JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For Tuesday’s edition of “Vote 2024: Path to the Polls,” I was joined by News4JAX political analyst Rick Mullaney, director of the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute.
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In my latest candid conversation with a local political expert, there was plenty to discuss, particularly about how age is becoming more of a factor in the race for the White House.
There was special counsel Robert Hur’s scathing report on President Joe Biden and his handling of classified documents that paints a picture of a forgetful Commander in Chief. Biden fired back, “How the hell dare he.” But did the special prosecutor overstep his bounds?
Former President Donald Trump’s extremism has been on full display as he remains mired in a tangled web of legal problems. You’ve got perjury issues. You’ve got ballot issues, and you’ve got him saying that Jan. 6 was an insurrection caused by Nancy Pelosi. Huh?
Some believe Nikki Haley is getting deep under Trump’s skin, and a new attack suggests that might be so.
Mullaney noted that Trump and Biden are now the two oldest candidates in the history of the U.S. to run for president.
“The winner will be the oldest to take office in the history of the country. And if either were to fulfill their term they would be the oldest to ever complete the office. It is becoming a great concern,” Mullaney said.
But he pointed out that concerns about age aren’t just about a number.
“It’s a question of mental sharpness, mental ability and is that mental sharpness in decline and also vigor for what is truly the hardest job in the world,” Mullaney said. “If you look at the polling, it is a challenge for Joe Biden for 76% of the people, another poll 80% of the people who think he is too old to serve as president. For Donald Trump, it’s over 60%.”