“America is not past our prime; it’s just that our politicians are past theirs,” presidential candidate Nikki Haley recently told cheering supporters.
But ageism has no place in politics.
Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have been called too old to seek the presidency.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, 82, the fiery activist from Vermont, was critical of a statement made that politicians older than 75 should be required to take a mental competency test.
“I think that’s absurd,” Sanders said. “We are fighting racism. We are fighting sexism. We are fighting homophobia. I think we should also be fighting ageism. ... There are a lot of 40-year-olds out there who ain’t particularly competent.”
The mantra being pushed that a vote for Biden is a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris is despicable at its core.
That kind of logic assumes that, should Biden win, he will be unable to finish his term.
At 81, Biden is the oldest president in American history, but none of us can predict the future.
There are plenty of examples of world leaders who have served the public well into their 70s, 80s and 90s:
- Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s beloved anti-apartheid leader, died at 95. He was 72 when he got out of prison and 75 when he was elected president.
- Winston Churchill served as prime minister of the United Kingdom during World War II and died at 90. He served twice as prime minister and remained in Parliament until a year before his death.
- Queen Elizabeth II ruled for 70 years, making her the longest-serving monarch in British history. She died at 96.
- And Pope Francis, 87, is one of the oldest popes in the church’s 2,000-year history.
So when Haley proposes term limits for Congress and mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old, it is divisive and unnecessary.
After all, no leader rules alone. The best leaders are those who surround themselves with brilliant people.
Besides, ordinary seniors are doing remarkable things with the time they have left.
According to Guinness World Records:
- Aerial gymnast Betty Goedhart was 84 when she did a record-breaking performance. She didn’t become a trapeze artist until she was 78.
- Tao Porchon-Lynch, at 100, was the oldest competitive ballroom dancer and the world’s oldest yoga teacher. She died at 101.
- Dorothy Hoffner of Ottawa, Illinois, was the oldest woman to go skydiving. She was 104.
Politicians should pray for senior leaders instead of using age-shaming to try to force them out.
In the end, voters have the final say.
