Staff Reports
Despite the current political climate, Americans seem to be finally agreeing on the issue of Joe Biden's age. Although Donald Trump is only a few years younger than the former vice president, he doesn't raise as much concern about his own age. Some people also believe that Biden needs to grow up.
According to a recent poll conducted by the AP-NORC Center, a majority of Americans think that Joe Biden is too old to continue serving as president for another four years. The sentiment about the former vice president is shared by 69% of Democrats and 89% of Republicans. Americans of all ages concur that Biden's age is a concern for him, and older Democrats are more likely to support his potential run for 2024.
About half of Americans think that Donald Trump is not old enough to serve as president. This indicates the division between Republicans and Democrats, as the former is more likely to disqualify the president if he is too old. According to the findings, the public is ready for change in leadership and favors younger candidates for the Supreme Court, Congress, and presidency. A majority of adults also support setting age limits for candidates, and mandatory retirement ages for justices.
Despite the desire for change, it's unlikely that major reforms will happen in the near future due to the dominance of old leaders and the Constitution's constraints. The survey shows that Americans are open to seeing younger individuals in leadership roles.
For instance, Noah Burden, who is 28 years old, wants the leading candidates for the presidency to be closer to his generation. He fears that the older generation's perspective could lead to dangerous consequences. Similarly, 62-years-old Greg Pack of Ardmore, Oklahoma, is ready for both Trump and Biden to leave. He believes that the former vice president is no longer the same person he was.
The association exercise conducted by the survey revealed the public's perception of the candidates. Many Americans used terms such as "confused" or "slow" to describe Biden, while Trump was only referred to by words such as "crooked" or "corrupt." This suggests that while Biden's age is a concern for both parties, Trump can still be considered to be an elder statesman due to his negative emotions.
Various experts weighed in on the debate about Biden's age, with one suggesting that he is compromised due to his condition, regardless of his supporters. On the other hand, Dezenhall, who worked for Reagan, claims that Trump's negatives are more about his personality than his disability.
For videographer Diego Saldana, of North Carolina, Biden's behavior is similar to that of his elderly grandfather. Saldana, who is 31 years old, believes that the country needs a leader who is not burdened by similar issues.
Americans support the idea of having more energetic and younger leaders. For instance, 32-year-old employee of Washington, DC, Alyssa Baggio, thinks Biden is too old for the White House. She believes that his greatest asset is having experienced individuals around him.
For videographer Jose Tapia, 33, it's crucial for younger candidates to step up and run for office. Despite this, older Democrats are more likely to support Biden's re-election bid.
An aging expert and public health professor, S.Jay Olshansky, says that the emphasis on one's age should not be considered when assessing a presidential candidate. He claims that it is irrelevant and can diminish the value of wisdom. He also stated that both Trump and Biden are "super agers," despite their age. He claims that their negative views are rooted in their policies.
The results indicate that Americans seem to agree that Biden, at 76, is not fit to serve a full term. In contrast, Trump is viewed unfavorably by half of the country's adults. Democrats are more likely to consider disqualifying him due to his age. The survey shows that the public is eager for change and favors younger candidates for office.
Despite these sentiments, major reforms are unlikely to happen in the near future as the country is still dominated by older generations.
