As the US President Joe Biden celebrates his 81st birthday on Monday, he acknowledges that his age is also his biggest handicap a year before the 2024 presidential election. During a speech to workers in the automotive industry, he mocked concerns about his physical fitness and mental sharpness. However, recent polls show that Americans do not believe that he is fit to be president. The former chief strategist of the Democrats, David Axelrod, advises Biden to ask himself whether he is running for personal or national interest.
Biden has already become the oldest president in American history and will turn 86 years old if he wins a second term. According to his last systematic examination in February, Biden is in good health. However, some people question whether it is fair to focus on age when evaluating a candidate’s fitness to hold office. Stuart Jay Olshansky, who studies longevity at the University of Illinois, believes that aging is not what it used to be and that people should focus on what they can do rather than their age.
Before the 2020 election, Biden cut back on his travel due to the pandemic. But this time, he will have to travel across America as he takes on increasing responsibilities as president. Although his doctor describes him as “strong,” there is no doubt that Biden’s appearance corresponds to his age. His gait is very stiff, his voice is often weak and difficult to hear, and his speech was otherwise slurred. He now enters Air Force One via a shorter staircase instead of the more unstable but larger stairs that allowed him to pose near the top.
Despite joking about being too old and repeating that his age guarantees wisdom on matters of American political life and turmoil in the world, many Americans do not believe that he is fit enough for another term as president. For genetic reasons, Biden and Trump are likely so-called “superseniors,” meaning they remain fit at an advanced age
