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How Old Would President ___ Be?
Ages of Declared and
Potential
2016 Presidential Candidates on Inauguration Day,
Jan.
20, 2017
Are voters looking for a fresh, young face
or a more experienced and seasoned figure? Sen. Bernie Sanders
stands out at the oldster in the 2016 field. The age question does arise in
presidential campaigns. Sen.
John
McCain
faced
it when he was the Republican nominee in 2008.
McCain would
have been 72 years 4.8 months on
Inauguration Day Jan. 20, 2009, and some voters did cite his age among
the factors for not voting for him. Bob Dole, the 1996 Republican
nominee, likewise faced age concerns; he would have been 73 years 6.0
months on Inauguration Day
2009. President Ronald Reagan, during a 1984 campaign debate with
Sen. Walter Mondale, famously declared, "I will not make
age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to
exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and
inexperience." Reagan was 73 at the time. Age is a fair
topic for discussion, but as long as a candidate is in
good health, up
to the job and has a good running mate as backup, the real
question isn't his or her age, but the experience he or she would
bring to the
job, his or her leadership skills, temperament, common sense and
problem-solving
ability.
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older than 75 |
Ages of recent presidents when they were sworn in:
Obama - 2013 |
50 years 5.6 mos. |
Obama - 2009 |
46 years 5.6 mos. |
Bush - 2005 |
58 years 6.5 mos. |
Bush - 2001 |
54 years 6.5 mos. |
Clinton - 1997 |
50 years 5.1 mos. |
Clinton - 1993 |
46 years 5.1 mos. |
Bush - 1989 |
64 years 7.3 mos. |
Reagan -1985 |
73 years 11.5 mos. |
Reagan - 1981 |
69 years 11.5 mos. |
Carter - 1977 |
52 years 3.7 mos. |
Ford - 1974 |
61 years 0.9 mos. |
Not Running
R.Portman 61 years 1.1 mos |
P.Ryan 46 years 11.7 mos. |
M.Romney 69 years 10 mos. |
M.Pence 57 years 7.5 mos |
A.Cuomo 59 years 1.5 mos. |
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