Ageism In Public Discourse About Biden’s Reelection

Cable news journalists and commentators keep reminding us that if he’s reelected, Joe Biden will be 82-years-old at the start of his second presidential term. For months, they’ve been asking themselves and the American people if Biden is too old to continue in the presidency. The constant interrogation of this question in such a public fashion is blatantly ageist.

It’s neither uncommon nor unreasonable for the press to inquire about a presidential candidate’s fitness to lead. They typically probe and highlight potentially troublesome findings from physicians’ reports. In recent years, no health information has threatened to disqualify a presidential candidate (that, by the way, would be a different form of bias and discrimination). David Frum, a staff writer at The Atlantic, posits in a recent article that Biden’s health between now and the next presidential election is likely to be his “X Factor.” Yet, the current public discourse isn’t about what Biden’s medical records say. It’s almost entirely about his age.

Some commentators occasionally note that Biden has fallen three times since being elected in November 2020: once while playing with his dog, which resulted in hairline fractures in his foot; again while riding his bike; and more recently, on stage at the Air Force Academy graduation where he tripped on a sandbag. Clumsiness may or may not be attributable to Biden’s age. Concerns about this trio of slip-and-falls isn’t what most of the age-focused commentary is about. Instead, the discussions focus more on the number of decades he’s spent in public service, how old he’d be at the end of his second term, and what will happen if he passes away before January 2029. There’s a constitutional answer to the death question, which Frum argues exacerbates concerns about Biden’s likelihood of making it through a full second term.

Fascination with Biden’s age compels media organizations to ask everyday Americans about it explicitly in polls. In an ABC News/Washington Post survey conducted last month, 68% of respondents said Biden is too old for another term. Similarly, in an April 2023 NBC News poll, 70% of respondents felt the president shouldn’t seek reelection – among them, 71% attributed their reasoning to his age. These results make clear that it isn’t just journalists and pundits who are concerned about the 80-year-old leader’s desire to serve four more years. Might it be, though, that the constant conversations about his age on cable news are partially shaping public opinion?

Ageism has become surprisingly acceptable in press coverage about Biden’s pursuit of a second term. In a recent one-on-one interview at the White House, MSNBC’s The 11th Hour host Stephanie Ruhle told the President of the United States, “there’s not a Fortune 500 company in the world looking to hire a CEO in his 80s.” That statement was ageist, even if it’s true. Ruhle then asked, “Why would a 82-year-old Joe Biden be the right person for the most important job in the world?” That question was ageist.

“I have acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom and know more than the vast majority of people,” Biden replied. “And I’m more experienced than anybody that’s ever run for the office. And I think I’ve proven myself to be honorable, as well as also effective.”

The president’s response to Ruhle’s question is what the press should be talking about, not hypothetical predictions of his leadership fitness 54 months from now. When he took office, Biden was already the oldest person to assume the American presidency. According to recent Pew Research Center analyses, he is the world’s ninth-oldest national leader. The ages range from mid-30s to 90. Biden exceeds the median by 18 years. Compared to younger government CEOs around the globe, does the current U.S. president perform less effectively because of his age? There’s no evidence that leaders of other countries make better decisions or are otherwise more successful than Biden because they’re younger.

If broadcast journalists and others insist on continuing to talk about Biden’s age, their questions should focus on whether the current 80-year-old president is effectively doing his job. Unfortunately, how people appraise Biden’s performance will depend largely on whether they’re Republicans or Democrats.

Here’s a specific set of objective, nonpartisan questions: because of his age, does Biden often miss or fall asleep in meetings, has he been unable to travel domestically and internationally to execute his responsibilities, are cabinet members and others in the White House complaining that he moves too slowly on getting things done, is he stuck in the past and only surrounding himself with other people his age, was he out of work for extended time periods after falling off his bike and tripping on a sandbag (he was president-elect when he fractured his foot), did 58-year-old House Speaker Kevin McCarthy just wear him out in the debt ceiling negotiations, and does his behavior pose a credible threat to national security? The answer to each of these questions is no. Hence, the unsubstantiated, inappropriate ageism really should stop.