Is Age Really a Factor or Is It Just Political Maneuvering
SUMMARY: The 2024 presidential election has turned into a crash course in gerontology.
On Election Day, former president Donald Trump will be 78 years old, and President Biden will be a couple weeks shy of 82. Never have two people of such advanced age been the nominees of the major political parties, nor has there been a campaign so rife with suspicions and allegations that candidates are showing signs of age-related cognitive decline.
The situation has worried the electorate. In a Marquette Law School poll conducted in March, 77 percent of registered voters said they consider Biden “too old to be president,” while 52 percent said that of Trump. And in a Pew Research survey in April, 62 percent said Biden did not have the “mental fitness needed to do the job,” while 48 percent reached that conclusion about Trump.
But this public discussion of the aging brain ― a scientific topic if ever there was one ― has been conducted largely without reference to any scientific facts.
Research on aging, cognition and dementia has become more robust in a time when about 56 million Americans are over age 65, according to the 2020 Census. But medical land scientific experts warn that media reports and punditry about the candidates’ mental fitness have been marred by misinformation about the aging process.
The experts interviewed for this story were reluctant to speculate on the record about the cognitive health of Biden and Trump, noting that a robust assessment requires an in-depth examination potentially lasting days. They were more eager to speak about the aging process generally and what science can reveal about the aging brain — what’s normal, what’s pathological and how to discern the difference.
They also rejected any suggestion that there should be an upper age limit for the presidency.
Aging is not an unmitigated process of cognitive decline and deterioration, they pointed out. Judgment and emotional stability can improve with age — and may be more essential to effective leadership than, say, the ability to remember names or deliver a speech without a flub.
“The really important thing to keep in mind is that the older brain’s a wiser brain,” said Earl Miller, a professor of neuroscience at MIT. “Knowledge and experience count for a lot, and that can more than make up for slight losses of memory as a result of aging.”
What science tells us about Biden, Trump and evaluating an aging brain, The Washington Post and Abbott Pardons Killing by Racist Who Explicitly Texted Apparent Minor, texasobserver.org.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s Take: This article is about the aging brain in general, but I want to start by addressing the polls mentioned in this article because they reflect the knee-jerk reaction to aging that reflects a deep prejudice unrelated to facts. That suggests most of the people polled have terrible critical thinking skills that are unrelated to their age. That scares me.
I’m younger than both Biden and Trump and I think I’m too old to be president. But what rankles in this poll is that Trump is 77 and Biden is 81—a four-year difference—and yet 25% more thought Biden was too old. Given what we’ve been able to observe in both men through their actions and words, how can 62% think Biden doesn’t have the mental fitness needed to do the job but only 48% think that of Trump? We’re so focused on worrying about the decline of the brain by aging that we miss this clear evidence of the decline of the use of the brain based on the inability to use facts and logic to form opinions. In the best of all words, we’d have younger and more robust candidates. But that, too, was our choice so all that’s left for those with fully functioning brains is to choose which is best for the country.
I suggest you follow the link and read the entire article because it offers some scientific insight into the process of aging and its effects on the brain. For example, when older people fumble names and places—as both Trump and Biden (and myself) have done—it’s not necessarily an indication of declining cognizance. It could simply be depression, temporary dehydration, or a deficiency of vitamin B12.
Older people also tend to be more emotionally stable. Aging reduces negative emotions and lets us see with more clarity what’s worth getting worked up about and what isn’t.
What’s concerning about the debate over Trump and Biden’s age is that it spills over into how society perceives seniors in general. Says Laura Carstensen, a professor of psychology and director of the Stanford Center on Longevity,
“The ageism that underlies these discussions is remarkable.”
She also pointed out . . .
“Emotional regulation, emotional caring, appreciation, motivation to be social with others — all of those go up with age.”
At the same time, it’s reasonable that voters have more information about the physical and mental health of their candidates. Both men should be examined physically and mentally by the same non-partisan doctors and a report on each should be issued. That would make sense. The only reason not to agree to such independent tests is if they had something to hide.
AB: Do we succumb to political lies and maneuvering. I would not give in to this. There is nothing majorly wrong with Biden and there is much to worry about with trump.
