Does Age Matter in Politics?

Résumé détaillé

Getting old can be depressing. Some people try to hide it with plastic surgery or cosmetics. Others accept that old age is a fact of life. It is true that some age faster than others, either

Biden was 81 at the time, Trump 78, a difference of just three years. They were America's oldest ever presidential candidates. The debate took place in Atlanta, Georgia where I was at the time. I watched it live on TV. It quickly became clear to me that Biden had aged mentally and physically faster than Trump. His frail appearance, incoherent answers, unfinished sentences, and inability to challenge Trump’s lies startled me.

I knew soon after the 90-minute debate started that his chances of reelection as president had sunk to near zero, putting Trump, a Republican, in a strong position to make a comeback as president. Biden, a Democrat, eventually quit the reelection race to make way for his vice president, Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump.

Hong Kong’s own recent controversy about the age of Legislative Councilors made me wonder if age really matters. The late US President Jimmy Carter was 94 when I interviewed him in 2018 for my TVB show at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He astonished me with his sharp mind, clear answers, and body language despite his age.

US Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent who sides with the Democrats, is 84 but his fiery speeches, which show no signs of rapid aging, attract huge crowds at political rallies. He has been Maine's senator since 2007, winning reelection every time. Veteran Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, is 85 but still serving in Congress.

Age does matter if a politician is obviously no longer physically or mentally fit for the job. That was the reason Democratic Party leaders and the party’s wealthy donors quietly urged Biden to pull out after his disastrous debate with Trump.

All 12 Legco members aged 70 and above have now decided not to seek reelection in the December polls. Some say they quit under pressure to make way for a younger generation of even more stalwart patriots.

Some younger than 70 have also pulled out, giving reasons ranging from other job…

Some…

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