President Joe Biden is still old. That observation might not seem quite so relevant after Biden delivered a spirited State of the Union address Tuesday night that accomplished all the White House could reasonably have hoped for. Biden, 80, rattled off meaningful achievements, slathered on some bipartisanship with a salute to GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell and praise for former President George W. Bush and then baited Republican House members into behaving like Republican House members, a performance that inevitably makes Biden and his party look like the only game in town for serious people of any age.
Biden was quick on his feet, exploiting his political foes in real time. His performance will deflate questions about his age for months. Maybe weeks. Or, as the existence of this column suggests, perhaps for a few minutes. The respite will necessarily be short. Because unlike most of the preoccupations of MAGA land, Biden’s age is a legitimate concern. He has had a tremendously successful half term and his White House has performed well. But he’s old and getting older; that makes supporters nervous and opponents ambitious.
Biden can’t do much about time past or future. But if he is going to run for re-election — and there is no reason to believe he won’t — he should do what he can to minimize the unease that eight decades of living induces in the electorate. The best thing he can do is have a vice president who is perceived as ready and able.
