Rise Of The Geriatric State
<p>I’m convinced we are going to see a politician die on TV — and not because of an assassination.</p>
<p>Neither of our two likely presidential candidates can run up a flight of stairs without great risk. Even back in January 2021, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/why-are-these-people-so-freaking-old/607492/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">the top three candidates</a> (Trump, Biden, and Sanders) would have each been the oldest president ever at the start of their terms.</p>
<p>Mitch McConnell’s eyes are rolling back like a ref is giving him a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_eight_count" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">standing 8 count</a> against Mike Tyson. His publicized medical report <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/05/mcconnell-brain-scans-found-no-stroke-seizures-after-second-freeze-doctor-says.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.CopyToPasteboard" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">said there were</a> no signs of any problem. But politicians decide if medical reports are released. For context, Trump’s doctor also said he was in “extraordinary” good health.</p>
<p>I’ve also stopped buying into Biden’s speech impediment excuse. Watch a few of his younger speeches — there’s a huge difference. Notably, he was also one of the youngest senators in history at age 30. At the time, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCZ5_XwqchE" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">he said</a>, “The seniority system has more drawbacks than merits”.</p>
<p>God bless Biden for hanging in there but even as a left-leaning moderate, I can’t watch anymore. Per a NYT piece, even his aides <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/09/us/politics/biden-age-democrats.html" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">are extremely nervous</a> each day, worried he’ll fall or make another serious gaffe.</p>
<p>Politicians have never been a bastion for youth — but a revival is in order. I watched the Republican debates and saw a number of bright candidates, who’d be a much better alternative to Trump. But we are boxed in as usual. Even my parents, who are die-hard conservatives, have lost their enthusiasm.</p>
<p><a href="https://seanjkernan.medium.com/rise-of-the-geriatric-state-360483d29771"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>