Making Age An Issue

DONALD TRUMP, ninety one felony raps and all, will, incredibly, probably be the Republican presidential candidate in 2042. Their response to this dubious circumstance is precisely what one might expect, considering human nature; pretend that you're happy with it. Never in American history will a major party presidential candidate come limping into an election bearing a greater burden of baggage, attackable baggage, making the candidate totally vulnearable to criticisism. With Trump,simply stating the facts and offering valid criticisms sounds like a horrible, brutal smear campaign. But it isn't. Its just the truth. Its reality. So, Republicans must try to ingore all that, and look for ways to attack Biden. That won't be easy. Biden has lived a life and political career generally above reproach, as a gentleman, not a law breaker. His presidency, all factors weighed objectively,has been a success. The weakness of the Republican position is exposed glaringly when you consider that their main lines of attack are Hunter Biden's alleged illegal activitie and the unlikley but possible involvement of his father in them, and Joe Biden's age. After years of investigating the younger Biden, the only problem seesm to be that he owned an firearm illegally for about eleven days, and that he is a recovering drug addict. But aren't those behaviors which conservatives suppsoedly admire? Redemption from drugs inspires the admiration of everyone. But gun owndership, under any circumstances? Isn't that the essencs of the right wing American dream? Do Republicans believe that everyone in America should own a gun except Hunter Biden? Upon examination, any and all cases against Hunter Biden and his conncetion with Joe Biden turns to dust, and blows away, vanishing in the wind. That leaves age.President Biden is turning eighty, and if reelected, will be eighty six when he leaves office. the problem for Republicans is that Conald J.Trump is not much younger, seventy seven, to be sxact, and, if elected, wpuld be will over eighty when leaving office. Trump would not be eligible to run for reelction in 2028,he having already "served" as president for one term. I am now almost as old as Ronald Reagan was when he ran and won in 1980. Back then, most people harped on his advanced age, and how in the world is he ever going to complete even one, let alone two terms? Things have certainly changed. America has grow older, and much more tolerant, therefore, of old age. Hell, as far as I'm concerned, I'm just getting started, and I've been retired for eight years. My attitude about Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi,among others, is this: notwithstanding the fact that age is a mere number, that people are living longer, and that all of the above may or may not be in the vigorous prime of their mental and physical lives, the fact remains that they (we) are actually getting towards the end of their (our) lives, period. Political leaders are inherently involved in making the world what the world is going to be tomorrow and in the future, whatever that may be. It, the world of the future, is being made now, by our currrent leadership. Should that world be made by people who quite simply are not going to be here to see it, live in it, and sink or swim in it? Or should it be constructed by people who will be around to experience the effects of their own decisions? Contrary to what we old codgers sometimes think, people in their thirties and forties are full grown adults. Maybe, just maybe, its time to turn to, to pass the torch to a new generation of leadership, as forty two year old JFK eloquently intoned at his inauguration. It will make no difference to we who are on our way out. And, who knows? Maybe they won't screw things up too badly for themselves, for their children, and for their children's children.