We hear that 50 is the new 40, etc., so is 80 the new 70? From the look of things, in Joe Biden’s case, there is reason to wonder about that, or at least not put too much stock in it.
Biden was a welcome alternative to the walking, blabbing nightmare who occupied the job before him. America knew Joe was getting up in years, but it didn’t matter in 2020. It seems to matter more this time around, regardless of the assurances from current staff and Biden himself, regardless of his current “feistiness,” and regardless of the frequent monitoring and level and quality of healthcare a POTUS receives and has at his disposal.
I occasionally wonder about the role a President plays in affecting the psyche of the nation. Would Biden’s presence through 2028, when he’s 86, continue to sow confidence and relative calm, or would it make us nervous—genuinely concerned about his capacity for handling the workload, the relentless political assaults and gamesmanship, and the stress of pressure-packed decision making?
Maybe he once thrived in that environment. Maybe, when he was 50 or 40 or whatever, he lived to mix things up. But that was a while back now.
3 Cents' 