Coupled with an unpopular Vice-President, Biden is best qualified to beat Trump again, rather than stand aside for Kamala Harris
April 25, 2023 9:04 pm(Updated 9:47 pm)
Among the 45 US presidents who preceded Joe Biden, 11 have lived longer than 80, so far.
Jimmy Carter is still going at 98. Next up were George HW Bush (94), Ford and Reagan (93), John Adams and Hoover (90), Truman (88), Madison (85), Jefferson (83), Nixon (81) and John Quincy Adams (80). Trump, Clinton and George W
Bush are all 76 and very much alive.
Biden, who is 80 and five months, wants to set a new record. Already the oldest person elected President (by five years), he will seek a second term, he announced on Monday – which would make him 86 when he leaves the Oval Office in 2029.
This is no ageist rant. Three years ago, American voters chose experience and moderation over an inflammatory demagogue who had proven his unfitness for office. The US is already benefiting from that decision – as are its allies around the world, on diplomacy and climate at least, if not through his protectionist trade policies.
Coupled with an unpopular Vice-President, Biden is best qualified to beat Trump again, rather than stand aside for Kamala Harris (58). He gambles on his health remaining robust for another six years. Already gaffe-prone, the risk is that he trips up on the campaign trail, figuratively speaking.
So be it. In a dangerous world in flux, the prospect of Trump leading Western engagement with Beijing and Moscow is hazardous. Biden has a decent record in the White House so far.
There is no rival Democrat candidate. He will continue to enjoy excellent medical care, alongside regular assessments of his physical and cognitive health. The polls suggest he can beat Trump again. Spin the wheel.