Was Winston Churchill too old when he saved the world from Nazism and served as British prime minister at age 81? Was Ronald Reagan too old when he led the fight to dismantle communism and served as president at the age of 78? Was Nelson Mandela hampered by the fact he was 81 when he won world renown and later became South Africa’s Prime Minister? The history books chant an emphatic “no”.
Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, and Nelson Mandela are three leaders who would grace an honorary roll of all leaders at any time. If Churchill had been dismissed as too old the likely prime minister would have been Lord Halifax, a hardline appeaser of Adolf Hitler.
So then, why is Joe Biden so old in the eyes of many and what evidence does anyone really have that he will die in office?
Americans are rushing to judgment just as many did way back in 1864 when the conduct of the American Civil War was entrusted for a second term to a country hick called Abraham Lincoln.
America in 1864 was in severe danger of being irrevocably partitioned as the Civil War, with its massive death toll, seemed endless and hope was dying for prospects for peace.
So the cry went out in many political gatherings to replace the president, that obdurate man who refused to agree to discussions to accept disunion and leave the South to continue slavery.
They voted for a shiny new object, a general beloved by all his troops who had been made the scapegoat for many military setbacks before being relieved of his duty by Lincoln, the village idiot.
They flocked to General George McLellan, a man who had led the army of the Potomac in many glorious battles.
Wasn’t he known as “the Little Napoleon," the French leader, who was the greatest general of all?
Except McLellan had, in fact, lost almost every battle he fought in even though he had superior manpower and gunpowder. He was, in fact, a coward of a commander and all boots, no battle.
He was no leader.
America survived its greatest threat to its very existence because it turned again to Abraham Lincoln and there was never an attempt again to destroy the Republic.
Now centuries after that event the issue of democracy and the survival of the constitution is front and center.
And once again many are crying for a new leader to take charge and turn back the Trump tide. “Joe Biden must go” is the mutter.
They claim old men (or women) should not rule despite the fact that if ever there was a tie for the “old dog for the hard road". By the way, only 37 percent of Americans wanted Ronald Reagan to run again, midway through his first term.
Frankly, Biden is a man of his age, a skilled politician with over 50 years of experience to draw on.
It cannot be just a coincidence that since coming to power he destroyed Donald J. Trump in the race for the presidency, led an extraordinary round of success in the midterms, and is still delivering on tangibles such as the cost of healthcare and making it cheaper. But many in the media want a shiny new bauble or a narcissist who makes great copy.
I don’t believe Biden is in trouble.
Last time I looked, 90 percent of Democrats stated they would support the party nominee. There is no evidence whatsoever that he will drop dead during his 80s. Yet the media, liberal and right-wing, keep accepting and spreading the myth as if it is gospel.
Sure he may have lost a few MPH off his fastball but last time I looked he could still pitch an excellent game. He will be nominated and will win again.
He is the old dog for the hard road, proven and tested, a safe choice in a dangerous world.
Joe Biden has proven he is fit to be president and can take us through these troubled times. His age is not the issue, it is competency and decency. He has lots of both.
Comments