Optimistic

  listening to the pundits on television talking about Biden being 81 and how that will factor into his campaign for reelection. Trump isn't far behind in age at 77. That will also play into his bid. According to a poll of younger voters they are shying away from either one based on that. There is talk of dementia, a lack of mental sharpness and the general notion that old people are just plain grumpy. There is also the question of stamina! Young people are concerned about stamina because when you're young that's how you feel about that. When you get older you realize that just like the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race. But we live in an impatient world today, it's the digital age, the information age, the age of instant gratification. Out with the old and in with the new.

  I'm not really bothered by all of that as there is some validity to it. As with everything else there are no constants, just generalizations. Joe Biden doesn't appear to be the crispest cracker in the box. He walks with a bit of a shuffle and frequently loses his place on whatever train of thought he has. I get it, it happens to all of us sooner or later. Setting aside his politics, which everyone knows I don't agree with, I too have to question his mental fitness to run the show. I'm not convinced he is running the show, although he may believe he is. Now Trump is another matter altogether. He appears to be in pretty good shape both physically and mentally. His big issue being, he's pretty grumpy. Like a lot of us older men we have decided to just say what's on our mind. Tact and diplomacy take a back seat when it comes to what we believe. That's a big issue. No one is accusing Trump of having a weak constitution or lack of confidence. Many think he is just plain arrogant! Egotistical even. A danger to the whole free world! That's what I have heard about him. Trump is the biggest danger in the world today. Yup, I've heard that.

  Too old men battling for the presidency of the United States. But I am encouraged by hearing of a possible third candidate. This person hasn't officially declared his candidacy but already enjoys some popularity. Polls indicate that he would grab a significant portion of the votes. More so than any third-party candidate in recent years. Abraham Lincoln was a third-party candidate. That party was the Republicans. When he ran for reelection, he was once again a third-party candidate running under the National Union Party. But that was the last time any third-party candidate made any real impact on the political scene. This possible third-party candidate is none other than Robert F Kennedy, Jr. He is an independent. I'm encouraged because he is only 69. That means he is young enough! I'm just 70 so that makes me young too. I have another good decade or so before the young people will dismiss me. That's a relief.

  Robert F Kennedy Jr. is a bit of an enigma. He hasn't embraced the entire Democratic platform despite his family ties. He does have some left leaning tendencies, but he is anti-vaccine founding The Childrens Health Defense. I haven't read a lot about him but have heard this and that because of his famous family. He was expelled from a couple of boarding schools and arrested for smoking pot a few times. But that's about all I know about him. I do wonder how an independent would work as president. I mean without the support of either major party how would you get anything done? I'm thinking an outsider would surely upset the proverbial applecart. That is, if he is really an outsider. As I said I don't know a lot about him and whatever connections he may have in Washington. But he's young! That's great, only 69, I remember when I was 69, young and full of dreams. Sounds like a great choice to me.