Photo: BGNES/ERA
US President Joe Biden will turn 81 today with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey pardon at the White House.
His birthday refocused voters on the fact that the Democrat is the oldest president in American history — and that if he wins a second term, he will be 86 at the end of it.
Biden sometimes jokes about it, and his aides point out that his schedule is filled with energy that would satisfy far younger people. Yet poll after poll shows that the president’s age is the biggest concern for American voters.
Biden “doesn’t make a lot of mistakes,” but he is struggling to change perceptions about his age — as well as other issues like the economy, David Carroll, who teaches management and politics at the University of Maryland, told AFP.
“He’s vibrant, but people just have different opinions,” she added.
Biden has increasingly played down his age to deflect or dispel people’s concerns.
During a visit to meet with union workers in Illinois, he joked, “I know I only look 30 years old, but I’ve been around a long time,” and when a reporter stumbled into the media area, Biden said, “I want the press to know it wasn’t me.”
At other times, Biden has used his age to portray himself as a reliable politician, saying that age brings with it wisdom.
But if re-elected, he would leave office a full nine years older than record holder Ronald Reagan was when he retired at age 77.
The White House has been dismissive of opinion polls as Democrats have made a number of gains in recent elections.
But the numbers are bleak for the party. 74% of people think Biden is too old for a second term, while for Trump this percentage is only 50, according to a recent ABC poll.
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2023-11-20 05:00:00
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