{"id":7252,"date":"2023-04-11T06:50:24","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T10:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.silvercentury.org\/?p=7252"},"modified":"2023-04-11T20:12:19","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T00:12:19","slug":"for-the-umpteenth-time-too-old-to-be-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/78.142.243.82\/~silvercentury\/2023\/04\/for-the-umpteenth-time-too-old-to-be-president\/","title":{"rendered":"For the Umpteenth Time: \u2018Too Old to Be President\u2019\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wondering how to respond when people equate a political candidate\u2019s age with their fitness for office? You\u2019ll find plenty of answers in <\/span>\u201cBiden is now America\u2019s first octogenarian president,\u201d <\/span> which appeared in <\/span>Salon.<\/span><\/i> The writer reached out to experts like physician Louise Aronson, MD, and demographer Jay Olshansky, PhD, who warned against ageism. <\/span><\/p>\n

I called out ableism: \u201cIt\u2019s appalling to mock Biden for a stutter he has worked to overcome his entire life. And it\u2019s disgusting to make fun of him for falling off a bike. It\u2019s commendable that he rides a bike and stays physically fit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ageism and ableism rear their ugly heads every electoral cycle. The lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections featured an outbreak of <\/span>major media stories that blamed \u201cgerontocracy\u201d<\/span><\/a> for our broken democratic system. \u201cUmpteenth\u201d in the title of this post refers to <\/span>\u201cHere we go again with \u2018too old to be president,’\u201d<\/a><\/span> written when \u201cold guy\u201d Bernie Sanders was on the campaign trail. I said it then, I said it to <\/span>Salon<\/span><\/i> and I\u2019ll say it again: Generalizations about the capacities of older people are no more acceptable than racial or gender stereotypes. Period.<\/span><\/p>\n

The country\u2019s first octogenarian president is considering running against someone only slightly younger. It\u2019s bringing the haters out. To challenge their ageism and ableism, we need expert evidence. I\u2019m grateful to the <\/span>Salon<\/span><\/i> article for marshaling so much of it.\u2026 <\/span>\u201cDoes age matter?\u201d<\/a><\/span> from the International Council on Active Aging is another good resource. So is this blog.<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter what candidate is under scrutiny, the issue is a political system that prioritizes corporate interests\u2014not the age of the wealthy men who benefit most. The issue is a culture that stigmatizes disability (see <\/span>this post<\/span><\/a> about Senator Diane Feinstein)\u2014not the age at which we encounter it. The issue is capacity\u2014not age.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wondering how to respond when people equate a political candidate\u2019s age with their fitness for office? You\u2019ll find plenty of answers in \u201cBiden is now America\u2019s first octogenarian president,\u201d  which appeared in Salon. The writer reached out to experts like physician Louise…<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more For the Umpteenth Time: \u2018Too Old to Be President\u2019\u00a0<\/span> ›<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

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