Should age matter in politics? VCU professor discusses ageism in the 2024 presidential election and society – VCU News – Virginia Commonwealth University, Olivia Trani.
“Here’s the reality: Age alone is a poor predictor of health status because aging is not a homogenous, linear experience. People age and develop differently, and there are no milestones or expectations to make comparisons. If we automatically assume someone of a given age is not capable or in poor health, that is ageism.
People of all ages get names wrong and have stumbles. In fact, when we are under stressful circumstances, we are all more likely to make a gaffe. All candidates for political office should be evaluated on their accomplishments and qualifications rather than by their age.“
I am getting old, and I can’t do things I could do easily five years ago. But neither can I run up and down the basketball court a hundred times an hour. As the article says, we learn stuff over a lifetime that makes up for what we forget, More than that, we…the rest of us…have a better idea of a man’s character and “wisdom” when he’s been around for a while.
I would say the hysteria about Biden’a age is proof that young people are too stupid to be allowed to vote. And Trump was a nasty piece of work when he was a youth. And people who can’t tell a war for survival against an aggressor from an aggressive war against an “inconvenience” with potential to be a problem for the empire some time in the future…should not be trusted with the vote. So yeah, I have differences with Biden, but I don’t see anyone else out there who looks better. He can get some eighth grader to check his spelling and arithmetic if he needs to.
And the person who said this…
“At the same time, it’s reasonable that voters have more information about the physical and mental health of their candidates. Both men should be examined physically and mentally by the same non-partisan doctors and a report on each should be issued. That would make sense. The only reason not to agree to such independent tests is if they had something to hide.”
scares me to death. I haven’t said anything that stupid since I was 20.
Dale:
And who selects the doctors?
As it is today, I read all twenty years of my healthcare reports. I read some things I wish I had not said. My hopeful Cardiologist and I discussed Lipitor dose and when I started. Since I know when, he was insisting I was on it for a life time. I knew I was not.
I was given my first does of Lipitor when my cholesterol was at 114. I had just had open heart surgery and the doc then just wanted to be safe. Much of it was the result of what I ate and did for exercise. My cholesterol level was recorded in the report as was my first dose.
Nothing like over-coding.
bill
who selects the non partisan doctors? why, non partisan experts, of course.
it sure as hell wouldn’t be the people who can’t tell about a man’s character from his actions over a lifetime withut an official scientific report.
next thing you know they will be testing kids in school for pre-agressive tendencies.
tell you a story: i worked in a VA hospital a short time. sat in on an intake interview. 70ish person was asking to be treated for back pain resulting from injury he suffered in service. interviewers asked him questions like “who is the president” and “what year is it”. patient didn’t know so they decided his back pain was not real and denied him treatment.
Why are you even asking this question? It is so obviously 100% political horseshit that it isn’t worth considering an alternative hypothesis. The press is always in the tank for the Republicans, so, of course, they are going to hammer on this. If Biden were a half hour older than Trump, they’d be echoing the Republican party press releases saying that Biden was too old.
Use a little common sense. People age cognitively at different rates. There are people in their 50s with debilitating cases of Alzheimer’s, and there are people in their 90s who are mentally sharp. Compare a typical Trump speech and a typical Biden speech. Which one is still capable of uttering coherent sentences? Which one knows the name of his opponent? Which one spouts easily demonstrable nonsense?
Kaleberg:
Pushback is important. And we, you, I, and others. must push back against this false narrative. We overlook too many things thinking people will not vote for him. Indeed in 2020, many did not vote for him and voted for Mickey Mouse, their dog, and anything else beside him or Clinton. Six, five and 4 time as many votes in 2016 for “others” than in 2012. 500,000+ votes in three states put that moron in office. Was it common sense then? No and it took down Clinton.
There is no comparison, cognitive comparison to be made, common sense, speech, coherency which will make the election of Biden a lock for 2024. It made no sense in 2020 and we got stuck with this idiot. And here we are again thinking, oh this will never happen, never happen again because people learned. I am not seeing the same picture as you paint. Your comps are being ignored by people who should know better after 4 years of his reign. And you do not believe it will happen again?
bill
yep. i think you meant 2016 not 2020.
and…for Kaleberg: common sense does not mean sense that is common, but sense about common things. common sense is rare. college professors are famous for not having common sense.
