Age Seen as Growing Issue for Biden's Candidacy

With all three Democratic frontrunners in their 70s, age is becoming a subtext of the 2020 presidential campaign. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who turns 77 next month, seems to be drawing the most scrutiny in this regard.

Biden has been making gaffes in his speeches for years, reports Politico, but now voters are seeing incidents such as his thinking he was in Vermont when he was in New Hampshire as less like "Joe being Joe" and more like a warning of his advancing age.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, 78, is actually the oldest candidate of the lot, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren is 70, but Biden's age has remained a major issue for many voters and insiders who question if his actions point to a candidate who is too old to serve as president.

Before now, only three presidents have been in office while in their 70s: Donald Trump, Ronald Reagan, and Dwight Eisenhower. However, none finished in office at the age that Biden or Sanders would be sworn in.

Trump coined the nickname "Sleepy Joe" to poke at Biden's age, but there have also been candidates from his own party, including Reps. Tim Ryan and Eric Swalwell, Sen. Cory Booker, and Julian Castro, who have brought up questions and accusations about Biden's years.

The difference between the three top candidates being in their 70s is that Biden has called for a return to the time before Trump came to office, while Warren and Sanders have been demanding change.

Sanders' age, however, became an issue this past week as well when he underwent a procedure to place stents in an artery.

Paul Maslin, a top Democratic pollster, said Warren is likely to draw from Sanders' supporters if he remains off the campaign for a substantial amount of time. Warren said at a Las Vegas forum this week that everyone there "wishes [Sanders] well" and wants to see him "strong and back on the trail as soon as possible."

The fact remains, though, that three candidates in their 70s, who are already older than Trump was when he took office, are commanding three-fourths of their party's early support for the nomination to challenge him next year.

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