Consider This from NPR - How Important Are Biden And Trump's Ages? We Asked Older Voters.

Episode Date: September 24, 2023

As president Joe Biden's campaign for a second term gets underway, a slew of recent polls show that voters have concerns about his age. At the end of a second term, he would be 86 years old. The Republican frontrunner, former president Donald Trump, is just a few years younger.We wanted to check in with some voters who have first-hand experience with aging: seniors. So we headed to Pittsburgh and the surrounding suburbs, a pivotal region in a pivotal state in the 2024 race, and spoke with older voters how they're thinking about age in this election.Email us at [e-mail] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This message comes from Indiana University. Indiana University is committed to moving the world forward, working to tackle some of society's biggest challenges. Nine campuses, one purpose. Creating tomorrow, today. More at iu.edu. The other day in Zillian, Opal, Pennsylvania, I asked 88-year-old David Reckless what's changed for him since he was 80. Energy. Energy. I used to be more or less the energy bunny, you know. I mean, I still work out, you know.

You seem pretty energetic. Yeah, I know, but it's not what you think. More naps in my day, you know, that kind of thing. It's a question that's pretty relevant to next year's presidential election, because President Joe Biden, who's 80 now, is running for a second term. He'd be 86 at the end of it. And Biden's most likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, is 77. To put it another way, if you judge it by the age at the start of their term,

there's a good chance that next year voters will be choosing between the oldest and the second oldest presidents in U.S. history. My personal opinion is that neither one should be running. Things go downhill in a hurry sometimes. And I think both of them are probably in pretty good health right now, but two, three, four years down the road, I'd be concerned about that. For all the issues out there, including Trump's multiple felony indictments and upcoming trials, age, particularly Biden's age, has become a big factor in the race.

Biden often jokes about it. I know I don't look that old, I know. I'm a little under 103. But when he stumbles in a speech or in real life... We do begin tonight with the frightening image today, President Biden falling on stage at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. It gets a lot of attention, and a slew of recent polls show voters have concerns. According to a new CBS poll, only 34% of voters think

President Biden would actually make it through a second term if reelected. Consider this. Age is an issue in the upcoming presidential election, even for voters who are older than the likely candidates. Seniors weigh in on age and politics. From NPR, I'm Scott Detrow. It's Sunday, September 24th. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things in other currencies.

Send, spend, or receive money internationally, and always get the real-time mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Download the WISE app today, or visit WISE.com. T's and C's apply. This message comes from Indiana University. Indiana University performs breakthrough research every year, making discoveries that improve human health, combat climate change, and move society forward. More at iu.edu forward. Support for NPR

comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theschmidt.org. It's Consider This from NPR. In recent weeks, poll after poll has shown that many voters are worried about the age of the two likely nominees, especially Biden, and next year's presidential election. We decided to talk about it with some experts, older voters, people around the age of Trump and Biden.

And not just any group of seniors, seniors who live in western Pennsylvania, a place that'll have an outsized role in deciding the next president. Right, left, right, left, right, left. But at our first stop, the Vintage Center for Active Adults in Pittsburgh, producer Connor Donovan and I ran into a problem. We wanted to interview people in a line dancing class,

and the organizers demanded a bit of a quid pro quo. Okay, you want something from us, we want something from you, too. What's that? You're going to have to do a dance with us. That's fair. Okay. We hit the dance floor. This is a little call-out dance that Stella's going to have to do a dance with us. That's fair. Okay. We hit the dance floor.

This is a little call-out dance that Stella's going to call it out. Okay. Easy dance. Here we go. All right, let's do it. And I'll admit, I struggled with some of the crossover steps especially, way more than the regulars, like 70-year-old Nettie Henning. She's line dancing five times a week,

and that's just one item on her packed schedule. I sew. I play pinochle. I am learning bridge. Oh, yeah? I like things that challenge my brain. Henning says in theory she would like to see someone younger step up. But she supports Biden and thinks the questions about his age are being blown out of proportion. Sometimes does he look tired? Yeah. Heck, when I travel abroad, when I was much younger,

I would be tired. So I think that his health is in good standing. Her fellow line dancer, Len Zappler, sees things differently. He's 85, about the age Biden would be at the end of a second term. My chief worry is I'm losing it. And he's on the verge of losing it, I think. So I wouldn't want this guy out there running the show. So when you think about his age and his ability to do the job, you're thinking about yourself? I'm thinking about, yeah. At the same time, Zappler is also a good example of a dynamic Biden's advisors repeatedly point to when asked about these polls showing so many voter concerns about Biden's age.

They say all of that changes when voters think about the race as a choice. Zappler is a Republican. He voted for Trump in 2016 and again in 2020. But he says after the past few years, he can't do it again. I'd be hard-pressed to vote, but I think I'd vote for Biden if I had to. I hope he has a very stalwart and capable vice president. That's what I would pray for. To dig deeper into how older voters are thinking about all of this, we gathered a group from the greater Pittsburgh area,

people from different political backgrounds who we sat down with at the Passavant Community run by Lutheran Senior Life. And while more than one of our interviewees told us that age is just a number, we will start by having them list their ages. Susan Hughes. I'll be 77 in a couple weeks. John Fuller. I'm 81.

