On November 2, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani surprised patrons at a gay night club when he stopped by to campaign at 1 am.     

Five hours later, he walked across the Brooklyn Bridge at 6 am. 

On the social media platform, Bluesky, a post took notice of this: 

“To anyone who’s been awestruck by Zohran’s campaigning stamina in being able to end his night at a gay bar at 1 am and then walk across the Brooklyn Bridge at 6 am….

“This is what happens when you don’t have 76 year old candidates running for office.”

Zohran Mamdani is 34.

Zohran Mamdani

Dmitryshein, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons

On July 4, 1776, representatives of the original Thirteen Colonies met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to affix their signatures to Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. 

In July, 1776, the ages of key American Revolutionary figures were:

• Marquis de Lafayette, 18
• James Monroe, 18
• Aaron Burr, 20
• John Marshall, 20
• Nathan Hale, 21
• Alexander Hamilton, 21
• James Madison, 25
• John Paul Jones, 28
• Thomas Jefferson, 33
• Benedict Arnold, 35
• Ethan Allen, 38
• John Hancock, 39
• Thomas Paine, 39
• Paul Revere, 41
• George Washington, 44
• Samuel Adams, 53
• Benjamin Franklin, 70

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

Youth was a commonplace among the signers of the Declaration. Their average age was 44.

In the hit play (and later movie) 1776, several members of Congress—including Thomas Jefferson—are surprised to learn that John Adams—who’s 41—still “burns” for his wife Abigail, who’s waiting for him in Boston, Massachusetts.

Today, a nation that once prized youth among its leaders is now moving toward government by gerontocracy.

The average age of members of the House of Representatives is 57.9 years. In the Senate, it’s 64.3.

During 2024, the major Presidential contenders were: 

• President Joseph Biden, 81
• Donald Trump, 78
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr, 70
• Jill Stein, 74
• Asa Hutchinson, 72
• Chris Christie, 61
• Doug Burgum, 67
• Marianne Williamson, 71
• Cornel West, 71
• Kamala Harris, 60

A visit to the Soviet Union in the twilight of its 74-year existence reveals where the United States is heading.

In May 1982, 75-year-old General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, suffered a severe stroke. He had ruled the U.S.S.R. since 1964, but by the early 1980s he was essentially a figurehead. On November 10, 1982, he finally died of a heart attack.

The Kremlin

Succeeding Brezhnev was Yuri Andropov, 69, who until May, 1982, had been chief of the KGB. 

Andropov suffered from kidney failure and was often on dialysis. By December, 1983, after barely more than a year in office, he was totally bedridden. On February 9, 1984, he joined Brezhnev at the great Party Congress in the sky. 

Andropov had realized that the Soviet Union needed a younger and more energetic ruler. Not long before he died he suggested that Mikhail Gorbachev, his aide, succeed him.

But the Central Committee instead chose Konstantin Chernenko, who, at 72, was older than Andropov. On February 13, 1984, he became the U.S.S.R.’s third leader in a year and a half. 

Suffering from emphysema, occasional heart failure and liver disease from alcohol, Chernenko died on March 10, 1985.

Only then did Kremlin rulers decide to choose a General Secretary who was likely to live more than one or two years. One day after Chernenko died, the Politburo chose Gorbachev, a relatively young 54.

Mikhail Gorbachev

RIA Novosti archive, image #850809 / Vladimir Vyatkin / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons

Gorbachev survived to retire as President of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991.

So what does this mean for old men and women seeking the White House?

According to Dr. Michael Roizen, Presidents effectively age twice as fast while in office. Roizen, a chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic and co-founder of RealAge.com, bases his opinion on his research of medical records of previous presidents, back to Theodore Roosevelt.

“The main cause is what we call unrequited stress—they don’t have enough friends to mitigate the stress. The major way most of us handle stress is through a number of techniques, but the most prominent way is to discuss it with friends.  

“The problem with presidents is, some of them lose friends, and the closest friend they have is usually the spouse.”

Thus, a person who has been president eight years has the risk of disability or dying of someone who is 16 years older.  When you’re already in your late 60s or early 70s, that doesn’t give you much room for risk-taking. 

Of course, given America’s Politically Correct social norms, pointing out the disadvantages of combing extreme age with extreme pressure is taboo for many persons. 

Julian Castro found this out when, in a debate, he questioned Joseph Biden’s mental acuity. 

“In a cultural way, it shocked me,” said Gerson Borrero, a New York City political commentator. “We respect our elders—there may be a point where we smile at their ‘disparates’ (gaffes), but at the same time we stay respectful.”

As the United States approaches the 2028 Presidential election, the perils of gerontocracy loom even larger: Donald Trump has “hinted” he wants to run for a third term in 2028.

Even if he weren’t barred from a third term by the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment, he would be 82 years old when he took office in 2029.

FBI agents have a mandatory retirement age of 57. Airplane pilots must retire at 65. Air traffic controllers must leave at 56.

It’s past time to bring a mandatory retirement age to members of Congress and the Presidency.