Tag: election

Vote for Democracy #13

a changed landscape

(Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash)

There has been a torrent of presidential election news since I posted Vote for Democracy #12 the day after the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. For those who may not follow United States election news, this post will try to fill you in on what has happened to change the presidential election so massively since then.

The Republican party held their convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 15th-18th. While it had been billed as being unifying in the wake of the assassination attempt, the message seemed to be welcoming only to those ready to believe the lies about the 2020 election being “stolen” and a lot of other lies about crime rates, immigration, the economy, and a host of other issues. Ohio Senator JD Vance became the vice-presidential nominee. At age 39, he is literally half Donald Trump’s age. He has only served in office for a year and a half and is better known as an author and venture capitalist. Trump gave the longest televised nomination acceptance speech ever at about 92 minutes. He started by recounting the assassination attempt but then veered off the prepared remarks into a version of his rally speech with a lot of rambling.

Meanwhile, President Biden was under increasing pressure to step aside from the presidential campaign, which he did on July 21st, putting his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination. It is unusual for a US president to decide not to seek an additional term, especially this close to an election and there are reams of commentary about it.

Like Joe Biden, I’m Catholic and think about his decision to step aside as an example of servant leadership, a model that is exemplified by Christ. Too often, leadership in the Church has been dominated by clericalism and in government by authoritarianism, oligarchy, or other forms of being power- or wealth-hungry. Biden did what he thought would be best for the country, not seeking re-election to concentrate on his presidential duties for this last six months of his term or one-eighth of his presidency.

About half an hour after announcing his decision, President Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination. He asked the delegates pledged to him for the Democratic party’s convention to vote for her, although they were no obligated to do so. Harris declared her candidacy shortly thereafter. Because the campaign had previously been the Biden-Harris campaign, she was entitled to use the resources, including funds, on hand.

There was a groundswell of support for her candidacy. In the first 24 hours, her campaign raised $81 million. Within the first week, there was $200 million, 66% of it from first-time donors. Over 170,000 people had volunteered to help the campaign. Tens of thousands had registered to vote. Funds have also poured into political action committees to support her candidacy.

Meanwhile, Harris has gained endorsements from leading political figures, unions, and organizations. Importantly, the convention delegates have been meeting online to pursue a virtual role call for the nomination. This was the procedure they used last time due to the pandemic; they are using it this year because their convention isn’t until Aug. 19-22 due to the timing of the Republican convention and the Olympics. Some states have deadlines for ballot access earlier in August, so the nomination is being finalized online before the physical gathering in Chicago. In order to be placed into nomination, a candidate needed to have 300 delegates pledged to them. Harris is the only candidate to meet that threshold. She hasn’t yet chosen a running mate, but we expect that announcement soon.

While Harris has been joyfully and skillfully doing numerous speeches, fundraisers, and official appearances, such as greeting the American hostages returning from Russia, the Trump campaign has been confounded. They had apparently centered their strategy around attacking Joe Biden, which is now moot. The Trump campaign and Republicans have engaged in attacks on Harris that come across as misogynistic, racist, and anti-immigrant. They fault Harris for not having given birth, although she is an actively engaged stepmom to Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff’s two children. They mock her laugh. The daughter of a Jamaican immigrant father and Indian immigrant mother, Kamala Harris has always celebrated both her Black and Asian roots. Somehow, Trump can’t seem to wrap his head around that fact, which is bizarre to most of us who are or have family and friends who are multi-racial/ethnic. Trump has even tried to characterize Harris as anti-Semitic, although she is married to a Jewish man.

I appreciate Harris’s political savvy in being able to briefly address the lies about her but then carry on with her own skills, history, and policy provisions, defining herself for the public rather than letting her opponents put her in a box.

