[Inside Chodong] Is There No Country for Old Men?

Age does not define me. (It doesn’t register with me)

This was President Joe Biden’s response to a question mixed with concerns about his age and health during a press conference following his announcement to run for the next presidential election. Domestically, the humorous remark "I don’t even know my own age" was more circulated, but the core message he wanted to convey was that his age is not an issue.

In these days when people talk about the ‘100-year life era,’ there is a heated debate about the age of 80-year-old President Biden in the United States. As he declared his candidacy for the next presidential election, he has become the focus of voters’ concerns. As a result, he suffered a crushing defeat in the first poll after his re-election announcement.

Americans defined him by his age. In this poll, only 38% of voters said they would support him. He even trailed behind former President Donald Trump (44%), the leading Republican presidential candidate, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (42%), another Republican presidential contender, in head-to-head matchups. More painfully, only 3 out of 10 respondents (32%) said Biden demonstrated clear cognitive ability to perform the duties of the presidency. Trump scored 54% on the same item.

Concerns about the health of a national leader cannot be dismissed as mere paranoia. When President Biden said he once asked a Korean conglomerate why they were building a semiconductor factory in the U.S., but mistakenly called "Korea" "South America," or when he nearly fell while boarding a plane, such incidents reinforce those concerns.

However, even younger leaders than Biden have been observed making diplomatic gaffes or actions that cause worry about the country’s future. Trump himself incited the storming of the U.S. Capitol, leaked White House classified documents, lost a sexual assault lawsuit, and faced prostitution scandal lawsuits, among other controversies. And it’s not just Trump.

There is no clear age standard for the presidency. Before Biden, the oldest president was Trump, who is four years younger than Biden. Notably, Biden released his health checkup results from his physician before announcing his candidacy, whereas Trump did not disclose his. Even without adding the saying, "There is an order to coming, but no order to going," it is unfair that only Biden faces intense scrutiny over his age.

Judging capability by age rather than by governance skills or policy execution is a discriminatory mindset. Considering the American atmosphere that forbids discrimination based on gender and age, and the increasing elderly population, this is even more so. The first line of poet William Butler Yeats’s poem , "That is no country for old men," comes to mind. It means a world where, despite the wisdom and experience of the elderly, incomprehensible outcomes keep repeating, leaving no place for them.

The current atmosphere is not favorable, but Biden’s response to voters’ discriminatory views is intriguing. He has transformed his age into a comedic code. He focuses on lowering himself to build rapport with voters. For example, at an Air Force event last month, he mentioned that President Dwight Eisenhower gave a speech at the first Air Force Academy class 60 years ago, adding, "No matter what the media says, I wasn’t there," which made the audience laugh.

The chemical reaction between voters’ discriminatory perspectives and Biden’s humorous responses will be revealed 18 months from now. It is a moment of interest whether the verdict on Biden will be "That is no country for old men," or if his campaign slogan "Let’s Finish the Job" will endure.