Does Age Matter in our Presidential Election?
America’s major party candidates are among the oldest ever to serve as POTUS. How old is too old to lead?
The topic of memory has taken center stage recently, as both US Presidential candidates have committed several cringe-worthy gaffes. These mental slip-ups have prompted a raft of speculation about how old is too old to lead our country.
What’s the answer? In a nutshell, it depends. The fact is that cognitive aging shows a huge degree of variability among individuals. While some older adults show big declines over time, others remain as sharp as ever.
We’ve been here before
Before we dive into the cognitive effects of aging, a little background: This isn’t the first time age has been a factor in US elections.
The 1984 Presidential campaign featured Republican Ronald Reagan, age 73, running against Democrat Walter Mondale — a veritable youngster at age 56. During a nationally televised debate, Reagan was asked about his advanced age.
His answer was a zinger. “I want you to know that I will not make age an issue of this campaign,” Reagan intoned gravely. “I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”
