Stop Worrying About Biden’s Age

Joe Biden is a great president. That is the first thing that must be said about him, yet too seldom is. He has shepherded into law a potent list of nation-altering legislation despite rabid and relentless MAGA opposition. For one thing, he has catalyzed action and spending on climate, thus putting the U.S. in a historic lead among developed nations in addressing arguably the world’s greatest longterm crisis. Not only that, but with the help of cabinet members he recruited like the extraordinary Antony Blinken, Biden is helping keep a lid on an extremely volatile world. The ranks of global leaders include too many despots and hate-mongers. It takes a deft and practiced hand to lead at times like this.

And Biden is a vastly-experienced and calm public servant who has seen it all in his 36 years as a U.S. senator, 8 years as vice president, and 3 years as president. Few if any American presidents have ever had such experience. His presidency thus far has been among the most successful of our lifetimes, probably achieving more than anyone since Lyndon Johnson, who brought us the Great Society and the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964.

So why are so many, even in his own party, shaking in their boots at the prospect that Biden will insist on running for a second term?

Omigod he is 81 years old! Yeah, and when you live longer you accumulate more wisdom. You also, as has been incessantly noted in recent weeks, sometimes forget names and dates, and even speak more slowly. That’s especially true if you have had a lifelong speech impediment, as Biden does. It means nothing in terms of his capacity to lead, or to think clearly about the big challenges we face. But you would not know that from the orgy of media speculation and endless reports of hand-wringing across the Democratic establishment. How idiotic is it to say that the president who is doing such a good job is too old to do a good job?

Thomas Jefferson was terrified of public speaking and almost never spoke in public. Most people would probably say he did a decent job. When he gave his “state of the union” speeches to Congress, he did it in writing.

It's important to view the media’s Biden criticism circus in the context of the crisis in the media itself. It’s tough to make money with news these days. Virtually all media companies today are obsessed with a frenzied search for digital clicks and views. They demand drama, and seek out and celebrate uncertainty. Creating a closely-matched presidential horserace is useful for much of that media, because it creates a tick-tock of alternating headlines that keeps viewers engaged. Social media, which most professional media both reviles and is addicted to, exacerbates this dynamic.

Trump is not an equivalently legitimate candidate and opponent of the President. To pretend, as too much of the media does, that he is a legitimate aspirant to return to the Oval Office is dangerous and irresponsible. Many mistakenly call him a businessman, but he’s really just a landlord.

I refuse to believe that the American people are capable of such a catastrophic act of self-destruction as re-electing Donald Trump. Just because he is likely to be the candidate of something still called the Republican party doesn’t mean the American media should treat that candidacy as a legitimate claim to American leadership. Just because we have a tradition of two parties in America doesn’t mean they both still really exist at the national level. Trump is working to install his daughter-in-law as a co-chairperson of the Republican National Committee!

My suspicion is that the MAGA party—no longer properly called “Republicans”–faces the risk of a historic, era-defining rout this fall. Their relentless insistence on mimicking Trump and casting themselves against so much that the majority of Americans care about bodes ill for their chances of victory. How can a party hoping for national success oppose so many deeply held beliefs and convictions held by the American people? Most Americans cherish and respect democracy, believe in personal freedom (especially the right to abortion), want to increase not diminish our battle against climate change, respect the historic role of the U.S. as a protector of peace, and desperately hope for the sensible regulation of firearms. And yes, apparently most Americans like Taylor Swift. At the heart of the American project is an acceptance and openness to difference. Intolerance, so central to the MAGA brand, is not only morally wrong, but psychologically a turnoff, especially for those under 30 and baby boomers like myself who were molded in the 60s and 70s.

As for Biden, it’s worth considering that one reason he is so determined to run again may be because he knows more than we do about the true risks the country and the world face. He probably believes his experience situates him well to address those risks.

And a president doesn’t govern alone.  Ably assisting Biden is an extraordinary cabinet that is achieving solid and progressive results managing and running our country. It is the best group of department heads and cabinet secretaries in decades. And Vice President Kamala Harris herself now has three years of White House experience closely working with Biden under her belt. Some may find her lacking in charisma, but she would be at least as good as any other Democrat in the unlikely event that Biden were unable to fulfill his responsibilities. It seems to me she is rising to the challenge of the job like never before.

There used to be, in most societies, a tradition of reverence for elders–the presumption that their long lives imparted wisdom from which others could learn and benefit. But that’s not the kind of value or tradition that can well be represented by a sensationalizing social media, where most people today get their information and news. Nonetheless, whether most younger Americans recognize it or not, people like Joe Biden who are devoted to their work typically get better at it as they go.

Note: I am a journalist and analyst covering technology, social media, and climate. I wrote this out of frustration at the tone of current discussion about the presidential race. I hope others who feel strongly about the urgent need to re-elect President Biden will also speak out where and how they can.