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At 81, US President Joe Biden is arguably too old for the job. If he wins again in November and serves a full term, he will be 86 at the end of it (and let’s not forget his presumptive rival for president, Donald Trump, is also no spring chicken at 77).
So how is it that it seems almost inevitable that Biden will win the Democratic nomination? Surely there must be other worthy, and younger, contenders?
The first answer to the “why not someone else?” question, writes Emma Shortis, is in the vice presidency. It has historically often been the case that the vice president succeeds the president as the candidate for the top job. But for whatever reason, it appears Biden does not think Vice President Kamala Harris is the right candidate to win the election. “Given what is at stake this year, it seems likely that Biden is simply not willing to risk it all on Harris,”
Shortis writes.
And then there is the problem of a lack of a viable alternative - or at least, it’s not clear who the next best candidate would be. It is also, in practical terms, too late for a new contender to step in, given the challenges of timing, fundraising and publicity over the next ten months.
What does all this mean? That Americans are heading inexorably towards another choice between Biden and Trump as their president - and between now and November, we are going to hear an awful lot about Biden’s age.
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Amanda Dunn
Politics + Society Editor
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Emma Shortis, RMIT University
At 81, the president is perhaps too old to run again. But he may be the only feasible option for Democrats.
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Hands Across the Divide: a statue in Derry, Northern Ireland.
Imago / Alamy Stock Photo
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DIEGO FEDELE/AAP (Left) & Supplied by opposition (Right)
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Our most-read article this week
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In case you missed this week's big stories
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Holly Cullen, The University of Western Australia
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Emily Roycroft, Australian National University
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Chiara Palmieri, The University of Queensland
Exposure to asbestos can cause the same cancer in dogs as it does in humans. Recent cases of asbestos-contaminated mulch highlight the need to better protect our pets.
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The Conversation AU
Melbourne VIC, Australia
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Melbourne VIC, Australia
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Full Time
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