I have lived through 15 United States presidents. From FDR through George H. W. Bush, U.S. presidents had always been older than I was. Bill Clinton was the first president to whom I was senior. That trend reverted when Joe Biden was inaugurated.
I’ve been thinking about aging and the realities of growing older. I look at Joe Biden and think: “I may be able to ride a bike better than Biden, but I could not do half the things he does. How does he stay up for it?” How does he manage to stay sharp enough to be president… and the haunting question: Is he sharp enough?
I see Biden as a decent human being who has managed to get hard things done. He has, for example, put together a strong international commitment to Ukraine but that’s not enough. Presidents must be effective, energetic and competent.
A president’s schedule is managed by his extensive staff who help him keep…