The contrasts between her and the Trump/Vance ticket are stark. Trump and Vance have 5 1/2 years of public service in elected office between them. Harris has held elected office since 2004 as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general, United States senator, and vice president, giving her twenty years of experience across three branches of government. Harris is an experienced prosecutor who brought cases against fraud and sexual abuse while Trump is a convicted felon who has also been found libel for financial fraud and sexual abuse. If elected, Harris would make history as the first woman and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the US presidency. If Trump is elected, he would be the oldest president at the time of election and the first convicted criminal in the office. Harris is committed to the Constitution and the rule of law and wants to uphold democracy at home and among our allies. Trump has espoused authoritarian ideas, tried to stay in office after he lost the 2020 election, fomented an insurrection, stolen classified documents and other presidential papers, and admires autocrats.

Trump uses lies and manipulation to spread a message of fear and grievance. Harris uses her experience and intelligence to bring a message of hope and strength.

She has earned my support.

I urge all eligible Americans to make sure they are registered and look at the facts and the positions of the candidates for president, Congress, and any other elections and propositions that may be on their ballots in November.

Vote for democracy ’24!

One-Liner Wednesday: Dept. of Education

Project 2025, the lengthy document spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation to lay out plans for the “conservative president” they expect to be elected this year, calls for the elimination of the Department of Education and limitations on federally supported services such as special education, school meals, Title IX, and student loans. (pp. 319-361)

This information is provided to assist US voters as they make decisions for this year’s election as part of Linda’s One-Liner Wednesday series, which you may learn more about here: https://lindaghill.com/2024/07/10/one-liner-wednesday-i-love-my-neighbourhood-2/. (#1linerWeds are usually fun and/or inspirational. I’m just in serious political mode these days…)

One-Liner Wednesday: debate checklist

This non-partisan checklist (from NETWORK, based on Catholic social justice principles which are shared by many people of faith, as well as totally secular people) will assist viewers of the US presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump tomorrow (Thursday, June 27 at 9 PM EDT) in tracking the candidates’ views on a range of issues.

This public service announcement comes to you as part of Linda’s One-Liner Wednesday series. Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2024/06/26/one-liner-wednesday-have-you-ever/

One-Liner Wednesday: prescience

I do not want to see the Republican party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear.

– Senator Margaret Chase Smith (Republican – Maine) addressing the Senate on June 1, 1950 near the beginning of McCarthyism

Please join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2024/06/05/one-liner-wednesday-snakes-on-a-plane/

Vote for Democracy ’24 #8

34 felony convictions, 54 counts waiting for trial dates.

(Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash)

Late afternoon yesterday, May 30, 2024, a former president of the United States, Donald Trump, was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a case brought by the state of New York by the elected district attorney of New York County, Alvin Bragg, after a grand jury of citizens voted to bring the charges.

This is the first time a US president has been charged with felonies and found guilty. President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon before any charges could be brought.

The State of New York has jurisdiction to bring the charges because the business records in question were in the state. Falsification of business records is usually a misdemeanor but was raised to a felony here because it was being done with the intent to commit another crime, in this case, violation of New York State election law. This case relates to the 2016 election, when Donald Trump authorized paying a woman to keep her from going to the press with a story about a sexual encounter that would have been potentially damaging to his campaign in the final weeks, shortly after the release of the Access Hollywood tape, in which Donald Trump made light of his habit of sexually assaulting women. The business records were falsified in a scheme to conceal the payment.

The prosecution spent several weeks presenting documents and other evidence and testimony from twenty witnesses. Trump’s defense was much briefer, only two witnesses. The jury deliberated for about nine and a half hours over two days and returned a guilty verdict on all 34 counts.

This is the way the criminal justice system should work in the United States. It’s not the elected or appointed officials who decide the case. It’s a jury of one’s peers. Jurors are sworn to consider only the evidence presented and the law in reaching their verdict. While Trump’s followers made it seem that a New York jury would be made exclusively of Democrats with a grudge against him, we know that the jurors had a range of news sources, including one who got their news from Trump’s social media site, Truth Social. All the jurors swore, though, to set aside any preconceived notions and deliberate together to reach a unanimous verdict.

