Passing the Torch

Good Morning.

My younger son and I recently had a conversation about age, specifically as it relates to the crop of candidates seeking the presidency in 2020. I told him that I am not interested in anyone in my age bracket, that I want someone in his. He is fifty. There are some who would argue for a little moss-covered wisdom in the White House, but I'd rather have fresh, energetic, and maybe even

visionary. There are problems to solve, lots of them, and nothing is getting done. Right now I'd

kick everyone out of Congress over the age of sixty and let the kids take over for awhile.

For the moment, let's set aside our differences about issues and concentrate on the business of age. The current occupant of the Oval Office is seventy-two. He can't focus on the tasks at hand

and those include getting intelligence and other briefings about important matters of national

security. He watches an abundance of television because that's what old people do. His staff calls it executive time. Please. He wants to look half his age and he wants to act it too. His wife is young enough to be his daughter, and his son, the latest child in a series of five with three women, is younger than my grandchildren. This is not moss-covered wisdom.

Bernie announced a few days ago. Bernie is seventy-seven years old and looks every bit his age.

His supporters would probably be willing to have him serve only one term because at the beginning of a second, he'd be eighty-two, but that would automatically make him a lame duck before he was even sworn in. Joe Biden's fans say the same thing; tell everyone you'll serve only one term and then quietly toddle off to assisted living. Joe is a great guy and he has a fabulous wife, but Joe is old and I say that regretfully.

Also on the horizon, the one involving a sunset, is Michael Bloomberg. Michael is obviously a brilliant man but he's the same age as Bernie. Elizabeth Warren will be seventy in June but she

yells too much. Perhaps she has trouble hearing or maybe she's trying to display the energy of

a much younger woman and think that means loud. Bill Weld is apparently interested in mounting a primary challenge to the president and he is seventy-three. He ran the last time around as a Libertarian with the guy from New Mexico who couldn't name a single world leader. I want people who can remember things.

One of the twins from Texas, Julian Castro, is quite attractive and he is forty-four. I like that. Kennedy was forty-three when he was elected, and Obama was forty-seven. Castro has a steep climb to the presidency because a certain segment of the population will never vote for a person with a first name where the J is pronounced like an H and a last one that makes them come unglued. I don't care what his name is because he is young and bright and that's what matters to me. Others in the Democratic mix include Kamala Harris at fifty-four, Kirsten Gillebrand at fifty-two, and Amy Klobuchar at fifty-eight, still within my guidelines but barely. Cory Booker is forty-nine and Pete Buddigieg is thirty-seven. That may be a tad young with the minimum age for being prez at thirty-five but he is a Rhodes scholar and wonderfully articulate.

The people who want the old guys in office say the youngsters would make excellent running mates, but what they're really saying is that when one of the seniors collapses during a State of the Union, his or her Veep can step right up to the plate and take over because they're qualified.

That's the point.

Best regards,

Elisabeth