Should there be an age limit for Presidential Candidacy?

How old is too old to run for president of the United States? I have been assigned to write on this delicate topic.

      Currently, there are three major candidates running for office who are 67 years or older: Bernie Sanders (74), Donald Trump (69), Hillary Clinton (67, almost 68). For the sake of discussion, I will include Joe Biden in this list as well, at 72 years of age.

While some people are indifferent to a person’s age because of appearance (does Trump look 69 to you?), others find it a physical or psychological health issue for the tiring task of running the Executive branch.

    I will be blunt here, and then report some polling facts. I do not think it is fair to rule out any candidate just due to the number of years they have been alive. I think that is turning a blind eye to what could be great leaders.

    However, I think that candidates should be psychologically screened before running for an office such as president. Why do I state this? Nearly 30 years later, reports of the late Ronald Reagan falling asleep in important meetings, especially during his second term in office (Jan. 1985—Jan. 1989), continue to creep up. It is also believed he would take afternoon naps. I will be fair and report he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a couple of years after he finished his presidency around the early 1990s.

    Yes, I know what some of the pre-med students may be thinking in response: “That can happen at any age, not necessarily after 70.” I am aware of that. But, wouldn’t it have been  ethical to screen Reagan for any abnormalities with his ability to think and reason? This was the same president who told the United Nations they needed to prepare for a probable alien invasion.

    According to a 2014 New York Times article quoting a 2007 Pew poll, 60 percent of Democrats said they were less likely to support presidential candidates in their seventies. Oddly, that number was higher in contrast to polled Republicans, where only 42 percent felt that way towards candidates.

Additionally, my idea is from a “make room” ideology: how about we make room for younger candidates to participate as well?

While I respect that some older American politicians are appearing to enjoy their run for executive office, I do believe a few of them should be screened to see what is going on inside their heads that could influence their decision making acumen before we move forward.