Researchers gave Joe Biden a theoretical life expectancy of almost 97 years. (File)
Washington:
By no means earlier than has a sitting US president confronted 80 candles on a birthday cake — and the milestone that Joe Biden reaches on Sunday has plain ramifications as he ponders operating once more in 2024.
The White Home to date has not revealed any celebration plans, focusing as a substitute on preparations for the marriage on Saturday of Biden’s granddaughter.
Biden himself jokes concerning the huge 8-0. “I can not even say the age I’m going to be,” he mentioned on MSNBC. “I can not even get it out of my mouth.
And he brushes off questions on whether or not he ought to search reelection that might put him in energy till aged 86, responding with two phrases: “Watch me.”
‘Match for responsibility’
A 12 months in the past, after an in depth medical checkup, docs mentioned Biden had only some minor illnesses and concluded he was “match for responsibility.”
The slender president neither smokes nor drinks, stays bodily energetic, and hasn’t had any main well being issues since having surgical procedure for 2 life-threatening mind aneurysms in 1988.
A examine revealed in 2020 by the College of Illinois even classifies him among the many “tremendous agers” — individuals who, for socio-economic, way of life, and genetic causes, stay longer than the common.
The researchers gave him a theoretical life expectancy of almost 97 years.
However the truth stays that Biden now seems his age: His hair is thinner, and his stroll stiffer.
He retires to his household dwelling in Delaware almost each weekend. In some group images with fellow world leaders, like French President Emmanuel Macron or Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the aged US president seems like a patriarch.
Medical actuality is just not in Biden’s favour — because the years advance, the danger will increase of cognitive decline, sickness, or after-effects of even minor accidents.
Biden’s moments of confusion are extra frequent, as are his verbal stumbles. Republicans make hay of it with ridiculing memes and tweets.
‘The place’s Jackie?’
A couple of weeks again whereas addressing an viewers, Biden sought out a useless congresswoman as if she had been within the room, asking, “The place’s Jackie?”
Historical past suggests {that a} sitting US president concluding the primary time period will run once more.
One instance is Ronald Reagan, reelected in 1984 on the age of 73, despite debates about his age.
When a president seeks reelection, “it saves the social gathering from an costly and divisive social gathering main” which permits it to focus assets on the final election, mentioned Rachel Bitecofer, a Democratic strategist.
But in polling, a transparent majority of People reject the concept of a second Biden time period.
A grassroots Democratic group, RootsAction, has launched a “Do not run Joe” marketing campaign arguing that “he has no automated proper to renomination.”
Among the many open questions are whether or not a president born throughout World Warfare II can mobilize younger voters in 2024, even when his insurance policies have been favorable to them on points like marijuana decriminalization and scholar mortgage forgiveness.
But when not Biden, who?
Vice President Kamala Harris is just not well-liked, and different distinguished Democrats, like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, could also be seen as too inexperienced.
“If there’s going to be a problem of a sitting president, often it’s sort of a firebrand… any person who actually desires to push exhausting,” mentioned Robert Rowland, a political communication skilled on the College of Kansas.
“The obvious particular person to try this can be Bernie Sanders, however (at 81) he is older than Biden.”
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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