Sentencing is set for July 11. The sentence will be decided by the presiding judge, Juan Merchan. It could include up to four years in prison but could be probation, instead. After sentencing, there will likely be an appeal. The Republican party convention, which is expected to nominate Trump as their presidential choice for the November election, begins July 15.

Meanwhile, Trump is awaiting trial on 54 more felonies in three cases, a State of Georgia election interference conspiracy case, a federal case of mishandling sensitive presidential documents in Florida, and the federal case around the January 6 attack on the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

I will not vote for a convicted felon who has not served their sentence and taken responsibility for their actions.

I hope that most Americans also hold that view.

Many prominent Republicans are attacking the judicial system rather than affirming the verdict of twelve sworn jurors in New York. I also will not vote for a candidate for any office that does not respect the rule of law. Public officials are sworn to uphold and defend our Constitution and laws. The transcript of the NY trial is available and demonstrates that the law was being followed and applied. For an elected official to attack the US justice system as being worse than those in countries like Cuba is disqualifying for me as a voter.

Applying the law “without fear or favor” is a hallmark of the United States judicial system. All voters should pay attention to the views of candidates toward the rule of law when deciding for whom to vote.

Vote for Democracy #7

(Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash)

Over the last several decades, it’s become customary to ask the electorate in the run-up to presidential elections if they were better off four years ago.

I can safely say that our family is much better off now than four years ago.

During Trump’s last year in office, we spent a lot of time in either complete COVID isolation or significant restrictions. There were shortages of many consumer goods. While we were fortunate that B’s job could be done remotely, our finances had been negatively impacted by the Trump/Republican tax cuts, which saved wealthy individuals and corporations millions of dollars but raised federal income taxes for those of us who live in states with higher property and state income taxes by restricting our ability to itemize. (Republican Claudia Tenney was our representative at the time and put out an illustration of how much a family with three children under 14 would save in federal income tax, ignoring that the vast majority of her constituents didn’t fit that model and certainly a household like ours, older couple with no dependents, had a significant tax increase, not a cut.) Our retirement savings took a hit as both stocks and bonds were suffering from the disruption of the world economy due to the pandemic.

While we were fortunate to have a stable home and employment, 2020 was generally a scary time. Many in our community had job losses and health problems, including serious COVID cases. Too many people suffered lasting health consequences or death from the pandemic. While our state government did their best to deal with those early pandemic months, President Trump was a hindrance rather than a help in safeguarding our well-being.

In this final year of President Biden’s first term, things are much better for our family. With federal support for vaccines and treatments and with our own precautions, we have only had one relatively mild COVID case in our household. While inflation has raised some of our household costs, wages have gone up, too. We have appreciated higher interest rates on our savings and the record levels of the stock market have helped our retirement savings to recover and grow. The current unemployment rate in Broome County NY, where I live, is 4.5%, slightly higher than the national average of 3.9%. By contrast, in April 2020, our county set its record high unemployment rate at 15.2%.

While I know there are individuals who were better off four years ago, the majority of people are healthier and in a more stable situation than they were in 2020.

Still, many people feel differently. Perhaps, the trauma of the early part of the pandemic caused them to forget the fear, illness, job losses, shortages, and isolation we experienced. Perhaps, their personal income wasn’t able to compensate for inflation. (For the record, the supply chain problems that caused some of the inflation surge have resolved but the extra profit-taking by companies has not, especially with products that have only a handful of suppliers. The blame for price gouging should fall on greedy corporations, not on the administration.) Perhaps, some people are victims of fear-mongering or misinformation about the economy and public policy.

Admittedly, as I decide which candidates to support, I prefer to look at the broader picture of my local community and the country rather than the small picture of my household. In my area, there are lots of infrastructure improvements underway, especially with our roads. The local hospital just opened a new building. There is lots of government and private support for new and expanding business because we are a nationally recognized center for battery technology. Old factory buildings that were sitting vacant for decades are being renovated for housing and business use. Our regional airport is undergoing enhancements.

Many other counties around the country have similar stories of positive change.

I hope that voters will look honestly at their own past and present when evaluating the economic and health aspects of deciding among candidates. Don’t let other people or the media tell you what you should think. It’s also helpful to look at how government helped or hindered the economy or public health. The United States economy, including employment and inflation, has recovered much more quickly from the shock of the pandemic than other countries with advanced economies. The actions of the Biden administration are a factor in this economic strength.

An example of how public sentiment diverges from legislation and statistics is this poll from late April which finds that, when asked whether Biden or Trump did “more to promote infrastructure and job creation,” the results were 40% Biden, 37% Trump, 12% both equally, 12% don’t know. The fact is that no major infrastructure bills passed during the Trump administration while the Biden administration was heavily involved in crafting the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This law along with the American Rescue Plan, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act have contributed to 15 million jobs added to the US economy under President Biden while the Trump presidency saw a loss of 2.9 million jobs. That the poll opinions deviate so dramatically from the legislative record and statistics suggests that other factors are at play, such as dis/misinformation, taking personal experience as universal, fear, and partisanship. Robert Reich had an interesting piece on his Substack yesterday exploring some of the facts, possible reasons they aren’t breaking through with the public, and possible ways to address the disparity.

When I look at this question of how my family, community, state, and country are doing during the Biden presidency and contrast it with the Trump presidency, it’s clear that Biden has the better record and plans for the future. I will vote for Biden and for Congressional candidates who will support Biden’s agenda.

I hope that all voters will evaluate the facts on the economy as they make decisions about voting.

Vote for Democracy #5

(Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash)

One of the most disturbing aspects of Donald Trump and many Republicans is their embrace of violence, both as a threat and as a weapon.

Trump has used violent language throughout his political career, encouraging people to beat up protesters at his rallies, ordering or condoning violence against peaceful protesters, and, most notoriously, encouraging and cheering the violent insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

He has also been credibly accused of sexual violence and abuse by many women and was found liable in the E. Jean Carroll case.

Most often, though, Trump doesn’t physically participate himself, but other people follow his directions, such as when he told the Proud Boys in a presidential debate to “stand back and stand by” and then they showed up in force on Jan. 6. A number of them were criminally charged and convicted, but Trump now calls them “hostages” or “political prisoners” and seems poised to pardon them if he is elected.

Trump is promising to send in federal troops to US cities without being asked for assistance by the mayors or governors who have jurisdiction. He would apparently do this by invoking the Insurrection Act, perhaps even at the start of his term and on a national basis rather than targeted against a specific, violent event. A blanket application of the Insurrection Act would end the rights to free speech, freedom of assembly, and infringe the right to petition the government, all of which are included in the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

Trump is also threatening arrest of his perceived enemies, including Joe Biden and all the House members who were part of the January 6th study committee. There is no evidence of criminality against any of them, but Trump has called multiple times for vengeance because of the charges against him, for which there is ample evidence. (Links to the indictments and congressional and judicial reports are readily available online.)

Followers of Donald Trump have committed acts of violence, which he then turns into jokes rather than condemning. After Paul Pelosi, spouse of then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, was brutally attacked by an assailant in his home, Trump joked about it for months afterward, which is cruel and encourages others to commit even more violence on Trump’s behalf.

All of this is heightening the threat of political violence, particularly among Republicans. In a recent poll, 28% of Republicans agreed that “Americans have to resort to violence to get the country back on track.” (Independents were 18%; Democrats, 12%.) With Republican households having higher levels of gun ownership than other households, it is likely that a higher proportion of people holding this viewpoint have access to firearms. It has also been Republicans in Congress and judges appointed by Republicans who have blocked common sense gun safety measures. The cycle of violence perpetuates.

Last night, it was my privilege to hear John Dear speak on nonviolence. He was speaking about his new book, The Gospel of Peace: A Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke from the Perspective of Nonviolence. He spoke movingly about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Ghandi and their commitment to living the nonviolent life that Jesus did. He told us that Ghandi, a Hindu, read from the Sermon on the Mount, found in the gospel of Matthew, chapters five through seven, every day for decades. Even faced with the prospect of a violent death, King and Ghandi continued their commitment to nonviolence as Jesus did.

Father Dear reminded us that anger and fear are the underpinnings of violence. I have long known that fear-mongering is part of the lead-up to violent rhetoric from Trump and other Republicans, even when the underlying statements are untrue. For example, there is a lot of fear-mongering over crime. People think that crime rates are rising and are so afraid that they are willing to elect a strongman who promises to crack down violently on perceived enemies, which these days for Republicans seems to include immigrants, most people of color, Democrats, and people who identify as anything other than straight male/female.

When someone expresses a belief to me that is counterfactual, I’ll try to offer the facts if I can but I also try to address the fear that is underlying the issue and making them ready to justify violence to address it. If someone insults me or my intelligence, I don’t respond in kind but will explain my thoughts in a clear, honest way.

Back in the days of the fight against hydrofracking in New York, I often wrote comments on press articles and would be attacked by a small group of local drilling proponents who tended to hurl insults. I admit that it would scare me but I would always respond respectfully with facts to back up my opinion. Eventually, most of the press outlets stopped allowing comments. On my blog, I welcome respectful comments and engage with those who disagree with me, while reserving my right to remove comments that are disrespectful, violent, or likely to promote misinformation. Fortunately, this happens very rarely.

As we continue to prepare for the elections, listen to what the candidates are saying and reject those who espouses violence and stoke unwarranted fear. Check for the facts behind campaign rhetoric to make sure you can separate truth from lies and manipulation.

Vote for democracy, which means equal protection for all. NO! to Trump and all those who promote personal and political violence.

Vote for Democracy ’24 #1

The first major event in preparation for the November ’24 United States presidential election took place last night. Former president Donald Trump won the Iowa caucuses, which will give him twenty delegates in the Republican party nominating convention in the summer. The other twenty delegates were awarded among DeSantis, Haley, and Ramaswamy; Ramaswamy left the race and endorsed Trump after the results were announced. (The Democrats decided to use mail-in ballots with results announced on March 5th.)

Although the nominating conventions won’t be until summer, it is widely expected that the November election will be a contest between current president, Democrat Joe Biden, and the former president, Republican Donald Trump, along with several independent/small party challengers.

That all sounds normal, but it isn’t. Donald Trump is under 91 felony indictments, some in federal cases and others in the states of Georgia and New York. A lot of evidence of his conduct is already publicly available, through government reports, recordings of speeches and phone calls, public comments, interviews, testimony at hearings and trials, and the media. There is also a lot of evidence of other Republicans cooperating with criminal activity or excusing it.

This election is widely considered to be a test of American democracy and values. I’ve struggled with what my role should be in standing up for our Constitution, democracy, and the common good. I do a lot of behind-the-scenes actions, such as writing to my elected officials and other government leaders and donating to political candidates, lobbying organizations, and charities that express my values. I frequently post my views on political topics here at Top of JC’s Mind. In this late November post, I made clear how dangerous I think a second Trump administration would be.

Although I’m painfully aware of my lack of reach, I want to add my voice to those fighting to preserve democracy and promote a national government that serves the common good rather than just the rich and powerful. So, I’ve decided to start an election year series here at Top of JC’s Mind, “Vote for Democracy ’24”, to provide more visibility to these posts.

