Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumWe talked to experts on aging about the 2020 field. Here's what they told us. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/20/joe-biden-old-age-1468635One medical expert says Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Donald Trump are part of the population known as 'superagers.'
-snip-
But concerns about Bidens age and mental fitness are likely overblown, according to experts on aging and the brain, as well as actuarial tables used by the insurance industry to estimate the health and longevity of customers.
The two brain aneurysms Biden suffered in 1988 were fully treated and he showed no signs of mental trouble as a result, said Dr. Neal Kassell, who performed the surgery on Biden three decades ago. Nor did Biden suffer any brain damage that could come back to haunt him in old age, Kassell said.
He is every bit as sharp as he was 31 years ago. I havent seen any change, Kassell said. I can tell you with absolute certainty that he had no brain damage, either from the hemorrhage or from the operations that he had. There was no damage whatsoever.
Biden isnt the only presidential candidate facing questions about age five of them are 70 or older, including 73-year-old Donald Trump but there's reason not to fret about the others, either.
-snip-
But Olshansky points out that presidential candidates are probably healthier than the average U.S. citizen and will likely live longer than the average as a result. People who have good health care, are more highly educated and have pensions generally live longer.
They all belong to a subgroup of the population that is privileged. And privileged subgroups tend to live longer and better than the average, Olshansky said. Despite Bernie Sanders perhaps claiming otherwise, hes part of the 1 percent. Actually, its more like 1/100 of 1 percent.
Olshansky said the older candidates could belong to a group of what are called superagers, people who live into their 80s but show a mental sharpness as if they were in their 50s or 60s.
-snip-
Bidens physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a statement provided by the campaign that Vice President Biden is in excellent physical condition. He is more than capable of handling the rigors of the campaign and the office for which he is running.
Kassell, who performed brain surgery on Biden, went a step further: I am going to vote for the candidate who I am absolutely certain has a brain that is functioning. And that narrows it down exactly to one.
-snip-
The article goes on to refer to a 2011 study by Olshansky (who led a recent study of 2020 presidential candidates for the American Federation for Aging Research) that showed 2/3 of our past presidents who've died of natural causes lived longer than what was predicted by actuarial tables, indicating that even though the office of president supposedly ages people more quickly than normal, people healthy enough to run for president and win will generally tend to live longer than expected anyway.
Much more at the link.
So Biden, Sanders and Warren are superagers.
I like that.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
virgogal
(10,178 posts)you have taken care of yourself.I would be more comfortable with a younger president.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
highplainsdem
(48,886 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Princetonian
(1,501 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Skya Rhen
(2,701 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hekate
(90,518 posts)Shhhh.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Tiggeroshii
(11,088 posts)The poster is clearly suporting a younger candidate. The other of whom will be in his 80s before his first term is up.
I on the other hand am not using age as a qualification here.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)I have been hoping a younger candidate would emerge with plans and ideas and economic expertise Warren has, but it hasn't happened yet.
I do have concerns about her age, but if I were going to vote today it would be her.
Anything that compromises our physical and cognitive wellness can happen to any of us, odds of that happening increase with age. Exceptions don't disprove the rule. I think it's a relevant factor.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Demsrule86
(68,454 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Tiggeroshii
(11,088 posts)Saying she is over 70 is kind of misleading.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Demsrule86
(68,454 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Tiggeroshii
(11,088 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
hlthe2b
(102,101 posts)None of our candidates is the physical (and mental) wreck that Trump is and has been for at least a decade.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
elleng
(130,699 posts)I ignore.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Hekate
(90,518 posts)...said Joe Biden's brain surgeon. Damn that made me laugh out loud.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
elocs
(22,538 posts)But I've noticed here they get put-down in an attempt to shut them up by labeling them as "ageist".
Sounds a lot like how those who are perceived as not being sufficiently liberal enough get smeared as being "DINOs" or "Republican Lite".
An explanation such as in the OP is preferable to name calling and reading supporters get bent out of shape and defensive about any question concerning their candidate's age.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Demsrule86
(68,454 posts)Also, there is such a thing as early dementia you know.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
elocs
(22,538 posts)But Biden supporters are so hyper sensitive and defensive about is age that they want to brand you as ageist even if you bring it up.
But it's disingenuous to claim that old age makes no difference because anybody over 65 who is honest about it would tell you it does, that it can. And just because someone raises age as a legitimate concern does not mean they are smearing Biden who evidently has a thicker skin about the issue than do his supporters.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Demsrule86
(68,454 posts)only. Anecdotal evidence is not evidence and should not be used to determine a person's mental capacity.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)If however, there is no objective evidence, it's (at best) merely a bumper sticker or (at worst) simply another volley of nothing-burgers thrown at the wall in hope one sticks.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(144,876 posts)Link to tweet
He is every bit as sharp as he was 31 years ago. I havent seen any change, Kassell said. I can tell you with absolute certainty that he had no brain damage, either from the hemorrhage or from the operations that he had. There was no damage whatsoever....
When you hear somebody on TV and they make a mistake during a speech or a debate, youve got to cut them some slack, Olshansky said. If youve ever given a speech, its not easy standing in front of a crowd of people especially standing in front of television cameras with millions of people watching and avoiding verbal mistakes.
Bidens physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a statement provided by the campaign that Vice President Biden is in excellent physical condition. He is more than capable of handling the rigors of the campaign and the office for which he is running.
Kassell, who performed brain surgery on Biden, went a step further: I am going to vote for the candidate who I am absolutely certain has a brain that is functioning. And that narrows it down exactly to one.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
crazytown
(7,277 posts)Put down the reading lasses. Not a truthful thing for a neurologist to say.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
highplainsdem
(48,886 posts)And, ahem, a gaffe, or at least a typo. Please don't worry about what it says about your age.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
crazytown
(7,277 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
highplainsdem
(48,886 posts)But that was a remarkably funny one.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
crazytown
(7,277 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
highplainsdem
(48,886 posts)And speaking of photos, did you notice that the new Biden ad uses that Oval Office photo you found last month?
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=246449
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
crazytown
(7,277 posts)by searching Oval Office and sunshine ... and up came Barack and Joe, from the Obama library. I had not seen it before. It's now a favorite ... excellent.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Demsrule86
(68,454 posts)You don't like Biden so you don't want t believe it...I had an 80 + year old lawyer during a malpractice suit years ago...he was sharp as a tack. Biden is fit and seems fine to me...but then I like him. Warren is not much younger so people could say the same about her...I wouldn't of course.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
emmaverybo
(8,144 posts)majority of senior adults do NOT go on to dementia and other cognitive disorders. We will look back someday and realize that our older adult candidates helped to break ageist stereotypes.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-potential-of-the-aging-mind_b_7989946
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BannonsLiver
(16,284 posts)Im pretty sure Biden and Warren could run a couple miles without much difficulty, if any at all. Bernie and Donnie not so much.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided