The death of Hage Geingob in early February, at the age of 82, was not a personal disaster or a political catastrophe. Despite his influential role as the leader of Namibia, a country with roughly half the population of Ireland, his passing was not monumental in personal or political terms. The crux of this event lay in the fact that he was the only seated elected leader older than current US President, Joe Biden.
Aging affects everyone differently. Take Bernie Sanders, for example. He was 82 in February when we participated in a public event together in Dublin. Bernie was mentally agile and intellectually sharp, both in his public persona and in private conversations. Similar can be said for Ireland’s President, Michael D. Higgins, who at 83 is also older than Biden.
However, it’s important to note that these men aren’t governing nations. Furthermore, they do not harbour ambitions of continuing to govern their respective nations well into their 80s, something Biden, should he win a re-election, would do. In truth, Biden hasn’t always seemed mentally vigorous or sharp, even prior to his lackluster debate with Donald Trump. It seems clear that his advanced age is an obstacle to the monumental task he faces.
The question arises – why did it require such a calamitous breakdown for America’s liberal sector to acknowledge this publicly? The forthcoming election in November stands as one of the most momentous in the nation’s history, with the future of American democracy hanging in the balance. All of us with a shred of sense perceive that the stakes for both America and the global community are sky-high.
In such a pivotal situation, the failure of the political and media landscape to recognise and publicly declare that Biden should not run for a second term is not merely a sin of evasion. It’s nothing short of negligence.
The generation of baby boomers, once energised by Bob Dylan’s youthful contempt in his lyrics, “Senators, congressmen, please heed the call, don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall”, have seemed to stand back, watch an ongoing political disaster, and refuse to acknowledge the reality that lies before them.
Biden’s determination to aim for the 2024 Presidency may simply be an old man’s misguided ambition. He had an opportunity to gracefully exit the political arena, with credits for his role in enabling the US to recover from the Trump era, successfully maintaining the US economy amid the pandemic, executing crucial healthcare reforms for millions of average citizens, and spearheading the first significant American initiative for dealing with climate change. His contributions during a critical period for the nation had the potential to secure his legacy as a leader who came to rescue his nation at a tumultuous time and steered it to a brighter future steadfastly.
The sole rationale behind his decision not to step back is his inflated self-importance. Biden seems to have succumbed to a messiah complex, believing that he is the sole barrier against Trump’s return. Strangely, this is reminiscent of Trump’s proclamation that the US was in shambles and only he could restore it. Although Biden’s motivations are far more benign, he is nonetheless ensnared in the “I alone” fallacy.
This is indeed a fallacy because it overlooks a glaring truth: The American populace is hesitant about an aged President. In public opinion polls, a mere three percent of American adults stated that being in the 70s or older is ideal for a US President. Almost half of Democrats believe the most suitable age for a President is in the 50s, with a quarter favouring Presidents in their 40s. Interestingly, all Democratic presidents elected since 1961 fell within these age groups, Biden being the only anomaly.
Critics might argue that this sentiment is ageism or unjust, but such arguments are futile. In a democratic society, the electorate’s preferences must be acknowledged. Ignoring them during usual circumstances is unwise; during times of significant turmoil, it is imprudently daring.
Supporters who have enabled Biden’s self-centric perception adopt a defence based on a debatable argument, suggesting that Trump is nearly as old as Biden and exhibits many signals of mental fog. Regarding Trump’s often bewildering remarks, including claiming that he triumphed over Obama in 2016 or that Kim Jong-un is the Chinese leader; everyone is aware that Trump is held to a different set of standards. No matter how irrational he appears, it’s always brushed off as ‘just Trump being Trump.’
The issue of Biden’s ageing was thrust into the political spotlight in January, following special counsel, Robert Hur’s, report on Biden’s possession of official documents in his private residences. Hur, a Republican, utilised this opportunity to depict Biden as an ‘elderly man with an impaired memory’ and ‘reduced cognitive ability’.
In response, Democrats ardently argued that such wording was strategically chosen for its potential political impact. In a subsequent press conference, Biden sought to quell apprehensions about his memory, asserting “my memory is completely intact.” However, he mistakenly referred to the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as “the Mexican President, el-Sisi.”
This press conference was notably damaging, in much the same vein as his performance in last week’s debate. It was a significant awakening to the reality that Biden’s ‘reduced cognitive ability’ was undeniably going to influence the election, and that he could not be relied upon to provide public performances that would assuage these concerns. Despite this, the Democrats hit the pause button, and the majority of their media supporters continued to deny that anything was wrong.
The reality is that things are not as they should be. There is a clear and present danger of America being returned to a Trump, who is far more harmful than he was in 2016: more unhinged, more vindictive, more blatantly employing Nazi rhetoric, more disdainful of all constitutional checks, more confident than ever that he can get away with absolutely anything.
So, what are the Democrats afraid of? Hurting Joe Biden’s ego? Being labelled ageist? Behaviour which is considered impolite? If so, they are preoccupying themselves with minor worries, refusing to confront the dread that is looming large – and which affects us all.