Rosa Lee Bablack. I was 86 on Tuesday. And Prest. John Fuller. I'm 81. Rosalie Bablak. I was 86 on Tuesday. And Preston Scheimer. And I'm 84. Oh, I am the youngest. You are. The panelists all agree on one thing, that young people have a lot of misconceptions about what it means to get older.

Here's John. We live in a society where obsolescence is a reality. We discard things. We live in a society where obsolescence is a reality. We discard things. We get rid of it. I think young people sometimes think that older people are the same way. And Rosalie. I think it's important that we let young people know it's not frightful. The passage of life is good, and it's good at being old.

We enjoy ourselves, too. We have fun. But when it comes to the age of the likely presidential candidates in 2024, views begin to diverge. When you see coverage of President Biden, when you pay attention to the news, what has stood out to you? What stands out to me is that Joe Biden is coping with his aging process very well. He's kept his diet down. He's lean and slim. His mental acuity is sharp as anything. You couldn't accomplish what he's done. Trump is a little bit different in that he represents a heart attack waiting to happen

because he's proud of the fact that he eats McDonald's on a regular basis and those kind of things. And his lifestyle is one that makes me wonder about his health. What about you, John? I would say looking at the two, the optics tell me Trump would be the better candidate from a physical standpoint. From a cognitive standpoint, probably they're about the same. Rosalie, what about you? Well, I honestly wish we had younger candidates because I do believe in the wisdom of age, but I know that I process slower and I know that my friends do. And the world is very dangerous. We have enemies.

We have someone who sits in the Oval Office who's going to touch the button if we're going to have nuclear war. As I look at President Biden, I have real concerns. Is there anything particular that stood in your mind that you saw that made you say that? Yes, I think the way he walks stiffly. I understand that. We've had walking classes here. And sometimes when he seems not to be able to remember things. You know, we're only assessing from the outside. When I look at President Trump, I think,

and I'm not sure I'm allowed to say this, I think he's a street fighter. I like him. You can say it. I think we fared well under him. I don't like the personal attacks that we are seeing. I think we've come a long way from the civility that I'd like to see. Sue, what about you?

I think Rosalie had a great answer, and I would add that I think it's time to pass the baton, because if you don't train the people behind you, there's going to be a vacuum. We've got lots of capable people in their 50s, and I feel sad that people feel the need to hold on to power. Now, you've all kind of hinted at this. There's the age issue in this election, but there's a lot of big political issues to talk about right now. So I'm wondering, of all the things you're thinking about when you're thinking about this election, where does the age of the candidates fit in? history at Cornell was you evaluate the person based on the people that that man or woman also brings to the table who are they going to be their advisors because you're basically electing a team I think it's clear that I think that Biden is has a far better team of course I would kind of

disagree because I like Pompeo and some of them you But he didn't last. There's still policies that I like. And I don't even know if I'm allowed to say this, but I'm Catholic. And Joe Biden says he's a Catholic. And he isn't standing by the things that I abide by. Are you particularly talking about abortion? That's one of the things. There are other things. Because I feel like life is

valuable. And my concern with all of this is that we're saying to our young people that human life has no value. Let me put this into the broader context of the race with a couple show of hands questions. How many of you think generally President Biden's doing a good job as president? We got two hands. One kind of so-so. How many of you thought President Trump did a good job as president? Rosalie's got her hand up. Of course.

Sue, what about you? I'm a Republican, and I favor the policies that the Trump-Pence team put forward. But one thing that bothered me and caused me then to vote for President Biden was Mr. Trump's character. It's just tearing apart the fabric of our culture, I think. When I look at Trump and I look at Biden, I feel very good that in Biden's administration, there seems to be order. In Trump's administration, there was always consternation, always challenge. And he was on the news every day. So of course, you don't have that with President Biden. I personally like that. Any advice you would give to Joe Biden or Donald Trump as you sit here in front of a microphone? Make your legacy in recruiting and passing on for the good of the country. And the same with Mitch McConnell and Einstein.

It's just kind of embarrassing. I guess my advice to Donald Trump would be to tell the truth for a change. My advice to Joe Biden would be learn how to camouflage your walk because that's where the criticism is coming from. I guess if we just be candid on the subject, advice to both, don't run. Thanks so much for coming and having this conversation. I really appreciate it. Thanks to all of you. You're welcome. Thanks so much for coming and having this conversation. I really appreciate it. Thanks to all of you.

You're welcome. Thanks to you. You're welcome. That was John Fuller, Preston Scheimer, Susan Hughes, and Rosalie Bablack, senior voters

who will help decide who wins Pennsylvania, maybe the election, and next year's presidential race. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow.