NOW, which candidate is too old and confused to be president?

It's time for the next generation

With Joe Biden dropping his run for re-election, the news media now need to focus their attention on Donald Trump’s age and his lack of coherent thinking.

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Since Biden’s disastrous debate performance three weeks ago, the news media have concentrated on Biden’s unsteady gait, his inability to answer questions clearly, his garbled speech. They have rightly questioned his stamina and whether he’s capable of not only running a vigorous campaign, but whether he’s capable of handling the toughest job in the world two, three, and four years into the future.

Donald Trump has gotten a virtual free pass during this period. Trump is 78 years old. If he’s re-elected, he would finish his term in January 2029 at the age of 82-and-a-half, more than a year beyond Biden’s current age. And look how Joe Biden’s abilities have diminished before our very eyes since he crossed into his 80s.

2029! Think of it!

The media spotlight needs to focus on Trump’s age

Joe Biden was the oldest president ever elected at age 78. The second oldest ever elected? Donald Trump at age 70 way back in 2016. Ronald Reagan was third oldest, at age 69 in 1980 and there’s no question his mind was wandering near the end of his second term.

It’s not right and it’s not normal to be electing presidents that old. And now that Biden is out, the media spotlight needs to fall on Trump’s age and ability to do the job now and four years into the future.

Trump clearly is a different guy these days than when he ran eight years ago. His speeches wander around aimlessly, praising “the late, great Hannibal Lecter”, a fictional movie character who may be late, but he wasn’t great. He thinks he’s entertaining audiences with his riffs on whether it’s preferable to be eaten by a shark or electrocuted.

He told a Las Vegas audience last month that “Virtually 100 percent of new jobs under Biden have gone to illegal aliens. Did you know that? 100 percent.” We did NOT know that, because it’s not even close to being true.

Did the media pile on?

Historians will assess whether the news media have unfairly piled on Joe Biden these past few weeks. Some Biden supporters will say they have. Others may wonder why it took reporters so long to figure out that Biden’s abilities had slipped so significantly.

Regardless, Biden has done the right thing. He has put the country ahead of his pride. CNN analyst Van Jones said, “This is the difference between a politician and a leader.”

In my view, Biden has been a strong president. He picked a competent team that stayed in place. That team got important things done – infrastructure, climate, beefing up the IRS to catch wealthy tax cheaters whom Republican seem to love.

Now is the time to coalesce behind Kamala Harris. For 43 years as a journalist, I did not participate in the political process but after I retired in 2018, Harris was my choice leading up to the 2020 Iowa caucuses. I heard her speak in person. I thought she was bright, competent, personable and articulate. But she didn’t run a great campaign and had to drop out prior to caucuses.

My guess is she learned a lot from that experience. She’s learned a lot as VP. She’s 59. That’s 19 years younger than Trump. She should solidify the Black and female vote. She’s been a strong advocate for women’s reproductive rights. She’s been a prosecutor. Trump has been prosecuted.

I have no doubt the Trump campaign will demonize her like they did Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. They love attacking strong women who don’t stay hidden like Melania. The Trump base would vilify Jesus Christ himself if he ran as a Democrat. It doesn’t matter what Trump’s cultlike base thinks. Harris needs to shore up Democrats shaken to their core by Biden’s decline. She needs to shore up the female and minority vote. She needs to bring working class white men back into the Democratic party.

Her VP pick will be important. I like Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. He has a military background. He’s a former astronaut. He’s calm. Not flashy. (Arizona has a Democrat as governor and could replace Kelly in the Senate with another D.)

Kudos to Joe Biden. What a selfless, courageous act.

It’s time now for that bright media spotlight that has focused on Biden the past three weeks to shine on Trump’s age and abilities. And it’s time for the next generation to take over leadership of this country.

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