Recently a presidential candidate for 2024, Cornell West, said the Biden might have a LBJ moment…..in case you missed that little piece of brilliance….
Will Biden Have An “LBJ Moment”?
Should he drop out because of his age?
Is Biden too old to be running for president?
For that matter how about Trump?
The age-old question of “how old is too old for a presidential candidate?” has taken on increasing urgency as we barrel toward November with two frontrunners who are getting up there in years. Now, according to a new poll, an “overwhelming majority” of Americans say that the incumbent, President Biden, is too advanced in age to serve a second term, although they don’t consider former President Trump to be a spring chicken, either. Per the latest survey ABC News conducted with Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel, 86% of respondents think the 81-year-old Biden is too old to run the White House again. Compare that with 62% who say Trump, 77, is similarly too old to do the same.
Meanwhile, 59% feel both candidates are too old. ABC notes that its September poll with the Washington Post showed 74% of respondents thought Biden was too old to serve again, while 49% said that about Trump. The current poll was conducted Feb. 9-10 among a random sampling of just over 500 US adults—after a report was issued by special counsel Robert Hur on Biden’s handling of classified documents, which noted that Biden presented himself during questioning as an “elderly man with a poor memory.”
Politico notes that that poll “could be the first sign of the report’s impact on voters’ perception of the president.” Biden’s camp has been pushing back hard on the age question since Hur’s report was released. On Sunday, Mitch Landrieu, the co-chair of Biden’s reelection campaign, called the assertion that Biden is too old to run again “a bucket of BS that’s so deep, your boots will get stuck in it.” So how old is too old? Peter Baker tries to analyze that question for the New York Times, including with a look back at past presidential candidates who faced similar challenges.
But let’s look at Biden more closely…..a couple of beliefs that is….
The release of a special counsel’s report referring to President Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory” has caused hand-wringing among Democrats about the general election. Should the 81-year-old Biden stay in the race? Two opposing views on the subject:
- He should stay: At Vox, Christian Paz writes that it’s “Biden or bust” for Democrats. “Replacing Biden as the Democratic nominee at this point would be a herculean, if not impossible, task.” The most plausible route would be for Biden to take himself out of the running at the convention in August, but Paz argues the resulting chaos would do more harm than good. VP Kamala Harris polls dreadfully, but bypassing her for somebody else (Gavin Newsom or Gretchen Whitmer maybe) “opens up potential ire from Black voters, without whom Democrats can’t win.” Is the “chaos and disunity” worth it? “The simple answer is no. It’s too late.” Read it here.
- He should go: In an op-ed at the New York Times, Ross Douthat argues that the best hope for Democrats is if Biden does indeed drop out at the convention and decline to endorse anyone. Yes, “pain would follow”—along with Republican derision—but so would “excitement and spectacle.” And the “proximity of the general election would create stronger incentives for Harris or any other disappointed losers to accept a behind-the-scenes proffer and fall in line if the convention battle doesn’t go their way.” Douthat suggests Biden plan on this strategy, with the bonus that he can abandon it should his political fortunes rise dramatically before the summer. Read it here.
- On a different point: At Popular Information, Judd Legum accuses the media of creating a “Biden fitness crisis” with a “deluge of negative” coverage, while largely letting Donald Trump off the hook for similar lapses. He compares stories in major outlets, finding that “the perceptions of the two men by the public are shaped by media coverage.” Read it here.
I think both these candidates offer nothing top the American people….I cannot vote for some old fart that only claim to fame in four years was starting more wars than he ended….and then on the other side I cannot vote for a poisonous personality that thrives on hatred and fear.
That leaves me with very limited choices…..but I will do what I must.
Any thoughts on any of these things?
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
In Saner Thought 
I think Judd Legum comment is spot on. The media has been, at least until very recently, ignoring trump’s mental lapses for since he was president but it seems that every time Biden stumbles over a word it makes the front page. If I had a relative who said some of the things trump has over the last, on 8, 10 years, I’d have had them in for a mental health evaluation and got them treatment.
But that being said, yeah, both of them have no business being president at that age.
I honestly don’t think Biden would have run again if it weren’t for trump, and i don’t think the Dems would have let him run again if it wasn’t for trump. The Dems just didn’t have any alternative when the race started and they certainly don’t have one now. Biden is the only candidate who’d have a reasonable chance of winning. That’s rather sad to say, but it’s true.
We have mandatory retirement ages for jobs like police and firefighters because the physical and mental requirements and stresses of the job are just too much for the average person to deal with after a certain age. I think we badly need the same for political and judicial offices.
I agree completely…..the retirement age should be 70 and if they are an office holder and want to run for another office they must resign to run….that way maybe we can eliminate some of the dead weight. chuq
Make it the same age as it is for maximum Social Security benefits – 67 years old – and tie it in with any Congressional changes in future. for that matter, make this required retirement age apply for Congress and the Supreme Court, too. Gad! Grassley now and Feinstein and Ginsberg in past, stayed well past their “sell by” dates! They aren’t the only ones.
DSo not forget Pelosi….she has been there way too long…..she is as corruptible as any. chuq
Too many to name, chuq….
So very true chuq
It might be a plan to have a maximum age for someone to run for president. (I would suggest 70 tops) But no doubt that would be a legal mountain to climb to make it law.
Best wishes, Pete.
Especially here with the Constitution and all….chuq
I regurgitate violently at the mention of West–I will give reading this post another try as soon as I settle down—
And when choices are as limited as they are, then the best choice is no choice at all.
It is later now…. I got past the problem—
President Joe Biden did not initiate any wars during his long political career. Throughout his career, Biden has held various political positions, including serving as a U.S. Senator from Delaware for several decades before becoming Vice President under President Barack Obama. While he has been involved in foreign policy decisions, including voting for or against military actions as a Senator and serving as Vice President during the Obama administration, he has not initiated any wars. It’s important to note that decisions regarding war initiation involve complex factors and are not solely attributed to the actions of one individual, even the President.
Such kind words for Biden…I do not agree I would trust my dog to do a better job. chuq
Still better than Trump– and it could have been Trump– and it will be trump again…so buckle up—
As far as policies go, real policies, not the made of crap of the GOP….I do not see much difference in the two. chuq
Wait til the new dynasty coming into power in 2024 gets the torchlight parades and the jack boots out and we will discuss this again.
I look forward to it chuq
I look forward to it but I do not like the idea of being a victim of it.
AS long as this shit continues we all are victims. chuq
I’m 75, shortly to become 76, and I think both Trump and Biden should step aside and let some “youngsters” run. Which youngsters? Shit! Anyone without 91 charges against them for the Republicans, and ? for the Demos. I think Biden wouldn’t stay in if Trump dropped dead, erm, “out” of the race.
I think we could find people with conviction of their stands but not as long as money is the driving force in politics. chuq
Yep, Citizens United and the Supreme Court opened up a can of worms that already was corrupt enough.
And that can can never be closed as it is these days. chuq
Unfortunately….
Indeed. chuq