3 October 2019 — 1528 mdt
Age is now an issue
Did Bernie Sanders have a heart attack?
I suspect he did. His campaign said he experienced “discomfort” in his chest, and his spokespeople continue evading a straight answer to the question. If he did not have a heart attack, they would issue a straight, unequivocal, “No.”
He remains in a Las Vegas, NV, hospital, recovering from two stents being inserted in his heart. His wife says he’ll be released this weekend, then fly home to Burlington, VT, and prep for the 15 October Democratic Debate.
Although he’s carrying on with his campaign, I think his medical problems have killed any realistic chance that he can win the Democratic nomination. He’s 78, would be 79 when inaugurated, and 83 at the end of his first term. Should he continue campaigning, he’ll be hitting the hustings at a frenzied pace with a time bomb in his chest. Democrats who ask “Should be risk nominating an old man who could die or be incapacitated a month before the election?” will answer, No.
Joe Biden, 76, will be collateral damage. So, too, I think, will be 70-year-old Elizabeth Warren.
As I noted late last year, younger Democrats win presidential elections. Earlier this year, from 29 April to 13 May, the Pew Research Center interviewed 6,575 Democrats.
When asked about the ideal age for a president, most Democrats say they prefer someone in their 40s through their 60s, with nearly half (47%) saying the best age for a president is “in their 50s.”
Thus far, Sanders, Biden, and Warren, have been running on name recognition, and Democratic primary voters have been running on autopilot. Sanders’ stents will jolt many Democrats out of their complacency, causing them to seriously assess the merits of nominating septuagenarians, especially late decade septuagenarians, for a stint in the White House. It may take a while, but I think most will conclude that their party should nominate a younger person, someone between 40 and 60.
That’s why Steve Bullock, his dismal polling numbers notwithstanding, should stay in the race at least through Iowa and New Hampshire. Given his age, 53, and his experience as a governor and state attorney general, he may gain traction as the Democratic primary electorate withdraws its support for the ancient trio.