I have a question. Maybe it's a stupid one.

[pat_k]

11. Age is a factor...

... But not the only factor.

Not sure if it will provide any insight, but I'm 63 with most friends somewhere between 55 and 75. At the begining of 2023 the consensus opinion in our particular "bubble" was "please don't run." When he announced his intention to run in April, the party did what it does, coalesced around him and no serious challenger put their hat in the ring. We did the same. Voting in the primary for many felt like a rubber stamp on a "done deal" that took effort to get pumped about. We weren't thrilled, recognizing his age was a minus, but he was our guy.

A business women's group I'm in with most people ranging from late twenties to mid forties had a much more negative view of his candidacy. It didn't come up much but when it did, there were outright expressions of anger that he had not "passed the torch." They expressed fears that some of their cohorts were so demoralized with the level of division, insane rents and inflation, Gaza, and absence of a candidate they felt good about, they might not turn out at all.

On the other end of the spectrum, in 2023, my step father, 82, firmly believed Biden was absolutely the best candidate to beat Trump and predicted that when the campaign got rolling, the low approval would improve as he ran on such a strong record. That didn't come to pass. Then the debate happened. At that point, even he hoped Biden would withdraw.