Kaleberg
I suspect he is asking it because the “press” is asking it, and the “young” are saying they won’t vote forBiden because he is too old.
It is very unpleasant to have to confront stupidity, but uncontested stupidity wins every time.
asked why France bothered to fight the Germans, Antoine de St Exupery said…to to the effect… that it is necessary to fight against evil even when you know you are going to lose.
[read the book “Flight To Arras”]
I can’t tell you why the AG elected to release the Hur report or the transcripts of the Hur’s interview of the President. But once those were done, if you wanted to then lower and not raise concerns about Biden, you would just release the tapes of the interviews. What should we think of such an odd choice here when what he said is already known? What is the parsimonious motive for holding those tapes from Congress? I suggest it is that the President’s participation in the interview likely sounds really bad.
@Eric,
I’m not a fan of conspiracy theories myself. YMMV. But I saw Biden’s SOTU speech, and he seemed fine to me. I’ve seen other video of him speaking and he seemed fine. Boring, but fine. Biden talks to people all over the world, and no reports have leaked about dementia.
There’s a transcript. Together with all the other evidence, I don’t think that assuming something bad about the video is the most parsimonious hypothesis.
Eric:
What concerns are we discussing now? Biden really failed miserably at his State of the Union address. yes? Ahhh, no. It is great how Hur resigned his position before going before Congress. What did he have to lose on ratting on Biden then? Hur was picked because he had a history of maintaining a calm and steady demeanor and “approached cases in a nonpartisan way.” according to Rosenstein who hired Hur previously during the trump administration.
There was nothing that came out of the investigation other than a man hoping trump is re-elected and he gets a good position. Due to his inuendo, supposition, and conjecture; Hur just proved he could be bought by future political interests.
As far as the old guy called Joe Biden, he did pretty well during his State of the Union address. In fact, we came out of a pandemic which could have had the same impact as what 2008 had rather well and in spite of Republicans who had greater control of Congress in 2010. Why is that? Maybe the old guy who spent years in the Senate knew what to do during a Covid caused economic disaster.
And then we have your man, trump who favored a tax cut in 2017. It was supposed to be so great, the Repubs passed it using Reconciliation. Ten freaking years later, the nation is saddled with a $2.2 trillion dollar deficit due to lack of tax receipts from corporations who move manufacturing overseas and less taxes on the upper 20% of taxpayers. Not in any one year has trump’s 2017 tax break netted the return in taxes it was claimed to accomplish.
Didn’t you watch Biden’s State of the Union address? How did all of the economic aid happen as proposed by the White House? trump cold not even do half of what Biden did. Oil interests are already writing executive orders on behalf of trump and his yes-man staff because they have no-confidence in trump of his staff to write them. And the oil execs openly admit they are doing it.
Age is not a factor; trump’s continued and creeping insanity is a factor.
Eric
I have agreed with you, partially, on some issues, but the reasoning in your comment here is an example of why I cannot agree with you on others. You rush from no data to a pejorative conclusion with no evidence of thinking whatsoever. Don’t feel bad; you are hardly the only one.
but, for God’s sake..literally in your case… try to see if you can think of other possibilities, other reasons. For example, some of the other comments here suggest reasons why a person might have memory issues or make verbal typos and still have enough accumulated wisdom to be a better choice for president…especially when the other candidate is demonstrably dangerous to the country, and makes worse memory mistakes and verbal blunders in front of everyone.
So, perhaps there is evidence of an ageing brain in the tapes of the interview that would persuade the largely unthinking mass of voters to not vote for him. Why feed the pornographic lusts of those voters? Or maybe the man would just like a little privacy…something like the “Presidential Privilege” demanded by all politicians on either side when it is their turn to prefer to be allowed to speak in private.
On the surace of it there was no reason for the interviewer to make the comments he did….even if he did NOT say what everyone thinks he said: he SAID that Biden could “present himself” as a well meaning old man with memory issues and escape conviction for “intentionally” keeping the documents.
Hope this is not too convoluted for you, but demanding the “evidence” and rushing to a nasty conclusion…already rushed to by his enemies and those who cannot think clearly about the beam in their own eye… is, I think, sadly, not what Jesus would do.