I plan for these posts to be informative, factual, and reflective of my views. Readers are welcome to add their own views in comments but there are two requirements. Comments must be respectful; I do not allow vulgarity, name calling, or threats on my blog. (I remind those who use “freedom of speech” as an excuse to say whatever they want, wherever they want that the First Amendment is about the government’s actions regarding speech, not private individuals.) Comments must also be based in fact. I will not allow my platform to amplify lies, conspiracy theories, or hatefulness. I will exercise my right to delete comments that violate these requirements. I will respectfully reply to people across the range of opinions if they do follow these requirements. I hope not to do this, but I will block particular people, if needed, or close comments, if things get out of hand.

In November ’23, I wrote:

I know that I will not vote for Trump or any candidate for office at any level who supports him and his dangerous ideas. I will try to get the word out as best I can what those dangerous ideas are because some of the people who support Trump only hear his rhetoric and not the countervailing facts. For example, I encourage people to read the indictments against Trump, which lay out a lot of the underlying evidence. It’s also helpful to read the report of the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, as well as the Mueller Report. I also am supporting voices and organizations that are working to uphold democracy, the rule of law, and the common good.

I’m also worried and scared about violence, oppression, and losing my free, if flawed, country to demagogues, authoritarians, and fascists.

While I tend to pay attention to politics and public affairs all the time, many in the United States don’t notice what is going on with government except in presidential election years. I hope to encourage people to look at facts and evidence and draw their own conclusions rather than just following along with a candidate or party by inertia. I have never joined a political party and have a history of voting for candidates from multiple parties. I value my right as a citizen to vote and want others to retain their freedom to do so without obstacles or intimidation. I hope that others in the United States hold similar values regarding voting and that those in other countries stay informed and are able to freely participate in their own governance, although I realize that is an impossibility in some places.

2024 will be a momentous year in US history. Pay attention.
*****
Join us for Linda’s Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2024/01/16/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-16th-2024/

plans for a second Trump administration

The Trump presidency featured a wide range of cruel and immoral speech and actions, including separation of children from their parents/guardians who came to the US seeking asylum in violation of national and international law, then not keeping the records to reunite them; suppressing scientific COVID information while spreading misinformation that contributed to higher rates of death and illness in the US than in other nations with comparable medical systems; speaking approvingly of authoritarian governments while criticizing our allies; bullying and firing government officials he deemed insufficiently loyal to him personally; and lying about his election loss, filing baseless legal challenges, and fomenting an insurrection.

It was a difficult, dark time for the country that laid bare and worsened existing divisions along racial/ethnic, religious, partisan, gender, and geographic lines. The Republican party has devolved into a party driven by grievance rather than one dedicated to governing for the common good of all the people.

Donald Trump is the front-runner for the Republican nomination for president in 2024 while under indictment on 91 federal and state felony counts. There is a planning operation underway for a second term, dubbed Project 2025, through a group of right-wing think tanks that seeks to politicize the Justice Department to seek revenge for political views, to deport millions of immigrants and refugees, to invoke the Insurrection Act to allow the US military to operate domestically, and to give the president additional powers that are not subject to checks by the courts or Congress. Trump’s rhetoric during the primary campaign includes him talking about seeking revenge and retribution against members of the Biden family and administration and against Republicans who don’t agree with him, including former members of his administration. He has raised the possibility of the death penalty for former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley. He is using overtly fascist language, such as calling his perceived enemies “vermin.” Trump’s verbal attacks, both via social media and in person at campaign rallies and interviews, seem to be increasing threats of violence against those Trump targets, such as Judge Engoron and his law clerk in the New York civil fraud trial.

What is most alarming is that many Republicans in government and many Trump supporters are openly embracing anti-democractic, unconstitutional, and illegal actions, such as doing away with birthright citizenship, limiting voting rights for people who disagree with them, using the military against the public, and outlawing abortion and birth control. I am appalled that there are those characterizing the United States as a white Christian nation, when it is, in reality, a pluralistic society made up of people of many races and ancestral heritages with a wide range of personal beliefs.

