Jim Shella: Age should be a factor in all of our elections

Joe Biden called it quits for the 2024 election at 81, but age is still an issue in the race for president because Donald Trump, if re-elected, will enter his 80s while in office.

And I’m going to argue that age should be an issue in other races, too.

All you have to do is look at the decline in Biden’s ability to communicate over the last four years to see that age matters. I’ve seen the video comparisons on social media. They are convincing.

So, how old is too old? I don’t think there’s an easy answer to that, and it likely varies from person to person. And, of course, age is just one of many factors to consider.

A year ago, expecting Biden to stay in the race, I wrote the following in this space: “Elections are about choices, and I would choose an incoherent Biden over Trump every day of the week.”

It seemed clever at the time, and it’s true, but no one wants an incoherent president, and the reaction to Biden’s semi-coherent debate performance proves that.

I recently listened to an interview with a big donor to Biden on New York Times audio. He explained that the president’s decision came after three elements came together. First, the polls cracked. Biden’s numbers started to fall. Second, the electoral map expanded; states considered blue states were falling into the swing-state category. And finally, big donors stopped giving money.

After the debate, a number of people asked me if Biden would stay in the race. Without hesitation, I told all of them that the answer was no—he would get out—but that the decision would require some science. The polling that showed support waning and competition growing was that science. But losing donations was the clincher.

That’s what it took to convince Biden that he is too old for another term in the White House.

Can Trump be convinced that he’s too old? I’m sure he can’t. But Democrats will make the case for voters to decide. I personally think there are much better reasons to vote against him, but why not factor age into it?

And why not make age a factor in the race for governor?

If you have to be 30 to be eligible, why not place a limit at the other end of life?

Republican nominee Mike Braun is 70. That means he will be 78 at the end of a second term, and Indiana governors routinely serve two terms. In the time since the law was changed to permit two terms (before the 1972 election), only one elected governor failed to win re-election to a second term. That’s because Mike Pence instead made the dubious decision to become Trump’s running mate. And, of course, Frank O’Bannon died in office in 2003 at the age of 73.

I remember when Bob Orr became the oldest governor in the country following the 1986 elections. He was 69. Orr was 71 when he left office.

(For the record, Democratic nominee for governor Jennifer McCormick is 54.)

So, is 70 too old?

Why do some sectors in our society still require mandatory retirement at age 65?

Why are you eligible for Social Security no later than 67?

Better yet, why do we keep turning to people in the final season of their lives when we look for leadership?

Is the divisive nature of our politics chasing younger people from public service?

I’ll look for answers in November.•

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Shella hosted WFYI’s “Indiana Week in Review” for 25 years and covered Indiana politics for WISH-TV for more than three decades. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.

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