“The mind wanders and reaches for a tiny fragment of youth as wrought iron rusts and a March wind swirls paying tribute to the Ode to the Old.”

—Ron Pate

In 2024, we had two old men in competition for the presidency of the United States. Now we have one. One seemed to be getting older every time we saw him on the news. The other mixes up names and places almost every time he gives a speech.

Age is a funny thing. I’ve seen people in their late 60s who looked and acted like they were in their 90s. I watched the Normandy celebrations on TV a couple of weeks ago and listened to a 98-year-old veteran who sounded as sharp as a 30-year-old as he recalled the assault scene as he piloted above as the allies hit the beaches.

There’s a Latin expression used mostly by those in the medical and legal professions to describe a person’s mental state: “compos mentis,” meaning a person who is mentally competent, rational, and capable of making sound decisions… or “non compos mentis,” meaning a person of unsound mind.

Questions have been raised about the state of mind of both these candidates, that is, are they of clear mind, balanced, lucid, sane and stable? I am unquestionably unqualified to make the compos mentis assessment of either Mr. Biden or Mr. Trump, yet we all see what we see. But the state of mental acuity of either of these candidates is not what I’m thinking about as I write today.

What I am thinking about as I witness these presidential rites is what’s missing: young inspirational leadership, vigor and dynamism. There’s a lot of collected wisdom in the senior members of our society. They’ve learned many lessons in life, and their past experiences can be a tremendous resource for those seeking advice, but leading the most powerful country in the world, especially when competitors are trying to beat us down, every hour of the day, takes not only wisdom, but vitality, resilience and a commitment to high levels of activity.

Joe Biden did the right thing to step down. We may learn more about his health in the days to come. His presidency is likely to be remembered by historians as accomplished during very difficult times. Today, the U.S. economy is doing as well or better than most of the rest of the G-20 economies. But the question that lingered among the voting public is what would Biden’s condition be a year from now, but also three or four years from now.

It’s fair to have the same questions and concerns about Donald Trump’s mental and physical condition two, three and four years from now as he would be 84 years old at the end of his term should he win in November.

These questions reach beyond just the presidency. Aging athletes have been known not to know when to quit. So have Supreme Court justices. Ruth Bater Ginsburg famously refused to leave the Supreme Court in spite of her age (87) and chronic cancer issues, leading to a massive shift in the ideological balance of the court. It’s tough to give up power and the trappings associated with powerful positions.

Mitch McConnell (82) will be the longest-serving senator in Kentucky’s history, and will be known as one of the most impactful Republican leaders in the Senate’s history. Yet, in spite of incidents when he has seemingly “frozen” on camera, and appearing physically diminished, he has refused to step down until his term ends in 2027 when he will be 85 years old.

Trump has picked a youthful JD Vance as his VP running mate. If Kamala Harris becomes the Democratic candidate, it is highly likely she will pick a youthful running mate as well. By either Trump or Biden age standards, Ms. Harris is a spring chicken (59). Word has it that the popular Governor Andy Beshear (46) of Kentucky is on the shortlist for Harris’s running mate.

These are promising trends. I’m old enough to remember the excitement that surrounded the youthful launch of the John F. Kennedy administration, and how it drew young people into politics, all before Americans became increasingly cynical about politics and the profession.

There are plenty of seasoned young men and women in state houses, in Congress or currently serving as governors whom we need to elevate into these state and national leadership positions. There are a few other civil servants who need to do the right thing and make way for the next generation of leadership.

The city of Hillsboro sets a great example. We have youthful leadership in the city administration and there is a buoyancy about the city that’s refreshing and energizing.

Full disclosure: I’m retired, slightly rusty, yet I’m happy to give my age-acquired advice on almost any topic, as many of my readers can attest to.

Bill Sims is a Hillsboro resident, retired president of the Denver Council on Foreign Relations, an author and runs a small farm in Berrysville with his wife. He is a former educator, executive and foundation president.