the candidates for POTUS in 2020. As of Super Tuesday, Elizabeth Warren at 71 and Mike Bloomberg at 78 failed to win significant support within the electorate, so let’s focus on the strongest contenders.

The frontrunners for the Democratic nomination are currently Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Vice President Joe Biden. Sanders is the oldest at 79, Biden a close second at 78. Whichever one becomes the nominee will be running against President Donald Trump, a mere child. (He’ll be 74 in June.)

So far, there has not been significant public outcry over this, but there have been and continue to be rumblings of concern. Sanders recently suffered a heart attack, and both Biden and Trump have been the targets of speculation in the press and on social media about their mental acuity.

If Trump, who surpassed Ronald Reagan as the oldest elected president at age 70, is re-elected, he will complete his term (if he does) at the age of 78. Fair enough, that’s it for Trump, although it’s fair to point out that Reagan eventually succumbed to severe mental degeneration from Alzheimer’s disease. Whether or not the disease had taken hold while he was still president is up for speculation. Reagan’s forgetfulness at the time may have just been a natural symptom of aging, but even that is something to consider.

If Sanders or Biden is elected, the stakes get a bit higher because either one of them could presumably go on to a second term. That would put Sanders at the finish line at the ripe old age of 87, Biden at 86. Ronald Reagan was already showing signs of mental decline when he finished up his presidency at the age of 77. Yes, we all know people who are sharp as a tack at 90, former President Jimmy Carter springs to mind, but this is not the norm. The physical strain that the duties of president imparts should also be a consideration. I’m not sure that even the seemingly indestructible Mr. Carter would be up for that.

Regarding age limits and forced retirement, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 makes an exception for specific jobs like firefighters, pilots, and air traffic controllers. It also excludes from its protections “bona fide executives or high policymakers.”

“Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit compulsory retirement of any employee who has attained 65 years of age and who, for the 2-year period immediately before retirement, is employed in a bona fide executive or a high policymaking position…”

Is there a higher executive or policymaker than the President of the United States? More than a third of S&P 500 firms, including General Electric, Intel, and ExxonMobil, require their CEOs to retire at age 65. Sanders, Biden, and Trump all passed that threshold years ago. If they’re deemed unfit to run General Electric, what makes us so sure they’re fit to be the Chief Executive of the United States? There’s a minimum age for a presidential run: 35. Why shouldn’t there also be a maximum?