Those who follow politics closely are constantly inundated with various theories about why our country has become so polarized. Facebook, Twitter, MAGA, a biased liberal media, FOX News, George Soros, Warren Buffett, the Koch brothers are among the usual suspects depending on your political orientation.
But a major culprit is the ability of the medical profession to not only extend life expectancy, but to keep the bodies of aging politicians and judges – who should be out to pasture – able to keep up a hectic schedule.
President Franklin Roosevelt died at the age of 63 from a cerebral hemorrhage due to uncontrolled hypertension. But in 1988, when then-Senator Joe Biden suffered a cerebral hemorrhage due to a brain aneurysm, it was competently treated and his political career continued.
There are many examples. When President Trump contracted COVID, his obesity and age put him at high risk for death or permanent disability. But he received extraordinary care with a steroid to control his breathing (Dexamethasone) along with the antivirals Remdesivir and Regeneron (a monoclonal antibody) and cruised to a speedy recovery.
While campaigning in Las Vegas in 2019, Bernie Sanders suffered a heart attack. He was hospitalized, two stents were placed to bypass blocked coronary arteries, and within two weeks, he was back on the campaign trail.
But it’s not just the treatment of cardiovascular and infectious diseases that keeps our aging politicians running. Hip replacements, knee replacements, cataract surgery and technical advances in hearing aids enable our politicians to have the bodies of sixty year olds when they are in their eighties. Thus, it is likely that our 2024 presidential election will be dominated by Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and possibly Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton — all octogenarians or close to it. And if the polls are to be believed, Sen. Charles Grassley is poised to win re-election in Iowa. Grassley will turn 90 next year.
This situation also extends to our judges, especially in the Supreme Court. Our constitution gives these judges life tenure. But when our Constitution was written in the late 1700s, people died like flies. It was not uncommon for an apparently healthy individual to contract an infectious disease such as pneumonia and quickly succumb.
But medical advances mean that appointees can serve for decades, while those who fall ill can be treated effectively. Nowhere was this more evident than in the case of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. This indomitable patient had colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer along with coronary artery disease. She survived multiple surgeries and brutal treatments.
But she perceived herself as healthy enough to continue serving even as her liberal supporters strongly suggested she step down so President Obama could appoint a like-minded successor. She refused, and when she died, President Trump replaced her with conservative Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett is currently 50 years old and will probably live into his 90s.
Even the longest-serving justice, Clarence Thomas, is only seventy-four years old. He could easily serve another fifteen years if he follows medical advice. His like-minded colleague, Justice Antonin Scalia, did not. He continued to quit smoking and overeat, resulting in hypertension, sleep apnea, and poorly controlled diabetes. He passed away at the age of 79.
Since individuals rarely relinquish power unilaterally, various solutions have been proposed. After President Franklin Roosevelt served for fifteen years, the Constitution was amended to prevent a president from winning more than two elections. But term limits on a national scale have been declared unconstitutional.
Republicans once proposed limiting Supreme Court appointments to ten years when the court was dominated by liberals. But now they are silent, while liberals, seething with outrage over recent rulings on abortion, gun control and climate change, are proposing to pack the court with six more justices so they can get back to legislation from the courts instead of dealing with obstructive voters.
But it’s time for the new generation to take over. Our 2024 presidential candidates should be Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Ron DeSanctis, and Nikki Haley. But that doesn’t seem likely. Blame the doctors. They were used to it anyway.
Joseph Bentivegna MD is an ophthalmologist in Rocky Hill.