I know that I will not vote for Trump or any candidate for office at any level who supports him and his dangerous ideas. I will try to get the word out as best I can what those dangerous ideas are because some of the people who support Trump only hear his rhetoric and not the countervailing facts. For example, I encourage people to read the indictments against Trump, which lay out a lot of the underlying evidence. It’s also helpful to read the report of the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, as well as the Mueller Report. I also am supporting voices and organizations that are working to uphold democracy, the rule of law, and the common good.

I’m also worried and scared about violence, oppression, and losing my free, if flawed, country to demagogues, authoritarians, and fascists.

This post was difficult to write, in part because I am so disturbed about what has been happening and in part because I know I’m just a small voice in a very large and loud media environment. But I had to try. The future envisioned by Trump and his acolytes is just too terrifying to silently ignore.

Photo credit: Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash

age and/or competence

Here in the United States, there is lots of discussion and public opinion polling around whether there should be an upper age limit for the presidency and other powerful federal positions, such as Supreme Court justices.

This is sometimes termed more simply as “Is Joe Biden too old to run for re-election?” Joe Biden is currently 80. Donald Trump, current leader in the race for the Republican party nomination, is 77.

Thirty-five is the Constitutional minimum age for the presidency, presumably to allow the president to have gained some measure of life experience and maturity to handle such a demanding position, but there is no upper limit specified.

I prefer that there not be one.

Rather, I want to be able to look at the personal qualities and policy positions of the candidate. Their physical and mental health status is part of that analysis.

Age is not necessarily a good indicator of health status or fitness. Joe Biden, as evidenced by his physical examination results from February, 2023, does not have major medical issues. His gait is stiff due to some arthritis. He works out on a regular basis. He has been able to keep up a rigorous daily schedule, including frequent travel, both domestically and internationally.

The president has a stutter; sometimes, his word pacing and choice are efforts to compensate. That we seldom hear him stutter is a testament to the work he has done over the years to address this issue. There is no evidence of cognitive impairment.

Of course, not all recent presidents have been as extensive in reporting their physical exam results. Donald Trump’s results were not reported in detail.

In the more distant past, the physical condition of the president was often kept private. For example, the public did not know the extent of damage caused by Woodrow Wilson’s 1919 stroke. Franklin Roosevelt’s post-polio condition was kept out of the public eye as much as possible. Not even Harry Truman as vice-president knew how ill FDR was with cardiovascular disease before his death in 1945 at age 63.

My mother, who had experience with family members dealing with cognitive decline, observed that Ronald Reagan’s behavior and speech while he was president reminded her of someone who was developing dementia. She was not surprised when his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease was made public five years after he left the presidency. There was a lot of debate about when Reagan’s cognitive decline began and there is no definitive determination, although some analysis has shown that his speech patterns changed over the years of his presidency in ways that indicate cognitive decline. Reagan was 77 when he left office at the end of his second term.

So, circling back to the present debate on the age of presidential candidates, it seems to me that age alone is not a good indicator of health or fitness for the rigors of the presidency. President Biden seems to be doing well at age 80 with both the physical and mental demands of the job. I also appreciate his even temperament and moral grounding, which, as a fellow Catholic, I recognize as rooted in Catholic social justice doctrine and in line with the American concept of working for the common good, articulated in the Constitution as a call to “promote the general welfare.”

On the other hand, when Donald Trump was president, he was not known to keep a very rigorous schedule of official duties. He didn’t seem to understand the complexities of the job, such as dealing with classified materials. He was volatile and resorted to bullying, name calling, and lying to try to get his way, regardless of facts, laws, or policies. Sometimes, when he is speaking without a teleprompter, he doesn’t seem able to construct cogent sentences. I don’t know if there is a medical diagnosis that elucidates these behaviors or not, but I don’t think his age is the salient factor.

While I would prefer younger presidential candidates, in their fifties or sixties perhaps, it is much more important for me that the president be someone who is dedicated to the American people and the rule of law, trying to do what is right for the good of the country and protecting those who are under threat.

If that person happens to be 80-something, so be it.