USM Professor Offers Thoughts on Age Factor in Presidential Election

Mon, 01/22/2024 - 08:39am | By: Van Arnold

How old is too old to run for president of the United States? Voters have no doubt been pondering – and debating - that question in this election year given the ages of the current President, Joe Biden, and his foremost challenger, former President Donald Trump.

Democrat Biden, who won the presidential election in 2020 is now 81 and Republican front-runner Trump, who lost that election to Biden, is 77. Trump was the oldest person elected to a first term (2016) - until Biden assumed that distinction.

University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Associate Professor of political science Dr. Joe Weinberg downplays the impact that age might have as the 2024 presidential election nears.

“I suppose it depends on the (media) outlet, but since both parties face it as an issue, I suspect it won’t be as prevalent as it would, or should, be in other years,” said Weinberg. “By way of an analogy, when both candidates are white men, race and sex aren’t much of an issue.”

Currently, there is no age limit on serving as U.S. president, however the Constitution does stipulate that a candidate must be at least 35 years of age. Weinberg does not favor placing an age limit on those who seek the country’s highest office.

“No, I think that ideally the American voters can suss that out,” he said. “Granted, they haven’t, but additional legislation seems unnecessary, and to actually institute the change you would need a constitutional amendment, and those are just not politically feasible these days. For what it’s worth, I’m not really in favor of a minimum age either.”

An August poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 77% of U.S. adults, including 69% of Democrats, viewed Biden as too old to be effective for four more years. The same poll found that 51% of adults - and just 28% of Republicans - said Trump is too old.

Biden turns 82 in November and Trump turns 78 in June. For the past several years, Trump has repeatedly referred to Biden as “Sleepy Joe,” questioning the president’s cognitive powers. Meanwhile, Trump has taken his share of criticism for lapses in memory and other gaffes along the campaign trail.

What does Weinberg have to say about the assertion that Biden might suffer from cognitive impairment?

“I don’t spend enough time with the guy to assess his or Mr. Trump’s cognitive skills,” said Weinberg. “I suspect that everyone has ‘senior moments’ at those ages, but I’m less concerned about forgetting words during a speech than I would be about diminished intellectual capacity on key issues.”

Weinberg explained that another compelling aspect of the upcoming election intrigues him more – the vice-presidential candidates.

“There are so many other issues that concern me more than their ages,” he said. “I think that, if anything, it makes me much more interested in who the running mates are, and if I can see them governing, or if they are merely placed on the ballot to garner votes.”

Kamala Harris, former U.S. senator from California, currently serves as the vice president under Biden. Trump has not indicated whom he might select as a running mate if chosen as the GOP nominee. Former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence served as vice president during the Trump administration (2017-2020).

One thing Weinberg feels certain about: supporters of Biden and Trump cannot be swayed by a single factor such as age.

“Some voters will vote for (Ron) DeSantis in primaries because of it, or for a Democratic alternative on the Biden side, but no one is jumping ship from the Trump camp to the Biden camp or vice-versa,” said Weinberg. “It (age) could affect turnout, but so could any other number of factors related to voter fatigue and general dissatisfaction with the democratic process.”