It has crossed all of our minds, whether subconsciously or openly. This unanswered question is bound to be debated between voters at some point. The Democratic Party faces turmoil regarding age, as deep down, this question is one of the defining factors of the nomination.
With Donald Trump turning 74 about 4 months before the long-awaited 2020 election, Democrats scramble with their conflicting opinions about how old his future opponent should be. These age-based opinions are really only due to one sense: the immense pressure that the Democratic Party feels to choose the perfect candidate who is able to beat the incumbent. If the party sends a candidate who loses to Donald Trump, Democrats will always wonder ‘what if?’, especially with the closeness of the polls between this election’s nominees. What if Bloomberg has a better chance of beating Trump than Biden does? What if Bernie Sanders is more captivating than we think? What if a Biden-Harris team-up could diminish Trump’s popular campaign? But the problem is that we can’t predict the future. As proven from the 2016 election, anything can happen. So the party must take time to analyze who can give them the best shot at taking down the common enemy who unites them.
A major factor that divides many democrats is whether or not candidates such as Joe Biden (77 years) and Bernie Sanders (78 years) are held back regarding mental and physical capability because of their ages. Old age has been perceived negatively, especially after Senator Bernie Sanders suffered a heart attack early in October while campaigning in Las Vegas. As Sanders continues to campaign, critics name him as unfit to become president. Joe Biden, on the other hand, has not suffered from any recent health issues, but is doubted because of his age, like Sanders.
Young age definitely helps candidates such as Pete Buttigieg, because who wouldn’t want a young, capable, quick-witted candidate who can make Donald Trump look inadequate by just existing? But voters cannot simply associate old age with negativity and instability. Should someone who agrees with Joe Biden’s ideas discredit him because he is older? Definitely not.
I believe that medical issues should be considered, but age alone does not. In my opinion, you should forget age and vote based on ideas. Age bias does exist, but if you believe that someone like Joe Biden is just as capable as the 30 and 40 year olds running against him, you are responsible for acting on your beliefs. If people can argue that Biden is incapable because of his age, I could argue that everyone else is unfit because of lack of experience. There are too many factors to consider to immediately discredit candidates because of a number that nobody can control.
In the long run should age truly matter? I know what I believe, but the rest is up to you.