Fit for Office: The Real Debate Beyond Biden’s Age
How old is too old to run for president 70, 80, 90?
Imagine watching your grandfather debate on national TV, struggling to find the right words while the world watches.
Indeed, very few people would ever find themselves in this position, but for the Trumps and the Bidens it is their current reality, as the age and health of the top contenders for the world’s most powerful position comes under scrutiny.
When I was in my twenties, just out of college, I applied for many junior management roles. The requirements for these roles were very clear, they needed young, fresh graduates, usually within the age group of 23–30 years for management trainee roles. A forty-year-old couldn’t apply for these positions, similarly, as one advances in age, many organizations impose an age limit, compelling senior executives to exit the workforce to create space for fresh leadership and new ideas.
Yet, when it comes to one of the most psychologically grueling, emotionally draining, and publicly scrutinized roles in the world, very senior citizens continue to dominate these positions.
The President of China Xi Jinping is 71 Years old; Vladimir Putin is also 71, and at 81, President Joe Biden is the oldest sitting president in the United States…
