Aging U.S. politicians' precarious hold on political power reaches a tipping point: analyst

Recent health scares by long-serving national politicians have turned whispered innuendo and quiet rumors into five-alarm fires raging on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Open questions about U.S. President Joe Biden’s fitness to serve have dogged him since he took the oath of office. Now as he gears up for re-election, his age could become a major impediment to ensuring a second term. 

At 80 years old, he is the oldest U.S. president to ever serve in the White House. More recently, the health travails of lawmakers such as Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein underscore the tenuous hold on power geriatric politicians maintain at a time of great political upheaval.

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Ceding political power to the younger generation is perhaps one of the most magnanimous and gracious acts a leader can display. Knowing when to bow out and relinquish the levers of influence to new leaders can be seen as the ultimate power play. 

The late Mary Parker Follett, a pioneer in the fields of organizational theory and organizational behaviour, once said, "The most essential work of the leader is to create more leaders."

Unfortunately, health challenges, physical and mental debilitation, brought on by age, are not seeing some Washington politicians hasten for the exit.

In fact, some, like Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, has dug in. Recently elected to his 8th term in the U.S. Senate, the 89-year old has already served 43 years in the upper chamber. Grassley, who will turn 95 four months before his next term expires, will be among the oldest sitting senators in the chamber’s history.

From left: U.S. President Joe Biden on Aug. 9, 2023, in Belen, N.M. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon); Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in Mayfield, Ky., on Aug. 5, 2023. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP); Sen. Dianne Feinstein at the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 14, 2023 (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File); and Sen. Chuck Grassley on Capitol Hill, March 22, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

According to the Pew Research Center, the median age in the U.S. Senate is 65.3, up from 64.8. A stark contrast to the lower chamber, which is getting younger with a median age of nearly 58. In fact, an overwhelming majority of newly-elected House lawmakers to the 118th Congress, have a median age of 46.

Still, in a Washington that rewards the spoils based on seniority, it is the geriatric that wield enormous sway and clout. A potential youth movement in the House of Representatives is good news for Democrats but based on a similar study done back in 2019 by Pew, the top of the ticket could prove difficult.

The study found that nearly half (47 per cent) of Democrats preferred presidential candidates “…in their 50s.” This could be a major sticking point when trying to energize younger voters to get behind the candidacy of someone who will be the oldest U.S. president in history if elected.

Growing calls to step down

This truism played out as Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, faced growing calls to step down earlier this year. A number of much younger challengers, unwilling to wait, announced they would be making a primary bid for her seat in 2024. This has forced the sitting senator, once a giant in California politics, into an ignominious retirement.  In another sign that older politicians' grip on power might be slipping, the 2016 and 2018 elections saw younger voters (narrowly) outnumber older voters at the ballot box. 

Research by Pew shows: The three younger generations – those ages 18 to 53 in 2018 – reported casting 62.2 million votes, compared with 60.1 million cast by Baby Boomers and older generations. The same pattern occurred in the 2016 presidential election.

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Evidence shows Baby Boomers are aging out as younger generations are beginning to outpace older Americans in the voting booth. As this political shift continues to take hold, younger voters are showing greater affinity for younger politicians. It is no surprise that this year's surging candidate among GOP presidential hopefuls is millennial Vivek Ramaswamy.

The latest polling data indicates the 37-year old novice is outpacing more experienced candidates in the field, including former U.S. vice-president Mike Pence and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

Republican presidential candidate businessman Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during a fundraising event for U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Young voters came of age during Obama presidency

Many young voters came of age during the Barack Obama presidency. The first black president in American history, he took the oath of office at 48 years of age. Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X became conditioned to a more youthful presence in U.S. politics.

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Gay marriage became the law of the land; electric vehicles the product du jour. Yet, just eight year later, the nation's highest court in the land reversed half a century of precedent, by ending a woman’s right to choose, led by a 73-year old Justice Samuel Alito. Such a ruling has been roundly criticized and opposed by a majority of voters according to a PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll.

A younger electorate is emerging and it is clear they want power in the hands of a more youthful cadre of leaders. The Tennessee Three, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and New York Congressman Mike Lawler are representative of changing leadership in Washington and beyond. Moreover, as the old guard continues to grapple with the vestiges of growing old, new ideas and attitudes are entering the ideological space.

Unclear is whether the old and new can co-exist. Noted professor and author Leon C. Megginson wrote, "According to Darwin’s Origin of Species, it is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself."

As Washington’s political polarization becomes more crippling, perhaps the grip that wields political power is one not consumed with simply wielding power for generations but using that power to ensure the viability of future generations.

Eric Ham is a bestselling author and former congressional staffer in the U.S. Congress. He served as a contributor to TheHill.com and The Washington Diplomat. He resides in Washington, DC.